Ugly shiitaki mushrooms. How are these mushrooms like the poem?

These ugly shiitaki mushrooms are the edited versions of a poem. Short though it may be. Necessary and full of flavor and essence. And much more than itself when combined. Those unruly 26 letters each a small ugly (yet beautiful) shiitaki mushroom.

Language, like mushrooms, is enhanced in the sauteing of.... And the sauteing often results in an edible poem. Though, truth to tell, not all poems are edible.

Culinary dictionary. How is a culinary dictionary like a cookbook for writing poems?

End results are for the mouth's pleasure.
Never forget that.
Never forget most dishes as most poems improve with a twist of pepper.
She's said that before.

The Internet is essential to the cook and to the poet in equal measure. Especially, when the cook is writing poems in the kitchen. Especially when the poet is eating with friends.

Pluots. What does the hybrid stone fruit have in common with poems?

It shares a magnificent and often unexpected color when sliced into. Did she mean when read?


Pluots as the New Seasonal Reference Salad

sliced plutos (several types)
feta or queso fresco cheese
fresh basil
twist of pepper
almonds
sliced avocado are permissible
& it goes without saying, olive oil

an accompaniment for grilled chicken or grilled shrimp
or as a bruschetta topping

Unfamiliar herbs. What does an unfamiliar herb share in common with a poem you're reading for the first time?

Encountering the unfamiliar by root, stem, leaf or smell. How to use said herb. How to read said poem? This I know for sure, both are essential ingredients and the finding is the journey. The plate, the page where the journey begins & ends.

Dahlias. Who said, "Dahlias are the showy heart of a poem?"

I did at 10:58 AM today.

White ones in a crystal vase. The candle nearly spent. And later a clear glass bowl filled with fresh sliced peaches, queso fresco, small grape tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, pepper, almonds, and black olives. Perhaps, diced avocado, as well.

Heirloom tomatoes. How does a poem inspire heirloom tomatoes?

Its physical appearance is taken in and you know something special about tomato & poem. The physicality is a language both heirloom (as in tomato) and poem speak. Although their dialects might differ.

Also, both are fond of fresh basil.

Purslane. What do purslane and the poem you wrote this morning have in common?

Both are green. Both contain a ton of Omega-3.

Don't believe me? Get out the saute pan. Olive oil, garlic, chopped onions. Saute then add purslane and fresh tomatoes.


Now, where's that fountain pen?

Black abada dates. How are Bad similar to haiku?

You know it's a date but it surprises. And the seasonal reference is imbedded as is the pit.

Where's the pit in a poem? Punctuation, perhaps. Perhaps not.


How to eat black abada dates?

simply, with no adornment
or with white or yellow cheeses -- feta or Irish cheddar, in particular
or with small grape tomatoes & fresh basil & walnuts & cheese

as many ways as the implements to write a poem

Squash. Are poems as varied & seasonal as squash?

Yes, various colors, shapes, and taste. Yet, highly recognizable sometimes with a crooked neck. Sometimes more like a crisp cucumber, but appearances deceive. One other comparison is worth noting. Squash can be eaten raw, steamed, sauteed, grilled, roasted, or a combination, thereof. Poems can be tasted as many ways.

Squash plays especially well with garlic, onions, tomatoes and host of herbs. Goat cheese, of course.

Although it is a poetic fact that squash do not generates as many poems about as do tomatoes, peaches, figs. Or lemons for that matter. When as the last time you read a bowl about a bowl of squash?

Stone fruit. Why is stone fruit a reliable source & inspiration of the ripe in poetry?

The pit is an antidote to the overly-sweet.
It delights the senses. It makes the mouth hum.
Even their names inspire -- apricot, pluot, peach, nectarine, cherry.
Let's not forget plum.

Sliced into, those colors give way to words.

How many times can I write a peach poem.

OR FIGS

One should be as greedy for love
as one is for the ripest of peaches.

Eggrolls.How is an eggroll similar to a poem?

With an eggroll the surprise comes from the inside out.

With a poem the surprise comes from the inside out.

However, this is not to suggest that eggrolls & poems are synonymous.

BAKED EGGROLLS

I've just beginning to experiment with baked eggrolls.

Begin with an eggroll skin (store-purchased)
to which you a add healthy dollop of sauteed mushrooms with garlic
fold according to the instructions on the eggroll package
place on an oiled baking sheet; brush lightly with olive oil
perhaps 8-10 minutes in hot oven

Think of an eggroll skin as a practical container for the 26 letters of the alphabet in the pursuit of making a poem.

Yummy but very, very hot.

I've written poems for decades and I'm just beginning to experiment. So much those 26 little things can tease and teach.

Peach pizza. How much sweetness can a poem tolerate?

Depends whether it's breakfast or later.

Life can be touched by honey; so can a meal; so can a poem. Not gratuitous or false sweetness.

Or to rephrase the question: How much ripeness can a poem contain?

Anyway, here's the peach pizza

pizza shell of your choice (flatbread or corn-crusted crust)
a rub of olive oil
mozzarella or feta or queso fresco
sliced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
pepper
walnuts
fresh basil

in preheated 400 degree oven for 8-15 minutes, depending on crust.


can be served morning, noon or night -- just like reading poetry

Pepper. How do certain words pepper a poem?

With a ping
and something a pang.
Unmistakable,
necessary.

Have you seen pepper mixed with flowers: rose, calendula, lavender & cornflower petals. More of curiosity than a sentence.

Salad. How does salad relate to writing yet another poem?

You know what's ripe.
You know what's in the refrigerator.
You know what's in the cupboards.
You can cut.
You can slice.
You can mix.
You can be practical.
You can be pragmatic.
You can recite the 26 letters of your alphabet.
You can always find your go-to words.
You can be smitten by the doing.
You can be charmed by the tasty unexpected.

LUNCHEON SALAD FOR ONE PREPARING TO WRITE A POEM BASED ON THE PROMPT, "And then I saw it blink."

cube watermelon
cut an apricot
cube 2 Persian cucumbers
slice several radishes
add a bit of Bulgarian feta
black olives
fresh tarragon
pepper
olive oil

mix & do as your friend Nina does. hum when food is right

Company. How is cooking for company similar to pulling together poems for a reading?

Both adhere to deadlines.
Both revel in surprise.
Both use common ingredients in uncommon ways.
Both take the enigmatic and try to fashion it tangible.
Both offer tastes.

Roasted eggplant salad. How is preparing a Res good practice for writing a poem a day in the month of July?

Keep flexible. Don't measure outcome before the work is done. Let it sit.

Don't taste the eggplant until you're roasted it.


Minimalist Epic: On preparing a roasted eggplant salad while writing a daily poem

Slice lengthwise small Italian eggplants
Drizzle w/olive oil
Roast @400 degrees until soft
Mix with olive oil & pepper (lemon, if you wish)
Arrange on plate & top w/cherry tomatoes, feta, black pit-less olives, cut basil, pine nuts optional
Drizzle with olive oil
Crown with basil sprig/bouquet


P.S. Add fresh cut apricots or figs. Or both. These in moderation but write voraciously.

Cook & write everyday. Confuse them. Don't confuse them.