Frozen water
Winter. That is what frozen water often represents to us. We see the crystal-covered, uneven surface of the ice taking shape as the temperatures drop and the mix of cold air and sparkling sunshine are working its magic. While the surface might be frozen, underneath it the water still flows, the fish are still swimming, the rocks on the bottom are still being shaped by the underwater currents. There is a stillness. A stillness which, when we sit down to listen to it, tells us to slow down, to embrace the darkness which comes in a little earlier every day, to light our candles and allow our attention to turn inwards. There is a yearning for warming, nurturing and nourishing foods. Foods which represents the holidays and festivities already present in our calendars this very season; pumpkin, squash, (sweet) potatoes, leafy greens such as kale and green cabbage, mushrooms, apples, pears… While I lived in The Netherlands I fell in love with one of the staple national foods available there at this time of the …