Creativity: Sandra of Section 89

Post 22 of HEIA: Creativity

Today's creativity is all about food and comes from Sandra of Section 89. Try not to drool over her creations.

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 lentil-walnut burgers

Creativity to me is a sack full of fresh seasonal vegetables and fruit I’ve just set on the kitchen table to unload after a Saturday morning trip to the farmer’s market. The crisp apples smell like the earth, and taste like autumn; I wonder what I’ll make of them this week. Slice them wafer thin and pair them with some buttery soft lettuce, toasted pecans, and a maple vinaigrette, caramelize them in a bit of sweet butter and browned sugar and crown them with a pastry crust and bake until it all melds in to the perfect tarte tatin, or maybe chopped and cooked down with a bit of fresh cider and cinnamon to make applesauce?

 sunflower butter chocolate chip cookies

You could say I like to cook. I always have. For me, choosing ingredients and figuring out what I want to do with them is one my most satisfying creative activities. The point of beginning doesn’t have to take days, weeks or years. I can dream something up and be eating that epiphany in a short amount of time.

boiled cider syrup

I remember dictating my first recipe before I was old enough to write it myself. I get great satisfaction creating something new, streamlining technique, sharpening a flavor or making a dish sing with a good balance of flavors. I feel like the moment I jump off of the recipe card is my creative moment- when I trust my own instinct, do something unexpected and have fun- that is when I feel most creative.

 homemade peanut butter

Satisfying that spark to try something new is why I do what I do- it brings me pleasure and sates my soul and stomach. I think everyone has something that gratifies their creative spark, makes them feel fulfilled, and find pleasure in simplicity. Mine is in that bag of apples and a hot stove.


When I’m not cooking- I’m writing about it- catch me at www.section89.com