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Real Soup

On the business of being

We have a large cat. Inclusive of tail, he is over four feet in length. He has the bearing of a small fluffy horse when he gallops across the clover.

He is not especially cattish. He is friendly, for example, and he does not insinuate himself: if he wishes to sit on your lap, then he will bestow himself upon you largely, as an honor you may or may not deserve, but no matter.

If you toss him off, he will land with a loud thump and, with the lovely, lordly, looseness of the feline, he will flick just his fur at you in pure you-lose-bozo disdain, and stride off on his sizable feet.

If he requires your attention, he will engage you with his moon eyes, his tufts pointed out around his face and squeak at you with his wavering, baby kitten voice.

As a cat, he does not do tricks; this is standard policy. He can, however, when the leftover pancakes go sailing into the yard, catch one on the fly and down it before his peers have gathered their wits about them for this regular event.

His position with all live things: equal. His demeanor: a continual state of mild surprise.

If everything around us teaches us - if we allow that - creatures such as this, exuding a present spirit with an unruffled, unbiased, forward demeanor that is somewhat but not rashly brave, offer good and nourishing companionship. They demonstrate being.

As adults with pressing pursuits, custodians of children, perhaps, who are distinct and lively, and with work to do and a commotion of ideas and dilemmas constantly gabbing in our brains, it is, I think, helpful to gaze into the blank, neutral stare of a big cat once in awhile. It can cause a relaxing regrouping of one's thoughts.

People are always fresh and astonishing, webworks of light and shadow, with little oddities and beauties, imbalanced areas, linked affections, interesting talents and troubles, secrets, governing tides of sadness and anger and the wondrous capacity for joy, all changing and moving in their own expanding fields.

All this in the common flux of time and place. And all accompanied by basic notions of reason and morality which likely pucker the face and sober the mind and impose upon the scene the human artifice of judgment.

How lovely it is to find in one's household an agent of liberation from such mish mosh. What a kindness.

How lovely to pick up a cat the size of a young child, to carry him off to gaze out mountain window and to have him commence for no reason to vibrate with pleasure and to ask with a curling of his feet, to cuddle up with you and purr and bathe and sleep.

This is a good time to think about dinner.

Spinach Primavera with Salmon suits the season, no matter what direction the weather takes. Fresh pasta and the freshest fish make the difference.

For 4-6 people, poach, in a small skillet:

1-1 1/2 # Chinook or King Salmon

Start in enough cold water to cover the fish plus about 1/2" over it. Add to the water,

1/2 lemon, gently squeezed

2 sprigs parsley

3 peppercorns

Allow to simmer about 6 minutes, or until the fish barely flakes. Remove to a platter to cool. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Sauté:

1 medium onion in 2 Tbs. butter

Add:

1 C. asparagus spears, cut into 1" chunks

1 C. celery, chopped thinly

Cook gently until barely tender. In the meantime, bring to a simmer:

1 C. cream

1 C. whole milk

2 Tbs.. butter

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Simmer until the sauce is reduced by about one third. Don't be afraid to allow it to bubble, just keep stirring it while you wash:

1 bunch spinach

Reserve one half bunch for salad. Remove ribs and tear it all into bite sized pieces.

Also get ready:

1 C. frozen peas

2-3 Tbs. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 C. fresh dillweed

Remove all bones and skin from salmon.

Bring a large kettle of salted water to a boil. Add 1 Tbs. oil to it to prevent the pasta from sticking together. When everything is ready, add to the pot:

1# fresh pasta

Stir occasionally. Cook according to directions, 2-5 minutes.

In the meantime, add the cream sauce to the sauté mixture, add the vegetables and the dill and cheese and salmon, tossing gently. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper, a small grating of lemon peel if you like.

When the pasta is ready, you can serve it with the sauce over the top, or mix it all together in the the skillet. Beautiful.

Heat the plates for this, if you can. It increases your sense of security and well being. It promotes love and compassion, inciting wisdom and a felinesque simplifying of desires