August, signalling, for many the halfway point of summer holidays. Standing by the kitchen calendar I tried to recall all that July held and was hard pressed to remember much of it, where did the month go?
Refusing to let July end on such a sour note, I decided to mark the day with something symbolic. And I knew exactly what that something would be. Just that morning a friend had emailed me a recipe for Risotto. I had decided to set it aside as the recipe started with the statement, “Many say Risotto is a difficult dish to make but it really is very simple, all one needs to do is slow down and take your time. Risotto teaches that slow brings the best results.”
With recipe in hand, I headed to the grocery store and later, after watching a video on how to make the perfect Risotto, I started up the frying pan. As I diligently followed every word in the recipe, even timing the stirring to a perfect 20 minutes as directed. I realized this recipe was exactly the spiritual exercise I needed to set the tone for the month of August.
This month I will slow down, taking time to gaze up at the fluffy clouds by day and the starry sky at night. I promised myself I would spend time running my toes through the warm sand at the beach and plan at least one evening by a crackling campfire. There would be time to attend open-air concerts and to walk under the tall maples along the river. I would slow down enough this month to savor all that the month of August offers.
As the list formed in my mind, the Risotto slowly formed into a lovely creamy dish. Topped with freshly shredded parmesan and garnished with herbs from the garden it became a reminder of the need to slow down and enjoy the good things in life. It is true, Risotto does teach that slow brings the best results!
May it be a Risotto August for us all.
