Make and Remake

In an effort to make a heart healthy meal, I made butternut squash and kale risotto. The kale had a wilted mushy quality while the squash was undercooked and of blood orange color. The overall dish was salty with a hint of soap.


I doubt that I will do this over. The recipe wasn't a good one and while the idea is good, I don't know how to properly pull it off. I don't find myself repeating the same dishes since I always want to try something different. My family is the complete opposite. My mom has been cooking so many of the same dishes throughout her life that she is bored and lost much of her desire to play around in the kitchen. I could definitely use more practice with many dishes but I keep leaving them for other things. I wish I had more commitment to a single project.


The other day I went to the phenomenal Matisse exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago. It was a really excellent display of dedication coupled with disregard. Matisse would be unsatisfied with where he placed something and you could see his several efforts to modify. There were layers and layers and scraping and painting and revisions galore. I was staring and just amused wondering what his thoughts were like when re-working for the 15th time. How did he know when it was finished? Change, re-arrange, re-think, second guess.

I nearly laughed out loud thinking that this is the way I work when it comes to jobs and career planning. I have yet to finish that project and probably never will. I truly admire people who can commit to projects. When I read Julia Child's memoir there was so much in it about making the perfect mayonnaise I was shocked. Why would anyone want to make mayonnaise a million times? I don't even like it at all and I definitely did not like this risotto.