Straight from the Spellbook:
A Recipe For The Yearning Heart
Growing up, I had a library. And no, it wasn’t limited to just a couple of bookshelves in my room. I’m talking about floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall bookshelves that made up the periphery of a two-bedroom apartment. So that no matter where you were, you were always surrounded by books.
Big books, tall books.
Thick books, small books.
Books that flopped around spineless,
And books that taught you about kindness.
Each time I opened a book, I would get transported to another part of the world. Friendless at the time, I would quickly make friends with the Famous Five, or I would find myself in the dorm room at Mallory Towers. Often, I would imagine myself sitting next to Claudia Kishi while the Babysitter’s Club had one of their meetings.
Once my mother (shoutout, Lakshmi!) introduced me to Mills & Boon, my world was suddenly inundated with doctors and rakes, and Sylvias and Jakes. I was but a fly on the wall while they pulled each other into deep, languorous kisses and whispered proclamations of love while the sounds of their lovemaking echoed through the halls.
So, if there’s a feeling that feels like second skin to me, it’s yearning. Yearning for love, yearning for comfort, yearning for inclusion, yearning for places I’ve never seen and maybe never will.
But, gworl. You know why I’m here. There is a boy.
It feels a little silly to talk about it since it happened many months ago. We found each other on a dating app. The banter was easy; we had a lot in common—so much so that if we drew a Venn diagram, it would just be a circle.
We only went on one date. It went smashingly well. For four hours at Yacht, we were just bantering and riffing off of each other. We also spoke on the phone for an hour and a half after we went home, effectively extending the date. I was so sure that he and I would eventually start dating that I told my brother about him.
A couple of days later, while we were speaking on the phone, he told me that his alcohol abuse issues had resurfaced and he wanted to work on them before committing himself to a relationship.
And then, the conversations that were once flowing trickled down to nothing.
Who could’ve seen that coming, right?
Right, so, I’ve spent the last six months yearning for what could’ve been. Needless to say, it sux. I’m kinda-sorta over it, but I’m also about to do something utterly stupid to stop whining. But, anyway, that’s for another day.
So, girlies, gaylies, and theylies - if you, too, have been affected by the ever-microwaving Mercury that is probably the root cause of this, here are two short spells to comfort you while you pine away.
- Orange Tea
Ingredients
- 2 cups of water
- 1 tea bag (or 1 tsp loose tea)
- Orange peel or zest
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 1 star anise
- 2 pepper corns (optional)
- Grated fresh ginger
- Sugar or sweetener of your choice
Method
- Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan
- Add the tea, orange zest/peel, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, star anise, and ginger.
- Reduce the heat, add the sugar and let it brew until it comes to a rolling boil
- Strain the tea into a mug, and put the cinnamon in it for an added kick
- Serve hot and enjoy the aromatic warmth.
PS: You can also pour it over a glass full of ice for iced sweet tea. Just add a mint leaf!
- One-Pot Orzo
Ingredients
- 100g Orzo pasta (Or, use a different shape like Conchiglie)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Garlic
- 1 large onion
- Chilli flakes
- 200g cherry tomatoes
- Chicken/veggie stock cubes (optional)
- Parmesan (the D’lecta one is vegan)
- Salt, pepper
- Basil
Method
- In a stock pot, put the olive oil, and add the garlic and chilli flakes
- Add minced onion and cook it till it's transparent/glassy
- Add the Orzo and toast it (optional)
- Add the cherry tomatoes, and cook them down till you can squish them
- Now, add the chicken/veg stock. If you’d rather not use this, simply use water instead.
- Add and adjust seasonings to your liking
- Garnish with basil and serve with a generous helping of Parmesan
About the author : Saundarya (she/her) is a certified yapper who cannot stop thinking and talking about food, but is equally passionate about music and collecting artist merch and stickers (niche, no? XD). She is obsessed with her dog, Zorro, and tries to video call him every day. She believes that the only thing keeping him is the lack of opposable thumbs, which should tell you everything you should know about her.
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