Winging It

Balmy, breezy and beautiful...Maui. Sensual in every way. I have no care that my hair is untamed and strewn about my neck and I am messy from the wind and coconut oil. The sun plays with its light on sugar cane crops that bend in unison reminding me of a Wyeth painting.

Pyramidal shapes and terraced mountains in multitudes of greens fill my eyes.I half expect some goliath dinasaur to appear from a gorge.I am transfixed by the abundant beauty of nature. The scent is of plumeria and ocean spray intoxicates and I sigh with pleasure.

I am driving from the market and I am creating in my mind the dinner I will prepare tonight. I was going to do a seafood di mare, but Maui reminds me of Thailand and I am inspired to create a Thai dish.Lobster tails, shrimp and bay scallops in a coconut /red curry with lemon grass and basil shallots and garlic. There were no clams or mussels, so I had to "wing it" as I often do. As long as the local ingredients are the finest I can change what I will prepare,

"winging it". It took some time to learn to do so, and I am grateful for this ability that could also be considered a talent.

As I chop and slice and stir, I love the residue of basil, lemon grass and garlic fragrances on my fingers. I frequently long for Thailand, yet I am savouring Maui in every sense, for everything begets everything else...and besides, I am winging it. Some of my most enjoyed creations are from having done so.