CELEBRITY COLUMN: To stew or not to stew, writes Maria Goretti

So how do you keep your life simple? That is something I’m always trying to find answer to. How do you live in society and yet reside in your own little tropical paradise?

There is a hymn that is sung in church, “No man can live as an island”. So I feel alright then, let’s take a few people and live with them, those few who really get you, the ones who help you grow and who you can also help nurture.

But then how do you keep pirates away from your island, well  I’m still trying to figure this out. And everytime, I start searching, I start cooking, I somehow feel food is the answer or then will give you answers.

So, about a week ago, I was cooking some lamb, and did not want to put it in the cooker, I wanted to cook it in the simplest way possible, and keep it subtle yet full of flavour.

So, I decided that I would just cook the steak with lots of vegetables. After spending an hour getting all my ingredients together, I started cooking with no real recipe in my head. I had a pan, lamb, oil, butter, garlic, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, salt and pepper. I just, somehow, did not want to add any extra drama by way of chilli powder.

I started by searing the steak, and kept it aside, then added the garlic, and then all the vegetables, a little at a time, till I had my pan filled with the subtlest aroma of garden fresh vegetables, that also looked so beautiful. I added my lamb to this, and gave it a good stir, and then decided that sometimes in life you need a special catalyst to just bring it all together. So, I poured white wine into the pan, I kind of nearly drowned the steak, and flambé it, then threw in a little “bottle-masala” , and let it slow cook for an hour and 20 minutes. Don’t  you sometimes feel, life is just like this. You could be like that beautiful steak, but without the right people around you and without enough of heat, you will never really be as tasty as you potentially can be. And then sometimes, life throws some wine in your direction and sets you on fire. And maybe , that’s just what you need to set your flavours free.

I think all of us live a certain way, and then, we all probably come across a catalyst, in the form of a person or situation,  that changes it for us. How we react to any situation in life, is what makes us who we are. It definitely takes a whole lot of vegetables to lend you their flavour. And if you are lucky then some wine, too.

If for a minute you ever imagine, that you are who you are, only because of  you, stop that thought and think again. You are actually a culmination of all the people you meet and the situations you’ve lived through with them. Each and everyone we meet, passes or stays with us with the sole purpose of moulding us in the most discreet manner into the best version of our self.

Some people are your salt, some butter, some your vegetables, some your “bottle masala”. And then some are like wine, who will set you on fire, and  leave you infused with a brand new flavour for you .

I think, the least we can do, is pass it on. Pass on what you’ve learnt, but never stop anyone from finding out who they truly are. Be someones, salt,vegetable, ‘bottle masala’ or wine. The choice is yours. At the end of that hour-and-20 minutes, when I served dinner, and my parents were sitting at the table, I was wondering if they would like the very subtle flavour of this meal. Us being East-Indian, our traditional food is far more robust and has more punch in each bite. But they loved this, and everyone took seconds, no one even asked for bread or rice.

So you see, you can sometimes let  your life be simple. You don’t always have to make a statement with everything you do. I think, sometimes to go with the flow and be thankful to everyone one, who is adding flavour to your life in their own way, is actually a good place to be.

But you most definitely need to thank the pirates, because they actually bring out the strongest and the most powerful part of you, and show you who you really are, and what you are capable of doing. So, let life slowly stew you with all that it throws at you. Remember when it gets too hot, walk around, roll around, get beautifully browned and if you get burnt, you will know that this place was never meant for you. And so you are free to start a brand new adventure all over again...