The freedom of creativity

My dearest ones,


Time is flying by when you are having fun... Isn't it? I know it is a cliché, but one with lots of truth in it.
So a quick update: I am still in Fort Bragg city and in less than two weeks I am already flying back to Belgium for my "mini city trip" to see my sister getting married. Incredible!
After that, only three weeks left to finish school and then flying to Hippocrates to isolate and focus on my own health...

But let's not walk ahead the facts: let me talk about my latest experiences here around Living Light.
What a week and week-end: just GREAT!! Till now the most filled, efficient and inspiring period. I really learned A LOT.
There is a new teacher in town, who started teaching this part of the course and she is just amazing. She reminds me of a Jamaican dance teacher I had, Carol Marie Webster: a bit scary, very determent but so efficient. In a way, I like to be a bit "scared" of teachers, in a good way, because they allow the students to work even harder and to get the best out of them. So me like like like!

And this last week, there was finally space for own recipe development. I really needed that. Half of our group went home last week, because of finishing the part of the course which they inscribed for, so that means we are only with 8 people left. So the same amount of 'kitchen stations' could be used for less people... More freedom to work alone or with two.
This week was all about Ethnic Flavors. Every day we got informed about a new cuisine/area which we had to do research for. Every day, we had to come up with a new recipe and realize it within two hours. So much fun! I felt my creativity, hunger and passion growing throughout the week.
It was also a challenge to work with different people, because depending on which course of the menu you chose to make (Soup, Salad, Appetizer, Side Dish, Entrée or Dessert), you were grouped with different people in your team.
I made a promise to myself to make every day a different course, to keep my challenge on track.

An overview of what I made this week:

1. Tofu-Shiitake Gyosa with Water Chestnut Salad & Spicy Tamari Dip
An appetizer, made in collaboration with Noëlle (my roommate
and lovely French speaking friend -- I love her).
Cuisine: Indian

2. A Mint Kiss "Pas De Trois"
A dessert: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
My own creation, made by Louise and myself. Such a nice
woman to work with. Very quiet, but efficient: I liked having
and working around her!
The inspiration came from my mother's favorite ice cream dish:
Une Galette Mokka/Vanilla. I am sure that if she tried this raw
version, she will be "hooked" ;). Cannot wait to let her try!!!!
Cuisine: North American

3. Una Copa De La Fiesta
My own creation, made by Barbara and myself.
Cuisine: Mexican
I had the idea to put several condiments of the traditional
Mexican cuisine in one dish and serve it in a appetizer glass.
Consists of guacamole, taco meat, vegan cheese, sour cream,
tomato salsa, unfried beans and garnished with jalapeño
pepper. Everything raw, vegan and uncooked. JumJum!

4. Wrapped Bacon Scallops with Couscous and Moroccon Gazpacho
This was thé greatest one of the week! Wauw!
The day before we had to realize this cuisine (Mediterranean),
I was brainstorming with a friend named Mauka, and we had
a craving for fish on that moment! Soooo badly :) so we took
that moment and created the idea to make Scallops, made of
Erynghi mushrooms.
The nice thing about this collaboration was that we created
everything on a distance, via "FaceTime". We had the idea, but
we decided to let us guide through our improvisation of that
day.
We started our work at 7am in the kitchen and came up with a
whole dish during that time. SO much fun! It felt like a team,
we complemented each other and worked super clean.
Something what I really like in the kitchen ;).
A perfect ending of the week! And everybody loved our
"bacon".

And after a week full of hard work, I deserved a treating week-end. I planned to go to SHED on saturday: a market, café and community gathering space designed to bring us closer to the way we grow, prepare and share food.
It is located in Healdsburgh, around 2,5 hours driving from Fort Bragg. Two friends of mine were also interested to go, so we decided to drive together! But while we were driving, Mauka had the fabulous idea to just drive further to San Francisco, which is only 30min further. And who doesn't want to visit San Fran??? Haha, so I totally went for the adventure: we drove to San Francisco, had long walks in the city, visited some organic plant based stores/restaurants, enjoyed the amazing views, booked a hotel, drove back the day after, went to SHED and had the most chill road trip ever...

So I am ready to start a new week, where we will focus on SPA foods, which includes very light foods, no sugar, no salt, etc. Looking forward to it, we will even have more time to prepare in advance, so we can make more defined food. Yes!

I hope you all are doing OK and that the holidays are treating you well! No idea what kind of weather it is with you guys, we had a fabulous weather this week-end but in San Francisco it was much warmer than here in Fort Bragg, because of the North part of the country.
But I got my vitamin D so I am happy. :)


I am sending you all lots of love,
keep enjoying whatever you do,
you are what you eat,
love yourself,
and love your food!


Sandra