Cultural Connections

THE MESSAGE IN THE WRITING

I mindfully contemplated the four-character phrase in front of me, considering each character’s meaning to unlock a deeper significance. Breaking the phrase down in my mind, I started with the first character, 静 (jìng) silence; the second, 观 (guān) observe; the third, 其 (qí) it; and the fourth, 变 (biàn) change. A surge of clarity rushed over me as the concealed meaning of the phrase enlightened my mind. And I realized how directly these four characters spoke to my plight.

In English, the four characters may best translate as, “In silence, observe the change.” My mind flooded with various thoughts and images of Chinese characters while the ever-widening significance engulfed my being. As the specific meaning of the four characters targeted my reality in that moment, I lingered in awe at universal wisdom and the precise vagueness of the Chinese language.

Sitting in contemplation of the phrase, “In silence, observe the change,” it urged me to be calm and experience the happenings in my life without judgement. I recognized the call of wisdom to accept things as they presented themselves and not judge them according to my will.

SHADES OF CHANGE

Change is a concept not completely engrained into the English language nor embraced by American culture. What we understand as change is, many times, detached from reality. Change is something we have become conditioned to battle with and struggle against, something we feel a need to control. Uncontrollable change is reminiscent of the weather or vacillations of thoughts, but the wisdom of change is profound and permeates everything.

When I observe change in silence, I recognize how to embrace and work with change.

Perhaps you have heard of “The Book of Changes,” also known as the I Ching, or more correctly, the Yi Jing (易经 ). The Yi Jing is one of the earliest Chinese classics. They based it on the concepts of change observed in nature by Chinese ancestors — the founders of early Chinese culture. In fact, the Yi Jing is foundational to Chinese thought, culture, and worldview, more commonly referred to in Chinese as “universe view.” The Yi Jing was already in use when they created the Chinese writing system. Therefore, the Chinese writing system sustains a language infused with concepts of the Yi Jing and yin-yang. It’s a writing system where the reader visualizes meaning through imagery more than through sound.

OBSERVE AND LEARN

Legend tells us that Fu Xi (pr. foo shee), the legendary first Chinese emperor, not only involved himself in creating the Chinese writing system but is also the founder of Chinese cultural practices such as hunting, farming, and animal husbandry.

Fu Xi meticulously observed all the directions. In doing so, he gained insight into interactions taking place, interactions maintaining to certain conditions that induced change. Fu Xi noted the influence of energies that harmonize yin-yang opposites, like night and day, cold and hot, moon and sun.

This balance of opposites is what we understand as the concept of yin-yang. Yin, the feminine energy, and yang, the masculine energy, are universal ripples of opposite energies maintaining a harmony induced by nonaggressive opposing energies. Universal energies are not in sync with human desires nor worldly expectations; therefore, when we adapt to the fluctuations of life, a sense of harmony emerges within us. The application of this universal wisdom is a catalyst for balance, notwithstanding outcomes.

When we observe and understand how non-aggressive opposing energies interact to cause balance, we understand the forces of life that work for or against us. Insight into the effects these non-aggressive opposing energies produce is resident in our hearts and minds. We need only be open to seeing it in our lives and surroundings to recognize its existence.

SILENT ACCEPTANCE

Throughout each day, we consistently make subconscious choices to accept or resist the ripples of change that flow through our lives. Frustration and contentment are the outcome. The decisions we make, the directions we move, all set the tone for what emerges from the energy of thoughts and stories created in our minds. These creations set the scene for how experiences unfold — in harmony or disarray. Energy of acceptance works as a catalyst to balance outcomes. It does not change outcomes directly but can induce into them the energy of change.

For me, the key to acceptance is through my thoughts — awareness, and the practice of thought observance. Following a pleasant outcome, I reflect on how it gained support

through energies I control. After a negative result or frustrating experience, I reflect to discover how my energies influenced that outcome, and where I can shift to accept the results. Just as Confucius’ student Zeng Zi said, 吾 日 三 省 吾 身 “I contemplate my thoughts and actions throughout the day.” In doing this, I see how my thoughts and choices affect outcomes; I learn to think better thoughts and make better choices.

When I observe change in silence, I recognize how to embrace and work with change. Even when the outcome is not desirable, I strive to sustain a harmonious state of mind. Now, fostering contentment, the midpoint between anger and happiness, is within my control as I adjust my thoughts and inner energies.

IN ALL THINGS, CHANGE IS THE LOGICAL RESULT

I recognize a core Yi Jing phenomenon in the expression 物 极 必 反 — “When energy reaches a pinnacle it must switch.” This prompts me to watch change as a process of one energy reaching climax, then flipping to the opposing energy. I consider this the burning out of one energy giving way to the opposite.

When we don’t govern our energies, they may reach a climactic level and burn out, reverting to an alternative energy. This could be the envisioned outcome. Yet consider becoming consumed by the yang energy of anger and rage, the result is mental and physical exhaustion followed by introducing yin energy such as sleep or rest. Nature imposes balancing mechanisms for when we lack skills to manage the energies ourselves.

When we see the wisdom in change, we experience a liberating sense of contentment.

Learning self-control resonates in the phrase, “In silence, observe the change.” Silence is the proper state for mastering self-control and observance is key to learning. When applied skillfully, contentment is the fruit of acceptance and supports healthy happiness.

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SEABASS CEVICHE WITH BANANA EMULSION AND LEMON GR ASS

Servings 2

Ingredients 200 gr fresh sea bass 2 lemons 1 lemon zest 4 ice cubes 1 banana 1 oz of lemon juice 2 oz lemon grass oil Pickle red onion 1 avocado 1 sweet pepper Pinch of black sesame seed Jalapeño Salt Pepper

Preparation 1. Deseed and cut in julienne the sweet pepper, dice the avocado and set aside. Slice the fish, add to a bowl, then cover with salt and ice and place it in the fridge until needed. Squeeze the lemon juice and add 1 tbsp of lemon grass oil. Mix it well and place in the fridge to chill. 2. For the emulsion: mix in the blender the banana, 1 oz of lemon juice, jalapeño as much as you like, salt and pepper and slowly drizzle the lemon grass oil.

3. You can assemble the ceviche just before your guests are ready to eat, but it’s important that you don’t leave the fish marinating for too long – you don’t want the acids in the juices to cook the fish. Pour the lemon dressing over the fish mixture and immediately mix it up. Leave it to sit for about 1 minute while you lay out the plates. 4. Plate the sea bass with some of the juice, add the sweet peppers, the avocado, the pickle red onion and the black sesame seed. Pour the banana emulsion around the ceviche.

DESTINATION: COLOMBIA

MOTE DE QUESO

Servings 4 to 6

Ingredients 1 ñame (about 3 pounds) peeled and cut into chunks 2 tablespoons oil 4 scallions, chopped 1/2 cup white onion, diced 1 cup diced tomato 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 spoons of Suero (sour cream) 7 cups of water 1 cup crumbled costeño cheese 1 Diced eggplant Fresh cilantro to garnish Salt to taste Juice of one lime

Preparation 1. Place the ñame and water in a medium pot. Cook over medium heat for about 45 minutes or until the ñame is soft and tender. 2. While the ñame is cooking, prepare the sofrito for the soup by heating the oil over medium heat in a skillet, add the onions, scallions, tomato and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Set aside.

3. Turn the heat to low and add the sofrito and cheese to the cooked ñame. Let cook for about 10 more minutes. You can add more water if the soup is too thick. The consistency of the soup should be creamy with small tender chunks of ñame. Add salt to taste, mix well and finally add the suero and remove from the heat. 4. Sauté the eggplant, add salt, and add it as garnish. Add lime juice and serve immediately.

DESTINATION: COLOMBIA

BL ACK TOPSIDE BEEF

Servings 4

Ingredients 1 Topside beef without fat (1 kilo approx.) 5 cloves garlic, chopped or 3 tablespoons garlic paste 1 white onions finely chopped 1 carrot finely chopped 1 bell pepper finely chopped 2 tablespoons soy sauce 100 gr tablespoons grated panela 1/2 cup red wine, dark beer or Coca-Cola 1 tablespoon of salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 100 milliliters oil 3 cups beef broth 2 tablespoons plain flour

Preparation 1. Prepare a mixture of garlic, onion, soy sauce, panela, wine, carrot, bell pepper, salt and pepper. 2. In a bowl, put the meat and add the mixture to marinate for at least 8 hours. Leave in the fridge. 3. In a large pot, heat oil and add the meat and seal it until a crust is formed. 4. Sauté the vegetables and add the sealed meat and cover with the wine and water or beef broth, cook for about 3 hours.

5. Remove the meat on a plate and set aside for a few minutes. 6. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of flour in cold water. 7. In another pot, add another cup of broth and the dissolved flour. 8. Mix well and simmer until it gets thick with the cooking liquid. 9. Cut the meat into slices and serve with the sauce.

BROWN COCONUT RICE

Servings 4 Ingredients 1 fresh coconut 1 cup of rice 2 tbsp granulated sugar Salt, to taste 1/4 cup raisins, optional

Preparation 1. Start by cracking the coconut. Identify the two “eyes” of the coconut: two small, round indentations on one of its sides. One of these eyes will be more tender than the other. Using a knife, poke a hole into the softer of the eyes. Using a flat-head screw driver that you pound with a mallet, open the other, harder eye. Pour out the coconut water into a bowl and reserve. 2. Crack open the coconut. Then, using a sharp knife or flat-head screw driver, separate and scrape out the white meat of the coconut.

Cut the meat into 2-inch chunks and place in a blender with the reserved coconut water. Blend until the coconut is finely ground. Strain the pureed coconut mixture over a fine mesh strainer in a large bowl, pressing down with your fingers to make sure all of the liquid is squeezed out. This liquid is called the coconut’s “first milk.” Set it aside. 3. Return the strained coconut solids to the blender along with 2 cups of fresh water. Blend until well mixed and repeat the straining process above over another bowl. This liquid is called the coconut’s “second milk” and will be used to cook the rice. Set it aside. Discard the coconut solids.

4. In a caldero or heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat, bring the reserved first milk to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of sugar to help the caramelization. 5. Reduce heat and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, removing the milk that sticks to the sides of the pot. The milk will reduce, leaving behind solids. Allow the solids to brown slowly and caramelize. Keep stirring to make sure the solids don’t burn. Once they’ve reached a dark brown color (think the color of molasses), they’re ready. 6. Add 2 cups of the reserved second milk. (If you don’t have enough second milk, add water to make the full 2 cups.) Wait until the caramel is dissolved in this water. Season it with salt to taste and introduce the rice. 7. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the rice to a boil. When it starts drying, reduce heat to medium and continue boiling until most of the liquid has been absorbed and small craters form on the surface. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked through. Fluff with a fork, cover and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

AR AÑITAS

Cooking time 20 minutes

Servings 4 to 5 Ingredients 3 Green plantains 150 grs White fresh cheese Quarter onion Vegetable oil Ingredientes 3 Plátanos verdes 150 grs queso blanco fresco Un cuarto de cebolla Aceite vegetal

Preparation 1. Peel the plantain, grate it, do the same with cheese and onion. 2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. 3. Heat some oil in a pan, medium temperature 4. Make small, hand-sized portions and flatten them a little, without losing their form. 5. Fry both sides until they have a yellowish tone. Take out the oil and enjoy.

Procedimiento 1. Pelar el plátano y rallarlo, hacer lo mismo con la cebolla y el queso. 2. Mezclar todos los ingredientes en un recipiente. 3. Calentar aceite en una sartén mediana a fuego medio. 4. Haga pequeñas porciones del tamaño de la mano y aplástelas un poco sin que pierdan la forma. 5. Freir por las dos caras hasta que tomen un tono amarillo. Retirar del aceite y disfrutar.

ARROZ CON COCO

Cooking time 40 minutes

Servings 4 to 5 Ingredients 1 coconut 1 cup medium grain white rice 3 tablespoons Brown sugar 1 teaspoon Salt 3 cups coconut milk Ingredientes 1 Coco 1 taza de Arroz blanco 3 cucharadas de Azúcar morena 1 cucharadita de Sal 3 tazas de leche de coco

Preparation 1. Open a little hole in the coconut and extract the water. Put the coconut on the stove and burn the husk for about 3 minutes. 2. Hit with a hammer until it opens. Separate the husk from the coconut flesh and cut it in little squares. 3. Blend half of the coconut with a cup of water. Strain the coconut milk and separate it from the fiber. 4. Heat the milk in the rice pot with the sugar until it dries and turns into brownish crusts. 5. While the coconut milk heats, blend the other half of the coconut with 2 cups of water; you can include the fiber previously blended. 6. Strain the milk and measure three cups of liquid, complete with water, if necessary. 7. When the coconut has caramelized, add the two cups of coconut milk and salt. When the water boils, add the rice. 8. Cook the rice until water is almost dried. Cover the rice and low the temperatura to the minimum, let it simmer for another 10 or 15 minutes.

NOTE: If you want the rice White, just skip the step of caramelizing the coconut, cook and simmer the rice in the coconut milk and that’s it.

Procedimiento 1. Abrir un pequeño agujero al coco y sacar el agua. Poner el coco en la estufa para que se queme la corteza por unos 3 minutos. 2. Golpear con un martillo hasta abrirlo. Separar la corteza de la carne del coco y picarla en cuadros. 3. Licuar la mitad del coco con una taza de agua. Colar la leche del coco y separarla de la fibra. 4. Calentar la leche del coco con el azúcar en la olla donde se hará el arroz hasta que seque y se vuelvan pequeños cristales. 5. Mientras se calienta la leche, licuar la otra mitad del coco con dos tazas de agua, se le puede agregrar la fibra del coco previamente licuada. 6. Colar para separar la leche. Medir dos tazas de leche y completar con agua de ser necesario. 7. Cuando el coco con el azúcar hayan caramelizado, agregar las dos tazas de leche de coco y la sal. Una vez hierva el agua, agregar el arroz. 8. Dejar cocinar hasta que el agua del arroz seque casi por completo. En ese momento tapar la olla y bajar la temperatura al mínimo. Dejar conservar por otros 10 a 15 minutos.

NOTA: Si quieres el arroz blanco, salta el paso de caramelizar el coco, simplemente cocina el arroz en la leche de coco y listo.

PESCADO GUISADO

Cooking time 20 minutes

Servings 4 Ingredients 2 red mojarras or mid size White fish 2 tomatoes 1/2 White onion 10 small sweet peppers 2 tablespoons chopped coriander Olive oil Salt and pepper Vinegar Ingredientes 2 Mojarras rojas 2 Tomates 1/2 Cebolla blanca 10 Ajís dulces 2 cucharadas Cilantro picado Aceite de oliva Sal y pimienta Vinagre

Preparation 1. Cut the fish in halves. 2. Add some olive oil in a pan, and fry fish for both sides for two or three minutes. 3. Slice vegetables and add on top of the fish with coriander, two spoons of vinegar and salt and pepper. 4. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Procedimiento 1. Cortar los pescados por la mitad. 2. Agregar aceite de oliva a un sartén u olla y poner los pescados a dorar por ambas caras dos o tres minutos. 3. Cortar los vegetales y agrgarlos sobre el pescado junto al cilantro, agregar dos cuchatradas de vinagre, sal y pimienta. 4. Tapar, bajar la temperatura y dejar cocinar por 10 minutos.

PATACÓN CON TODO

Cooking time 25 minutes

Servings 4 to 5 Ingredients 3 Green plantains 100 grs White fresh cheese 100 grs grounded meat 3 tomatoes 1 avocado Vegetable oil Salt and pepper DESTINATION: COLOMBIA

Ingredientes 3 Plátanos verdes 100 grs queso blanco fresco 100 grs Carne molida 3 Tomates 1 Aguacate Aceite vegetal Sal y pimienta

Preparation 1. Peel the plantain and cut it in 4 or 5 pieces. 2. Put the plantains in hot oil to cook them, remember it cannot be very hot because they will be toasted instead of cooked 3. Take the plantains out when you can prick with a fork, let them cool down few minutes and mash them. 4. Once they are mashed, soak them in salty water with garlic, you can also use some Green onion as a brush to “paint” the patacones. 5. Fry the patacones til they toast. Take out of the oil. 6. Grate the tomatoes and simmer with some olive oil, salt and pepper, til it cooks. 7. Cook the grounded meat and season it as desired. Grate the cheese, dice the avocado and spread them over the patacones.

Procedimiento 1. Pelar el plátano y partirlo en 4 o 5 partes con la mano. 2. Poner los plátanos en aceite caliente para que cocinen por dentro y se ablanden, ten en cuenta que no puede estar tan caliente porque se tostarían. 3. Sacar los plátanos cuando se puedan pinchar con un tenedor, dejarlos enfriar unos minutos y aplastarlos para hacer los patacones. 4. Después de aplastarlos, remojar en agua con sal y ajo macerado. También se puede usar una cebolla larga (verde) como pincel para “pintar” el agua con el ajo. 5. Freir los patacones hasta que tuesten. Retirar del aceite. 6. Rayar los tomates y ponerlos a cocinar con un poco de aceite de oliva, agregar sal, pimienta al gusto. 7. Preparar la carne molida con los condimentos deseados. Rayar el queso, cortar el aguacate en cuadritos y dejarlos listos para poner sobre los patacones al gusto.