The one without food

I had an amazing post set up for tonight. A glorious description of last night's triumph. It was all I could think of for the last couple of days. I had envisioned the menu in my mind at least two times a day over the last week. Until yesterday. Just saying: a spotless preparation doesn't prevent unexpected events. So what happened?

A few weeks ago we planned to ask some friends over for dinner on Saturday. So Saturday I woke up early to go to the Moroccan market in Antwerp. I don't know why, but I just love that place. Even bought a Christmas tree so double (what am I saying? triple) the joy. Ran some other errands to get back home at 11.30.

Great planning: all went perfectly fine. Time to start the actual cooking: smooth sailing as well. On the menu: 

• homemade fall pizza (gotta share that recipe with you: the most delicious pizza bianca with a mixture of mushrooms, artichokes and hazelnut oil) and pea - bacon - mint soup as appetizers
• homemade (of course) pumpkin ravioli with sage and sage butter as a starter 
• lamb chops with caramelized shallots, carrots and polenta (boy those shallots are to die for) as main - not to forget a delicious white wine butter sauce 
• vanilla panna cotta with salted caramel, toasted nuts and a sprinkle of orange zest

I'm drooling. And I'm sure you'd be as well if you just gave it a chance Anyway, that's not the point here. Gotta repeat: SPOTLESS preparation. Until our guests arrived and the main needed to be served. I dropped an insanely hot oven dish on the ground - or more accurately: on my feet / legs... Great. Shallots down, 2nd degree burn on my leg. Main dish in ruins. 

And then the most amazing thing happened: I just let it go. What else was there to do? 

Now there's some weird turn in my going from previous story to what's coming now. I've been coming to a realisation over the last couple of weeks - or at least I've been trying to. At times when we think it comes down to it, we all ramble about following your heart and blablabla - go for what makes you happy. And I'm actually a firm believer. But who ever actually goes for it? I've heard so many people say "to jump". So why does no one ever do it? I know, there's rent and bills to pay - but I hope that, if you really want something, you can always find a solution whatever the issue might be? 

God, I really hope. 

Love,

Julie