Source is sauce

Smooth and lovely,

Lifting you to a place where all that is you –

Feels like you,

Is you,

And dreams that were imagined become true.

Follow the gentle stream,

Through the thick and thin,

Swim through the difficult times,

And find the source,

Your life sauce!

Sometimes, at the best of times, we connect with our source. Essentially, source, is the higher self, the best part personified. The brightest ideas and dreams all blossom when in source. Confidence and creativity bubble to the surface and life and everything it is more beautiful.

Have you ever tried to run whilst holding a cup of hot tea? No... I hope not, though imagine the challenge of not spilling any. A child knows no such fear or caution and up until the age of reason, seven for most, finds source as quickly as a bee finds honey. It is our birthright and is really quite simple.

Julia Child said, "Sauces are the splendour and the glory of French cooking." I agree and would like to add, "Source is sauce for life."

I have a little story to tell, though would like to mention before I begin, I'm not in the habit of accepting sweets from strangers!

Once upon a walk along the Finchley Road, I crossed paths with a Tibetan Monk. He stopped me, and we began a pleasant conversation. His eyes held a glint of peace and his irises flickered with life, they invited a sense of trust. He asked me to join him for lunch at a vegetarian cafe and though I was tempted, I said, “No thanks.” He didn’t seem to mind a jot, and from his canvas Nap sack handed me a sweet. In a moment of cream and silken spice, minutes later, I sat alone on some steps in a nearby park and tasted the stuff of dreams. The baker, the taster, the farmer, the shopkeeper, the many hands that the ingredients had fluttered by became irrelevant. I felt at one with nature.

I'd tasted Rasmalai

This is my interpretation of the recipe, it took me a while to discover it. I've not come across the Tibetan Monk since and would like to thank him for sharing such deliciousness! I’ve added a Goji berry, Ginger and Hazelnut twist to my version, though if you prefer a soft and smooth texture, leave them out. 

Goji berries...

• enhance fertility
• prevent fatigue and tiredness
• improve circulation
• boost the immune system
• protect the liver and kidneys

Hazelnuts...

• rich in vitamin E
• enhances energy 
• promotes a balanced appetite
• Essential for the reproductive system

The simplest pleasures are the best. An opinion, a statement, is just that – let go of those that leave a sour taste in the mouth – in source - there is only room for all things flowing, fresh and gently pleasing. 

This innocent exchange of generosity, between the monk and I, was felt deep in my heart, and a sense of gratitude and happiness acknowledged.

If you ever need cheering up – try this…

Think of a happy memory, one that teases your lips into a smile. Close your eyes and let that feeling lift your heart. Remember the smells, savour them, and colours, truly see them, relive the moment and feel it in your heart.

Alternatively... Make these, call up some loved ones and serve after a vegetarian curry, or some such delight.

Goji berry, Ginger and Hazelnut Rasmalai

SERVES 4

Ricotta cheese, 500g drained

Sweet freedom/ Maple syrup 2 tbsp

Hazelnuts, 50g chopped into small pieces

Ground ginger, ½ tsp

For the sauce!

Milk, 600ml

Vanilla extract, ½ tbsp

Dried Goji berries, 50g

Sweet freedom/ Maple syrup 2 tbsp

PRE-HEAT oven to 150C/300F/gas 2.

MIX the ricotta, sweet freedom, hazelnuts and ginger in a large baking dish, roughly 30cm in length.

SMOOTH over with the back of a spoon.

BAKE for 20 minutes.

POUR milk into a saucepan and heat gently.

ADD vanilla extract, goji berries and sweet freedom.

SIMMER for 20 minutes.

REMOVE baking dish from oven and allow ricotta mix to cool completely.

FORM mixture into walnut shell sized balls and place on a clean plate.

WASH baking dish and transfer balls onto it.

POUR over sweetened milk and bake for a further 20 minutes.

REMOVE from oven and allow to cool completely.

CHILL in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight before eating.

SCATTER over some of your favourite fruit before serving.

FEEL the source, now and always…