There is beauty and peace to be found in simplicity.
My 2 years in New York were… Not good. I was crippled by anxiety, haunted by old and new demons, trying to do too much too quickly to distract myself, to keep up with everyone and everything else. I became someone I hated. Someone that was unable to enjoy and understand the good moments.
And then I moved to the Midwest. I slowed down. I tried to start afresh.
Over the past few months I have been reacquainting myself with myself. I have been learning again how to treasure moments alone and sincerely enjoy simple things like immersing myself in a book, having a cup of tea, kneading a loaf of bread, walking around my neighbourhood just for the sake of walking… Most days I can even watch a whole movie without reaching for my phone to wonder why there aren’t messages.
There are still days that are overwhelming; days that leave me breathless and crushed under the weight of anxiety – By now, I have accepted those are days I will experience for the rest of my life, but I am learning to handle them better and live with them in a healthier manner: doing something simple and appreciating how that simplicity makes my pulse and the swirling chaos of my mind slow down. That simplicity is beautiful to me.
I am also rediscovering the deep love I have for food – Both preparing it and enjoying the final product even if it is as simple as ravioli dressed with butter. I enjoy once more making something special just for myself and truly enjoy eating it. I ate just to fuel myself in New York.
I guess this isn’t really a recipe, because you don’t really need a recipe to make ravioli with butter BUT there are a few things that can be done to make a very simple meal into a beautiful one.
- Choose good butter. European butter if you can. It has a deeper, creamier flavour.
- Melt the butter very slowly.
- Put a sprig of sage, a pinch of nutmeg and a crushed garlic clove in there.
- Add a splash of white wine, because why not?!
- Add a splash of the water you cooked the ravioli in and finish the ravioli in the frying pan with that beautifully aromatic butter.
- Cover the ravioli with freshly grated Parmesan and white or black pepper when they are on the plate.
- Take your time to savour your meal without looking at your phone and be grateful for the time you have been able to dedicate to yourself.
