Dinner was a twist on a recipe a friend/chef gave me years ago that I tweaked of ginger chickpea fritters that had yummy flavors of green onion, ginger, chipotle peppers, cumin, mango juice etc… either coated in crushed macadamia or walnut, done in the pan with veggie broth over half red quinoa and half herbed pine nut couscous with side simmered broccolini and mango, and topped with Thai peanut sauce (this was my fav) with blends of coconut milk, lime juice, mint, apple cider vinegar, and more. I then garnished it all with mint leaves on top and served with a simple side salad of spring herbs, avocado, and grape tomatoes.

I then completed the dinner with a special pineapple upside down cake extravaganza mandala with homemade coconut whipped cream.

Cooking is where I experience, very literally, how the process is the fun. Sometimes it’s simple and quick and other times very involved. So there’s definitely a timing factor involved, and planning ahead with more complex things, but there’s also the spontaneity of the moment in following inspiration and intuition.

This happens much faster when I’m pulling together something just for us at home with what ever I have on hand. But in the case of a dinner party or event, there’s definitely the element of surprise mixed with calculation…making it a balanced experience of both sides of the brain being used.

My favorite thing is to find and blend unusual and complimentary flavors in a burst of yummy explosion in your mouth.

Faery alchemy!

In the end, if I find myself with a smile on my face, I know I’ve followed my heart and am exactly where I need to be.