Happy autumn, foodie friends! I haven’t posted in what seems like forever, but this hiatus has been an intentional one. I have actually been spending some time examining the impetus behind my most beloved creative expression, cooking.
Don’t worry, I haven’t decided to go and give it up! It’s quite the contrary, in fact.
At times I find myself going through life or continuing on the same path for that very reason, because it is the same. Sometimes the same is just comfortable, even if it isn’t necessarily where I think I should be or God wants me to be. No matter what I do, I find great value in reflecting on it and considering why I do it. I stepped away from cooking for a while because I dared to ask myself, do I really love this? Am I doing it for me or to fulfill some desire to feel approved and recognized? It was becoming one more “to do” on my agenda and that, to me, was a huge creative red flag, a signal to step away. If only for a little while.
In my time “away,” I have come to realize that no matter where this beautiful life journey decides to carry me, creativity holds an irrefutable essentialness to my being, without which I feel oddly off kilter and remorsefully stiff. Sometimes my creative expression looks like cooking or writing, at others it looks like getting into character for my students or rearranging a shelf. As long as I am doing the things my soul calls out for me to do and to create, I am feeling more alive, not stuck in the doldrums of automaticity.
It is a common misconception to think we are either born creative or we aren’t. Creativity comes in all forms, as long as it comes from the soul. On that note, I hope you enjoy this soulfully-inspired (and amazingly simple) curried coconut and pumpkin soup. It’s irresistible, if I do say so myself.
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon curry powder (ie madras)
- 1 teaspoon red chili paste
- 2 cans coconut milk
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 1 can water
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
- cilantro sprigs for garnish
- In a large soup or stock pot, head olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and spices (including cinnamon stick and red chili paste) and stir until very fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add 2 cans of coconut milk (reserving a small amount of coconut milk) and 1 can pumpkin, then fill can with water and add to soup. Add maple syrup and stir until smooth and velvety, about 2 minutes.
- Simmer on low for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel and devein shrimp. Add to soup and cook for 10 more minutes, or until shrimp are opaque.
- Drizzle with reserved coconut milk and add cilantro sprigs. Serve hot!