Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger
It was a fun and adventurous week. An engaging week - preceded by a very engaging week leading into the July 4th holiday. I arrived at this weekend feeling drained of energy. So I downshifted, and reflected.
My reflections yielded a valuable insight: The pace at which I’ve been running is a bit too much. Thankfully, the week ahead has some white space. This will allow me to regroup and recharge a bit. As I architect my calendar for the weeks ahead, it needs to reflect this new understanding.
Admittedly, I’m trying to hit a moving target. Life ebbs and flows. Sometimes I want to let it rip. Sometimes I need to dial it back. It’s nice to imagine a “template week” that is infinitely repeatable. Rinse and repeat in perpetuity and live the ideal life - a life where I optimize each day for everything that matters…I don’t think life works this way.
Sure, there are some stretches that feel idyllic - but life is too dynamic for them to last very long. I embrace this. I’m not complaining. I’m simply recognizing that my current routines need to change. And they will. So….good!
We have friends coming over for Sunday Supper tonight, and I’m really looking forward to it. Lori and I were able to do some preparation for this gathering on Saturday, so it should not be a heavy lift on Sunday to get everything done. I’m grilling cheeseburgers. Our guests will be able to choose between a classic preparation (Toasted bun, sliced tomato, shredded lettuce, diced onion, pickles, Gott’s hamburger sauce or other condiments) or something I dreamed up on Memorial Day. I call it the Bababouli Burger, and it leans into Lebanese cuisine: toasted bun, cheeseburger patties topped with baba ganoush and tabouleh. Thick and garlicky smoked eggplant puree, herbaceous parsley and mint salad, bathed in lemon juice and olive oil, with some diced tomato tossed in with it (FYI - I substitute some cooked quinoa for the bulgur wheat to make this salad friendly for my gluten-free gal). This weekend is the first chance I’ve had to make it since imagining it while at Sleepy Creek. Will report back on whether it meets my expectations. The classic is The Classic. But I’ve got to experiment with other ideas sometimes.
Making tabouleh is labor-intensive. Plucking the little parsley leaves from the stems is detail-oriented. I often don’t have the patience for it. But on Saturday, it was the perfect way to meditate on my busy life of late. It needs to be chopped finely, along with the mint (We purchased it at the Granville Farmer’s Market. It smelled so good when I chopped it up.). This all takes time, and taking some time is exactly what I needed.
So that’s it. I’ve been going a little too fast, looking forward to slowing down. I started the deceleration by plucking the leaves off of six or seven bunches of parsley last night. The End.
Sunday Supper
Mango-Avocado Salad with Lime Vinaigrette
Grilled Marinated Swordfish Steaks
Cucumber Salad with Salsa Macha
Sunday Music
RAYE and Guests Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival
Courtney Barnett - Live from the Royal Exhibition Building
Miles Davis Septet - Berlin, 1971
Gilberto Gil, Tiny Desk Brasil
Punch Brothers, Mayo Performing Arts Center
Enjoy!
If you know anyone who might like this essay, please share it with them.
Have a great week ahead! You can do anything you set your mind to. Let me know how I can help.
Peace & Love!