Menu: Butternut Squash and Escarole Lasagna (RachaelRay.com)
Music: Willie Nelson, "Red Headed Stranger"; Jackson Browne, "Late For the Sky" - vinyl
I think I enjoy cooking so much because it is both control and creation. For so many years, as an aspiring professional ballet dancer, I had such a strained relationship with food. It's nice to be able to control what I'm putting in my body, creating something beautiful in appearance and function.
This recipe, and many others, is a bit like choreography. I had three pots going and the squash roasting in the oven at the same time. You've got to whisk the sauce at the right time, saute the escarole, fold the mixture into the noodles. It really is, in a fundamental way, like dancing.
And, when it's over, and this beauty with bubbling gruyere and parmesan on top emerges from the oven, I can share this creation with someone I love and know it's not just pleasure, it's nourishment. It's good for my soul and my body. And Willie's voice in the background probably added a touch of magic.
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