When cooks or chefs prepare food, they leave behind a part of themselves. Many of us work out aggressions and feelings through cooking and baking. Imagine if others could taste those emotions as part of the end result. What would sadness taste like if it were an ingredient folded into lemon cake? In this novel, the main character is a young girl who discovers she has the unique ability to taste feelings through food.

But, just as not all emotions feel good, sometimes the end results taste very bad. Bitter. Acidic. Tangy. What does happiness taste like? Is it light? Sweet? Does eating something sad make one feel sad as well? This book is magical realism at its finest, a fictional discovery of the senses. It may make you look differently at the food you make and the food you eat, and the love in which you prepare food for others.

For this recipe, I used French lentils, which are black and smaller than standard lentils. Regular brown or green lentils are fine as well, just check cooking times to be sure the lentils are softened to a desired consistency. I also used an infused Tarragon Vinegar, but white wine or red wine vinegar can be used instead (or another infused vinegar of your choice, such as shallot vinegar).

French-Style Lentil Soup w/ Mixed Carrots
adapted from Everyday Food

3 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3-6 small to medium carrots of various colors, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups French lentils, picked over and rinsed
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp tarragon vinegar
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp carrot greens, minced

In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until browned and crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Add onions and carrots, cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and saute for 1 minute.

Add lentils, thyme, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, chicken broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered, until lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes. If soup becomes too thick, add up to 1 cup more water (or chicken broth).

Remove thyme sprig, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick. Stir in vinegar, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Top with carrot greens and serve immediately.

Above: A bounty from the Farmer’s Market.

Not Your Mama’s Pork & Beans

1 lb pasta, such as cavatappi
3/4 lb ground Italian sausage, casings removed
3/4 lb yellow wax or green beans, ends trimmed and halved
2 small bell peppers, cut into thin strips
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh basil, optional

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving a small amount of pasta water (about 1 cup), toss with olive oil, set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, use a large skillet over high heat to brown sausage, crumbling with a wooden spoon. Add pepper strips and saute 3 minutes. Add beans and saute 3 minutes, adding olive oil if pan is too dry. Add tomatoes, seasoning with salt and pepper, and saute until softened, about 2-3 minutes.

Combine pasta and vegetable mixture in a large pot or bowl. If using, add basil. Add reserved pasta water as needed, enough to keep mixture moist. Season with additional salt or pepper if needed. Serve immediately.

The second step was mixing in some coffee grounds. In the gardening months, Starbucks packages used coffee ground for free to use as “Grounds for Your Garden.” The coffee grounds made the garden smell like a freshly brewed cup of coffee, an effect that was magnified when we watered the garden. It certainly overpowered any scent from the humus and manure.

Above: After spreading humus and manure.

Above: Add in some coffee grounds.

Above: Watering the garden.

Basic Hummus Recipe:

1 can (15 oz) chick peas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. If mixture is too dry, add additional olive oil.

Spicy Cilantro-Lime Hummus: Substitute lime juice for lemon juice and add the zest of 1 lime. Increase cayenne pepper to 1/2 tsp and add 1/3 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: omit cumin and add 2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves. Add 2/3 cup chopped roasted red pepper.

Garlic Lovers Hummus: increase garlic to 3-4 cloves (or as much as you like!).

There are two ways to assemble the vegetables on skewers. One way is to group like vegetables on skewers (one skewer for zucchini, another for peppers, etc) so that you can adjust each vegetable’s cooking time, then disassemble the skewers for serving. The other option is to arrange skewers so that vegetables alternate on each skewer (one skewer will have a zucchini, then pepper, then onion, etc) so they can be cooked all at once and served on the skewer.

I favor the second option, because while cooking times to vary between zucchini and cherry tomatoes, the difference is not usually noticeable. If you cut the vegetables so they are all about the same size, they should all cook relatively evenly. Most summer vegetables have about the same cooking time, and this allows for easier serving and the skewers make for a nice presentation.

Summer Veggie Kabobs

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar (or 1/4 cup dry white wine)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
16 cups cut vegetables, such as zucchini, bell pepper, mushroom, onion, eggplant, and whole cherry tomatoes

Prepare marinade by whisking together all ingredients except vegetables in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine prepared vegetables and marinade, using hands or two large spoons to toss and coat vegetables. Refrigerate for 30 minutes up to 2 hours.

Place vegetables on skewers, then grill over high heat. Cook 3-5 minutes per side, until vegetables are tender. Serve immediately.

It would be fair to say that I still sometimes have that problem, though I have improved considerably since those first couple months. On occasion, I even wash dishes as I cook, although I usually leave the dirty work to my dutiful and wonderful husband. He is the one who often declared that I had “destroyed the kitchen.” Fortunately, this was usually after he had enjoyed a good meal, so he was most forgiving.

Today, as he and I celebrate the anniversary of the day we met, I feel it appropriate to illuminate why destroying the kitchen is actually a good thing. A destroyed kitchen, in our house, is a happy kitchen. In the months of my recovery from illness, it came to mean that I was well enough to cook, which was a good sign indeed. It also means the kitchen is well used and well loved. I only destroy the kitchen when I am caught up in the act of cooking, and it usually results in a fantastic meal.

Destroying the kitchen is, in my eyes, a form of art itself. Sometimes, even I am amazed at the mess I am able to create. It’s never intentional, but caught up in creating some culinary masterpiece (usually), it just happens. And I take it as a sign of a job well done: the messier the kitchen, the more delicious the meal.

Above: My pretty sink, before the destruction.

My shortcut in this recipe is using instant couscous and allowing the saffron to steep with the couscous. Toss in some sauteed vegetables, and you have a wonderfully scented and colorful side dish.

Saffron Couscous w/ Vegetables

1 cup instant couscous
1 tsp saffron
1/2 red onion, roughly diced
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise then cut about 1/4 inch thick
1 sweet bell pepper, cut into thin strips, then halved
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add couscous and saffron. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet. Add red onion to skillet and saute 3 minutes. Add zucchini and pepper to skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper. Saute until near tender, about 5 more minutes.

Toss couscous and vegetables together. Add a small amount of oil if mixture is too sticky. Top with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.

There is also a skewering technique for asparagus, though it is labor intensive. Keep asparagus whole and skewer both ends. Continue adding asparagus to the skewers until a “raft” is formed with the asparagus. This will prevent the asparagus from falling through the grill grates.

To remove the woody or tough ends of the asparagus, simply grasp the asparagus lightly and bend the stalk. The asparagus will naturally snap where the woody stem ends. At first, it will seem like you are snapping a large amount off of the asparagus, but keep this in mind: it is the tough end that you do not want to eat!

Balsamic Grilled Asparagus

1 lb asparagus, tough ends removed (see above for instructions)
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
generous pinch of salt
cracked black pepper, to taste

Place prepared asparagus in a large ziplock bag. Add remaining ingredients and seal bag. Toss to coat asparagus and let marinade 15-20 minutes. Spread asparagus on grill rack in an even layer and grill for about 5 minutes on each side, or until asparagus is crisp-tender.

Remaining marinade can be used to season meat on the grill, if desired.

If roasting: Preheat oven to 400F and combine all ingredients on a baking sheet. Spread asparagus in an even layer and bake 10-15 minutes, until crisp-tender.

Substitute any available vegetable; the key in roasting the vegetables is to prepare them so they are all roughly the same size and will cook at the same rate. In colder months, use root vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips) rather than summer vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, peppers). Other spring and summer vegetables, such as asparagus or green beans, would be good in this dish as well.

Rustic Roasted Vegetables

2 aubergine (baby eggplant) or 1 large eggplant
3 medium zucchini
2 sweet bell peppers, such as red, yellow, or orange
1/2 large sweet onion
1/2 lb baby bella mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
zest of 1 lemon
olive oil
flat-leaf parsley, minced (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F and coat a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray (or olive oil).

To prepare eggplant, remove cap and stem, then halve lengthwise and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Repeat with zucchini. For peppers, cut into 2-inch wide strips. Place cut side of onion on board and cut in half crosswise, then cut lengthwise into pieces about 2 inches wide. Rinse mushrooms under lukewarm water and halve any large mushrooms.

In prepared 13×9 baking dish, toss prepared vegetables with garlic, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and olive oil. Use enough olive oil so that vegetables are lightly coated. Add minced parsley, if desired.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until vegetables have cooked through and are crisp-tender (or to desired tenderness). If pan dries out, add additional olive oil or water as needed.