soul food
Posted on 12. Aug, 2011 by Adrian in dine
words > TONY ROMANO & BIJAN THE ANGEL
Until recently, I had lived a pathetic existence in that I held a warped perception in my thinking, an illusion really, that all of us humans including me are the superior race on planet Earth. And, because of this kind of self-absorption, I truly believed that I was capable of reaching a higher spiritual something or another alone. But, after countless attempts, I failed invariably at almost every corner of life.
Change began when I met an Angel by the name of Bijan at the Silver Tongue Devil Saloon in Green Mountain Falls, Co. several months ago. I knew there was something special about Bijan from our first “chance” meeting, but never took him seriously until recently. It was his patience, and maybe his duty as an Angel, to bear with me until the timing was right to reveal his special purpose.
Honestly, I did not think Bijan was an Angel at first. Around his neck dangled a Nikon digital camera and he was drinking a cold beer for God’s sakes! Shit, he didn’t have wings and wasn’t wearing one of those awful looking white robe looking garments you see in Angel pictures and paintings hanging on the walls of some churches. No, this Bijan character wasn’t your everyday looking Angel. I can only speculate that right now some of you will think I’ve been drinking heavily or completely high on something, but seriously people, I wasn’t. Bijan is pretty good at his job. He must have known that I like southern food, specifically – Soul Food, because the topic of food totally gets my attention and since our last meeting, has taken on a completely new meaning for me.
One night, Bijan approached me with his customary smiling face and calm persona and asked if I’d be kind enough to read over something he’d written and give an honest opinion. His still photography was exceptional, but I had no idea that he is also an exceptional writer. In fact, it wasn’t until this particular night when feeling very alone, that I finally took off the body shield that protected my emotional space, walked around the lake with him and read his writing. It amazed me, which Bijan, clearly more superior in his writing skills than I, asked for my opinion. But, I know now, that Bijan achieved his purpose having changed my perception and ultimately bringing me closer to the light.
I forward this beautiful writing by Bijan the Angel and pray that at least one of you becomes closer to love in it’s highest order.
I would like you to know that for me photography is not a hobby or pastime. It is truly a passion, a way of life and a calling. It is the sine qua non of my existence. Through photography, I communicate my feelings and show others how I see beauty. Nature photography affords me the opportunity to engage with landscape at profoundly emotional and intimate levels. To paraphrase the legendary photographer, Ansel Adams, “when I look at the beauties and masterpieces of nature, I see something that is not physically there – something I cannot put into words because it’s a subjective reality that is built from within rather than extracted from without.”
It is precisely this inner world, this personal vision that I aspire to communicate through the photographic image. Over the years, raising environmental awareness and making a difference have been the impetus behind my photography. For as long as I can remember I have had an incurable longing to make a meaningful contribution to the human condition and leave the world a better place than I found it. I believe in living my life for a cause that is infinitely greater than I – a cause that informs and defines my life but is not defined or limited by my ephemeral existence. I agree wholeheartedly with the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche who wrote “Life has value only when it has something valuable as its object.” In the same vein, I have often thought that The Purpose Of Life Should Be A Life of Purpose. The day I die, I want the world to be a vastly improved place because I raised awareness regarding the sanctity of nature and because I helped many an individual experience the truth. In a statement made by Shakespeare: “Nature has music for those who listen.” My own experiences have taught me that this is music of a different kind. It is a mellifluous rhythm that beats to the glorious dance of creation. Once you hear this divine symphony a major shift will take place in the deepest recesses of your psyche and you will never be the same person again. In one of his poems, Tagore (a poet and Nobel laureate from India) expresses this inner transformation more eloquently than I can: “ When old words die out on the tongue, new melodies break forth from the heart.” To hear this celestial chorus, silence is indispensable. Be still within and behold the miracle that will blossom in your consciousness – the miracle that is neither a flashy, glitzy phenomenon nor does it have anything to do with supernatural. It is completely natural. It’s an awakening like no other. It is the expansion of your awareness, the deepening of your vision, and the softening of your heart. It is the gaining of wisdom. To paraphrase the world-renowned Austrian writer, Franz Kafka “you don’t have to do anything or go anywhere. Make a habit of being silent and the universal wisdom will reveal itself freely in ecstasy. It has to. It has no choice.” The most valuable lesson I have learned through many years of personal experiences can be summed up as follows: SILENCE IS THE LANGUAGE THAT GOD USES TO COMMUNICATE.
May God’s unbounded love illuminate your heart and open your eyes to a deeper reality.
May love be your creed and truth your guiding light.
May the fire of love burn in your heart and purify you from within for it is your capacity to love that makes you truly human. The most profound spiritual wisdom that humanity has ever expressed in words is found in the book of JOHN in the New Testament:
“GOD IS LOVE. WHOEVER LOVES KNOWS GOD AND IS BORN OF GOD.”
May you be born of God anew everyday.
Joy
Bijan
SOUL BEANS
1 lb of red beans
1 tube of Jimmy Dean country sausage (original)
1.5 lbs of pickled pork
1.5 lbs of smoked sausage (mild)
1/3 cup chopped parsley
5 large toes of garlic (chopped)
1 bell pepper (finely chopped)
6 whole bay leaves
1 medium red onion (finely chopped)
1 cup chopped celery
¼ cup of olive oil
4 tablespoons of Cajun Seasoning
salt to taste
1 tablespoon of white pepper
½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons of Accent
SOAK BEANS FOR AT LEAST 2 HOURS
In the same pot that you soak beans, add olive oil and turn fire to medium. Brown sausage and pickled meat and remove meat from pot, set aside leaving juice in pot. Sauté vegetables until onions are almost transparent. Add beans and water to the pot along with other ingredients. Turn fire to high and get a boil going, then turn down to simmer. Cook beans until soft, then mash some of the beans to the side of the pot. This will thicken the gravy.
I personally have found it better to let the beans sit for awhile before serving or even better – over night.
Enjoy
Foodie Guy.
Yo’……Serve it over steamed rice and if you have some pickled onions and tabasco sauce, it’ll make you VERY VERY HAPPY!
