In praise of simmering
IT’S A COLD, SNOWY, BLUSTERY DAY AS I WRITE THIS ARTICLE early in February. The quote from Sister Joyce Rupp just spoke to my soul and my body as I considered how much I too like food that is flavorful and I truly believe in simmering food slowly in order to bring out the best (and soak in the flavor) of a good dinner. It’s a challenge to take time to do the simmering when you have only an hour or less to get a meal on the table. In our busy world where we are too often in a hurry to get things done rather than savor the doing of the task, preparing food has certainly become one of those tasks where we try to get things done as quickly as possible and sacrifice flavor for getting it to the table.
I’m a fan of the cooking shows on TV, and I do watch some of the chefs who prepare a three-course meal in 30 minutes. I’ve tried that and find I use prepared foods that can be cooked easily and almost at the same time. I prefer to watch chefs who make things from scratch and who show how they may have to prepare some things, like bread and pastries, ahead of time, which to me means they took time to “simmer” the dough or the sauce or the soup. I like to cook on weekends so I can enjoy the preparation and have plenty of time to cut, dice, chop, blend, simmer, and clean up!
Lest you think this is my usual mode of cooking, I must confess that I do hit a few roadblocks as I try to be “Martha Stewart” in our convent kitchen. My housemates and I take turns cooking so it’s not an everyday thing for me as it was for my mother. I often wonder how she cooked supper almost every day for our family of seven, cooking something different each night. She did take Saturdays off, and we usually had a lovely Sunday dinner.
When you cook for kids in a family setting, it seems that you eat what Mom prepares. At least that’s how it worked in my family. When you cook for adults who have different food preferences due to health issues or cultural favorites, it can be a challenge to make things flavorful for everyone. Those of us who like garlic, onions, and mushrooms are often in competition with those who favor turmeric, ginger, and kale, but we learn to adapt and adopt our food preferences.
I think this is where our spiritual life comes into play. The very fact that we can and do adapt to our differences and preferences shows how we reflectively allowed the ideas and feelings about certain foods to simmer inside us for a while. Our wisdom and wholeness have deepened and helped us to accept our differences and preferences and given us a chance to try new things and even enjoy new eating experiences.
Sister Joyce further suggests that we try this practice of “simmering” even when we respond to a film, an art exhibit, a date, or a retreat. Just sit with the experience for a while before evaluating, responding, critiquing, or reviewing it. Will it be more “flavorful”? I hope so.
Sister Mary Thill is a Sylvania Franciscan Sister. She can be reached at mthill@sistersosf.org.
I like food that is flavorful.
Simmering food slowly, for a long time,
helps the juices penetrate the whole.
Hardly anyone simmers anything anymore.
Everything is zapped in the microwave
or cooked as quickly as possible.
I think this reflects our spiritual life as well.
Wisdom and wholeness deepen in us
when we reflectively allow ideas and feelings
to sit inside us for a while.
+Joyce Rupp
