When the Heart Feeds the Soul

For most people, physical hunger, the body's pulse that informs itself that it needs nourishment, is typically what compels it to act.   In my case, it's my heart that informs my body of it's need for nourishment, even for liquid, from water to wine.    Let's say my emotions are my highly evolved form of intuition that propel me-  for better or for worse.  It means that I can be swayed as easily as seaweed in a high tide, but it also means I fully experience the rush of catching a maverick wave that takes me straight to the shore on one long, ecstatic ride.. althewhile putting aside any thought of the potential for crashing.

I am currently in a state where my body and soul say purge, fast-  a very peculiar time of year to beckon this given that it is during winter months that we usually have our fill and accumulate the extra layers of fat like our other mammalian counterparts, for self-preservation.   However, I don't believe in eating for the sake of eating.   Or at least, when I do eat in this way, the soulless endeavor of eating without gusto leaves this immense weight on my body that does the opposite of fueling me with energy.   I believe that consuming food is an act of love.   It is a conscious meditation of thanks for earth's bounty at our fingertips, for the effort of seeds and plants to thrive in stress, for people's laborious attention ensuring the growth of cultivated plants, the efforts of sun-beaten farmers who pick each fruit one by one.  So as I currently see food before me, uninspired by their creations, not driven by an inner desire to commune with the dishes laid before me, I have decided to go on a fast.   I'm going to do a combination of three things:

1) Although 10 days is prescribed, I'm going to start with the goal of a 5 day lemon juice fast (lemon juice, honey, cayenne pepper).  A useful website delineating this master cleanse can be found at the following website:
http://www.yogabound.com/the-master-cleanse-10-day-lemon-juice-fast/  ;
2) I am going to also have one table spoon of soaked chia seeds 3 x a day during this fast.     This will provide me with the fiber and protein I might need to support this first ever fast that I'm embarking on, especially given a prior history of hypoglycemia that beckons my body to graze every few hours.
3) I am going to balance out the internal regimen with a physical regimen of Bikram yoga 3 times a week.  Thus far I have only been able to incorporate it into my life 2 times a week.

So this  is my commitment, out loud.   My hope is that when I resume eating I will reduce carbs and refined sugars in my diet.  A personal reset.  If you have any personal stories of fasts you've undertaken, any challenges or discoveries along your journey, please feel free to post them for fellow readers to share.

When I resume with solid foods, I will embark on an ecstatic exploration of food experiences...  Next blog- food orgasms!  (And I'll let you know how my fast went- though I guess it has to wait till I get over this flu bug)...

Music to your Appetite: Homemade Chitarra Pasta

Pasta is so versatile- different shapes conjure different names,  regions throughout Italy have variations on names for the same type of pasta,  there's a different name if the pasta was hand cut or machine cut, if it's a certain length or width.   In the Abbruzzo region of Italy, there is also a traditional pasta that is named after the instrument that is used to cut it.  The instrument is a harp-like instrument respelendent of a flattened guitar.  Hence, the name Chitarra.  And the notable, delicious pasta from this region that is slightly cut with a rectangular shape to it, Spaghetti alla Chitarra.

With Chitarra pasta you have to knead the dough and stretch it out with a rolling pin. Then the stretched dough is placed on top of the Chitarra, where the strands of spaghetti are naturally cut when the rolling pin presses over the dough and allows the dough to cut through the Chitarra strings.

 

Chitarra pasta typically enjoys more egg yolks in the dough than other pasta recipes.  This pasta keeps flavors of sauces very well.   Thus,  any sauce ranging from a simple passata with olive oil to a pesto pasta would be delicious.   I personally think a cream based pasta would be too heavy for Spaghetti alla Chitarra (and personally for any spaghetti).    I created a gorgeous basil-arugula pesto with ground broccoli florets to adorn this pasta.  Garlic, lemon juice, some parmesan, are a must, and a lovely  nut (pine nuts being traditional, roasted hazelnuts being my favorite) would accentuate a lovely sauce on this fabulous pasta from Abbruzzo where my dad's family hails.   Buon Appetito!