tangles of tires, noodles and tears
This week I was moved to tears by a piece of art.
And while we could definitely attribute it to some of the things going on in my life right now (making moves to be ten toes down on the East Coast, Chani’s breakthrough course, the Scorpio full moon we just had on Monday?! whew) I think it's more than that. I didn’t choose this work, it chose me. I didn’t know I would fall in love with it – I just did. Just like we can’t control the people we fall in love with – it just happens. A feeling. A knowing without knowing. Without permission; soul recognition. Something slides into place and next thing you know tears are slipping down your face while you’re thinking about the inspired labor that turned something forgotten into something beautiful. Thinking about love. Thinking about the beauty and brutality of life. Staring into a pile of tires. Beautifully cut, twisted, sliced, nailed-down tires.
This was the second time I’ve viewed these pieces from Chakaia Booker. After my drizzly walk that morning I had this feeling like I needed to be in their presence again. (Shoutout to DC art museums for being free, so there's nothing stopping me from visiting obsessively.) I usually only have this feeling about running. I can feel myself in a place; on a path among the trees, quads bracing from the impact of each stride, the way the air feels on my skin — and I know where I need to run that day. It calls to me. I don’t know that I’ve really ever felt this pull about anything else. So I popped my headphones in, turned up my playlist and hit the National Gallery.
As with food, I feel that you shouldn't need to read too much of the (literal or proverbial) plaque on the wall to feel the art so I won’t say too much here. Only that Booker’s work at once speaks to environmentalism; the push-pull between the industrial and natural world, as well as themes of resilience and ingenuity inherent to the Black experience in America. It’s also — by some kismet confluence, on theme with the book I’m currently devouring. Booker and Hooks are both conjuring from this place of exploring our connection to place; a theme I became obsessed with as an Environmental Studies major in college, and explore through my work as a chef.
//
I left the gallery and went to work. For dinner I made sprouted spelt fettuccine with basil, peas and ricotta, which weirdly kind of matched the scene from earlier that day. The colors from outside the gallery, the tangle that moved me within. Life imitating art, or art imitating life, however do you want it?
This is a perfect vata balancing meal, as vata types are encouraged to eat a diet laden with grains and dairy moreso than the other doshas. The sprouted spelt flour makes the pasta more bio-available (ayyy, we love that). It may also be worth noting (or at least ruminating on) as I just studied holistic color-therapy last week in school, that the color green, reduces vata (and kapha) imbalances, and is considered sattvic; meaning that it promotes balance, happiness and mental clarity. What are ways we can absorb the energetics of green? Eating it, walking among the trees, wearing it… everything is energy. How can we be more intentional about what we soak up? How can we put ourselves in position to give and to receive the highest vibrations? Some food for thought ;)
Sprouted Spelt Fettuccine
(Obv you don't need to use sprouted spelt flour. But if you can find it, do it! Einkorn would be fun here too.) The thing about pasta, is that it’s actually dead easy to make. You just need a pasta attachment for the Kitchen Aid mixer or one of those extruders that clamp onto your countertop. I swear to god you can eyeball all of the following and it will turn out just fine.
2 eggs
1.5 cups spelt flour
1 T kosher salt
1 T evoo
Whisk your eggs with the evoo
Mix dries together and pour out into a little pile on your clean countertop
Make a well in the middle of your flour pile and add the egg mix.
Ideally, use a bench scraper to mix the dough into a shaggy ball. Knead it a bit until it comes together in a smooth ball. It should feel pliable and not too sticky.
Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside at room temp for at least 30 mins.
Divide into two balls and roll out until thin enough to feed through the sheeter setting of the extruder. Start at level 8 and feed it through, decreasing the size each time until you get to level 4. After each piece has been rolled to that thinness, switch attachments to the fettuccine one and feed it through! Viola!
You may want to toss with a little flour or semolina so the pasta doesn’t stick together. Lay flat to dry.
*You coullld double the recipe and coil little bundles of extra noodles to freeze for later if you wish.
(-yes, I am ashamed that the cabinet door is open in this video. Leaving drawers and doors open is my worst habit)
To cook:
Bring a pot of salted water (like the sea!) to a boil. Drop noods and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain and toss into a pan with sizzled spring onions, snow peas and english peas. At the last min, spoon a couple scoops of pesto and swirl around to coat. Swoop the whole pan into a bowl. Squeeze some lemon, sprinkle a little flakey salt, dollop some ricotta, and dust a little parm and you're finito! (Ricotta is also super easy and fun to make… maybe we do that next?)
Happy cooking!
Z