Do you write a journal? I do. I write almost every day. Why? For different reasons. Partially because I want to leave something behind for my family. Perhaps my offspring would be as curious about their ancestors as I am about mine. I wish Mama, my grandmother, had left me one. I wish I knew what was going on in her head. About her childhood in Morocco. About her parents and siblings. If she loved Baba. My grandfather was kind but not an easy man to live with. He was 20 years older than Mama.
Honestly, I would write even if my journals ended up in the recycling bin. My notebooks are like an average American therapist. They don’t say anything, but I can dump all my shit and feelings on them. If you want to see your patterns clearly, your progress or no progress, your relationships with friends and family or your relationship with yourself, go back and revisit your old journals. Furthermore, over the years I’ve discovered that bitching and moaning on paper is more efficient than therapy and it’s free. Try it.
In addition to my journal, I keep an illustrated food diary by my bedside. I like to illustrate dishes I made or ate that I would like to make again. Every night, before I read in bed, I sketch them in a sketchbook. It relaxes me.
I felt guilty throwing away the stems of a thick bunch of organic cilantro so I soaked them in water, dried them, spread them out and dehydrated them in the warm oven. The next day I was reminded of the herb salt I used to buy in Mallorca so I crushed the dried stems and mixed them with Maldon salt. It adds a delicate earthiness to everything: avocado toast, green salad, fritters. And it’s a great DIY gift.
How To Make Herb Salt
Equipment
- Large baking tray
- Salt shaker or spice jar or any small container
- Mortar & pestle or a spice grinder or rolling pin
Ingredients
- Bunch of cilantro or parsley stems or both
- Regular sea salt
Instructions
- Soak the herb stems in cold water to remove dirt. Spin in a salad spinner or pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- Spread the stems on a large baking tray so they have room. Put in a warm oven after you have finished baking something and the oven is off but still warm. Or bake them at 280°F for 30 – 60 minutes to dry completely until they feel crispy like straw.
- Crush the dried stems with your hands, then crush them in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. You can also place them in a small ziplock bag on a cutting board and roll over them with a rolling pin until they become a fine, powdery texture similar to a spice. Funnel the crushed herbs into a salt shaker, spice jar or small jar.
- Add salt, about 1/2 the amount of the crushed herbs.
- Shake to combine. Use it on anything: poached eggs, avocado toast, salads, fish, etc.
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