JUST ADD LOVE

WARNING:

all vegetarians reading this blog should avert their eyes.  this is the most glorious display of beef, bacon and broth i have seen in a long time.  okay, and some vegetables.  

i had to tape my boyfriend's hands to the table to get this picture taken, before he devoured two plates of it.  (not really)

has everyone seen the movie "julie and julia" yet?  a must-see, especially if you are an artistic person.  the joie de vivre that julia child possesses, and meryl streep depicts perfectly, is awe-inspiring.  i didn't realize what a passion-obsessed person she was.  she's my new hero!

anyway, there is this adorable scene where julie makes beef bourguignon in her dutch oven.  i have always wanted a dutch oven but they are like $100.  so i curtailed my need.  until i saw this movie.  when i watched her make that meal in her red le crueset pot, i HAD to have one.  so my mom bought me one for my birthday!!!  love you, mom!!!  and this picture is the beef bourguignon i proudly made in my new red dutch oven!!!

anyone snoozing yet?  well tough.  i digress.  but i am in love with this dutch oven, and with this showcase of beef, bacon, mushrooms, a whole bottle of cote du rhone, brussels sprouts, pearl onions, and don't forget the cognac that you set on fire halfway through the cooking process. YESSS!! or OUI!!!  making this dish was a joy, and eating it was pure heaven.  

the thing i love about cooking is the same thing i love about singing classical music:  this meal has been enjoyed for hundreds of years.  by frenchmen, francophiles, beef lovers, and julia child lovers.  i didn't stray from the recipe (this one is an ina garten recipe) one bit.  except adding the brussels sprouts.  that was my addition.  but i didn't do anything original.  i just followed the recipe slowly and didn't screw up.  i enjoyed myself and added love and patience.  and when my boyfriend and i sat down to eat this meal, i got ALL the credit.  

singing, to me, is almost the same thing.  bach perfected the art of music by writing "jauchzet gott in allen den herrn" and all i do is endeavor to sing all the right notes.  if i didn't even add dynamics and warmth to the sound (salt and pepper, if you will), it would still be a masterpiece.  but add love and patience and the human quality (which might also include flaws), and the audience gives you all the credit.  shouldn't.  but usually does.  

this is such a lesson for me, and i hope for anyone who is reading this.  just add love.

i listened to some recordings of myself this morning and was horrified.  i hate my flaws.  i hate the sound of my voice and the mistakes and issues that i have never managed to correct over the years.  and i am sort of giving up at this stage of the game.  i'm just going to add love from now on and see where it gets me...