If one day you become sick of words, as happens to us all, and you grow tired of hearing them, of saying them; if whichever you choose seems worn out, dull, disabled; if you feel nauseated when you hear ‘horrible’ or ‘divine’ for some everyday occurrence – you’ll not be cured, obviously, by alphabet soup.
You must do the following: cook a plate of al dente spaghetti dressed with the simplest seasoning – garlic, oil and chili. Over the pasta toss in this mixture, grate a layer of Parmesan cheese. To the right of the deep plate full of the spaghetti thus prepared, place an open book. To the left, place an open book. In front of it a full glass of red wine. Any other company is not recommended. Turn the pages of each book at random, but they must both be poetry. Only good poets cure us of an overindulgence in words. Only simple essential food cures us of gluttony.”
– Héctor Abad Faciolince, from Recipes for Sad Women
Notes:
- Photo: Caco e pepe via Simply Delicious. Quote Source: litafficionao
- Related Posts: “It’s Been a Long Day“
That looks and sounds so perfect…and since I haven’t had dinner yet, I think I’ll make that right now. Just have to go grab a couple poetry books..
Doesn’t it though Susan! Glad to have prompted it all…
Susan, I looked at your blog & your Getty images…so stunningly beautiful, calming, grounding…such a nice place to rest and reflect for a few minutes…if you care to share what brand & model of camera do you use? Kindly, Christie
And it becomes more so tiring when one is hit by the writer’s block. But the cure would be the same!
Smiling. Yes, cure would be exactly the same. 🙂
Now, that is when the word Divine simply fits.
Yes. Divine. That’s it.
I must have been sick since last night. Cooked a pot full of this with meatballs. Will be sick for the rest of a week.
How can one get sick from that!?!
Sounds like a plan to me. :o)
Let’s get on the bus!
I was thinking the other day of just such a curative power in poetry. Not expressed this eloquently, of course.
Ross, I too, am in awe of the power of words and poetry, forcing a pause in a day, where none previously existed.
How grounding! So welcome in these days of anxiety!
Agree! Thanks for stopping by Anne
ooh, yes
I’m not saying anything. 😉
I usually watch some inspirational videos on youtube to recover from a long day. Never occurred to me that a good book could do it too! Great idea. Thanks for posting this.
This is one area that I had figured out early. Many other things, not so much. 😀
Creative Meditation! And tastes very yummy too. 🍝🍜🍝🍜
There’s nothing like comfort food…
You, sir, are a genius! This. Sounds. Perfect.
For Breakfast!?
Nawwww, dinner. 😊
Perfect!
Sometimes I feel this way about food. I get sick of thinking about it, worrying about the next binge, sick of the one I’m in. I wonder if poetry can cure that, too, cuz the yummy pasta sure wouldn’t.
Sorry to hear that Sandy. Pasta, for me, cures almost anything. 🙂
whispers, *bastard*
Laughing. You are right!
Not to be argumentative, but this is how I like my pasta, and you wouldn’t believe how much of it I can eat.
A friend called me last night, asked what I was doing.
“I’m about to eat this Tufu Soup I went and got at the Papaya Garden”
“Tofu soup? Man, thats out there” he says.
“I know, I got to do something. I been feeling like crap, my blood sugar is through the roof these days. I’m upping my medicine every day, but cant seem to get caught up.”
My friend offers some advice.
‘You should change your diet. Its one of the hardest things to change. My doctor (blah, blah, blah) and my sister (blah, blah, blah) and so I switched to having just fruit for breakfast and I’m eating a lot of weird salads now”
I let there be a good 6-8 second pause, and let him have it, very softly:
“Well, my friend, what do you think is up with me and the Tofu Soup?”
Oh yeah, a little cracked black pepper on that pasta is…um…divine.
Smiling. That is divine (but I would need it lathered in butter)…
Amen, to that plate!!
-Alan
Another one please Sir!
How perfect this is, David. As my wise husband has been know to say, “sometimes it’s just too people-y.”
Smiling. He is very wise…
I agree. Great food cures just about anything. Proven many times over this week.
Oh, underscore the MANY… 🙂
“Recipes for sad women” … makes me wonder what sad men yearn for … or perhaps we are yearning for the same thing. 💛
Women play at a high level, men at base level. Food, sleep… 🙂