While It’s Cooking
I’m a big fan of meals that require short preparation. I don’t mind if the cooking itself, on the stove or in the oven, takes long time, as long as the chopping, dicing, melting, squeezing mixing and stirring is minimal.
While the food is cooking, I have time prepare other dishes, do the laundry, wash the dishes, play with the dog, or water the plants. Usually, though, I simply use the time to catch up on my reading, listen to music, watch a movie, or browse the ‘Net. Because working full time, running a household and keeping a relationship alive are all so time-consuming, cooking is often the only time I have just for myself, at least on weekdays.
Every week I bring one interesting thing that I do while my dinners are cooking.
The Lollypop Shoes by Joanne Harris
Joanne Harris is one of my favorite authors. “The Lollypop Shoes”, like many of her books, explores the great and magical power of food in our lives. The book is actually a sequel to “Chocolat”, which was also adapted into a film. In both “Chocolat”, and in “Lollypop Shoes” (as well as in “Three Quarters of the Orange” and “Blackberry Wine”, all by the same author), food is a metaphor for change, and cooking is transformative work.
I can relate to that concept as well as to many other ideas in the book: that magic is everywhere, and anyone can learn it; that flamboyant shoes and fabulous clothes have enchanting powers; and that we can’t escape who we truly are, or deny the spark within us.
“The Lollypop Shoes”, published in the U.S. as “The Girl With No Shadow” is a wonderful book by a gifted author.
