Dispatches From the Kitchen

Friday, October 29, 2010

red dragonfly

red dragonfly

In this very challenging line of work small periods of time are required where it all stops, where the natural environment brings you back to what is larger- back to that something - that contains the mysterious just beyond your grasp.

I have a partnership with a red dragonfly that resides on our covered patio on a rock and fern covered waterfall amongst lilies, horsetail ferns and assorted greenery. He, on more than one occasion has brought that realm back into focus for me – especially when I have been in need of it.

When, in the course of a mostly normal day in the culinary industry - many things happen the way they should -AND - some things happen unexpectedly and that don't end with the results that give way to feelings of accomplishment.

Working with wonderfully fresh yard eggs and madagascar bourbon soaked vanilla beans and turning out perfectly steaming, jiggly crème brulees brings a contented sigh, and a knowing that this evening's guests will be very happy with their dessert selection. Or having just visited the local farmer's market and getting very fresh tomatoes, peaches, squash,  goat cheese and other great produce brings that same feeling.

That can be punctuated by the discovery of a cooler that is either freezing what it shouldn't be or thawing something it shouldn't be. Or a 5:00 call from a critically needed employee, who goes from, “I'll be late” to “I'm gonna have to take a week off cause I jammed my thumb playing soccer” (on a Friday night).

It's those times that drive me to the patio to seek out the red dragonfly.
He attaches himself to a fern and gets some sun, occasionally rising up to get a drink out of the fountain and then settling again motionless. Watching him and listening to the waterfall and chimes on the patio brings me back to quiet. After 15 or 20 minutes I retrieve my apron and return to the kitchen feeling the zen of the whole thing.

I have an ongoing dialogue with him (always looking around to see if someone is watching me talk to an insect). I'll keep that to myself, and suffice to say, it gives me a great deal of peace. He lets me get quite close and I have photographed him a number of times. I keep a picture of him as a reminder when we aren't able to visit.

This pots and pans, skillets and ladles, grills and broilers, business needs a red dragonfly now and again.

1 comment:

  1. now and then, old friend,
    you are tapping out the zen....

    read your hunnerd dollar millionaire blog a while back, apparently making myself a subscriber...punch a strange button and more stuff shows up... red dragonfly,etc....good read,like you're fighting crime from the kitchen...keep on pluggin'...

    ReplyDelete