Leap and the net will appear.

Years ago, I bought a notecard at a funky bookstore with this quote on it: LEAP AND THE NET WILL APPEAR. I imagined I'd send it to a friend at a time when they needed inspiration or support through a difficult time. Little did I know that *I* was the friend and it was *I* in need of inspiration from time to time, and in more areas of my life than even I could ever know.

I was reflecting on how I share some recipes and not others, and how my friends and family might view this, so I think it's time to share a little secret: For some of my favorite dishes, I simply do not have a recipe. I wanted to make a dish because I'd had it somewhere and wanted it RIGHT THEN, so I bought ingredients that I thought would help me re-create it.

These recipes include, but are not limited to, my Baigan Bartha, Croissant French Toast Casserole, Chicken Soup (which explains why it isn't in my bay leaf post!), Chili, and Chicken Pot Pie recipes. In fact, for the longest time, there was no Shepherd's Pie recipe, until I decided to actually write it down while I cooked one day. Many of these recipes have been under construction for years and, even though they garner raves when served, I am never quite sure when they're perfect and tweak them a bit each time I make them.

So, my wisdom to share: If you try a dish at a friend's house, a pot luck, a family gathering or a restaurant, there's always a google search for a recipe, but there's also taking the chance and unravelling the mystery of that delicious dish for yourself. The process can be frustrating. It can be fattening; ask Ellen about how our thighs fared through the Great Vegetable Egg Roll Quest of '94. It can even feel like total failure at times; I am sure there was more than one meal that even our dogs wouldn't eat. But, I assure you, when that final attempt yields culinary success, the elation you experience will be completely worth the effort. And the resulting recipe will be ALL YOURS, a favored family fare, a delightful dinner for dreary days, and another fine recipe to share among family and friends.

So, when you have a meal that sticks with you, you know, the one you think about the entire drive home, and wake up the next day thinking about how you'd love to have it again, I say to you, simply, LEAP. Try to reproduce it. Laugh at your failures and savor your successes.  Let your friends and family taste it and take their suggestions or praise with grace and gratitude.  They will be your net and, I assure you, a favorite dish will appear.