Dinner at Claude's
Doesn’t Dinner at Claude's title sound like the name of a fancy French restaurant? As a matter of fact, Claude is from France! Actually, it was lunch at Claude’s, but saying Dinner makes a better title.
I first met Claude about fifteen years ago at a multi-level meeting of all things! I was gung-ho at the time, and Claude, who had a Ph.D in physics and quite a logical mind, as you can imagine, was quite suspicious and asked many analytical questions which did not endear him to me. Of course, later Claude turned out to be right.
Claude left town and was visiting about six years ago when I bumped into him on the town square. He had started doing what he calls the Freedom Technique. http://www.askdrclaude.com He designed this program to help people let go of past patterns of thinking and move forward in their lives. He offered to give me a session right then and there. In his car parked by the side of the street in the downtown square in Fairfield, Claude did bless me with a session. It was indeed freeing.
After that session, Claude and I became friends.
Now, after another six years, Claude has just moved back to town, and he soon invited me to his place for lunch. This entry is about the marvelous meal he served and how to make chapattis.
The menu was rice and dahl, butternut squash, a beautifully arranged and delicious salad with sprouts that Claude sprouted himself, fresh carrot juice and red cabbage juice, and the lightest most delicious chapattis brushed with homemade ghee and dipped into the most delicious dahl that anyone has ever cast their eyes on. Believe me, everything was delicious and delicately spiced. This was indeed a gourmet meal. If you tasted Claude’s cooking, you would swoon in joy. If it ever happened that you were imprisoned and sentenced to death, this is the meal you would want to request for your last one!
Claude has no recipe for his chapattis. Actually, I think he made puris because they all puffed up magically over the gas flame, something I have not been able to succeed at. But the ingredients are:
Chapatti flour
Water
Salt
Thyme
Adding the thyme is Claude’s invention.
I have learned that Claude applies quantum physics to his cooking!
One last thing, outside the window is a bird feeder. We saw many red cardinals and other birds at the feeder, and even wild turkeys in the yard. It would have been easy to eat in silence while having dinner at Claude’s.
Comments
OHHH, everything on the table looks marvelous and mouth-watering. I realized how I missed ayurvedic food, cahapaties, dull, rice with ghee... yumm yumm..
I think I will make some ghee too.
Thank you so much Gloria. What a nice surprise to be featured on your blog and to see my cooking being acknowledged on the internet for the first time. Cooking is one of my passions. Other passions of mine are partner dancing (Salsa, Latin, Swing, Ballroom, etc.) and of course helping people..
Since you mentioned that "Claude applies quantum physics to his cooking", I am going to write more about that a little later, since many of your readers are probably wondering what you meant by that. In fact, I apply physics and quantum physics to all of my passions mentioned above.
I am happy that you enjoyed your Dinner at Claude's. I did too.
Gloria, these are lovely photos! I did not know you were such a skilled photographer! Everything you say--and show us--about this meal communicates what a delight it was. Thank you!
Well, dear Margaret, Claude is also an excellent photographer, but of course I must have snapped the photos of Claude!
I had the bliss and delight of enjoying Dinner at Claude's also.
He is a consumate chef who engages all his heart, soul and consciousness in the preparation of a gourmet dining experience for all his guests.
I came away with total satisfaction of my hunger -- a joyful heart, peaceful soul and bliss consciousness. What an uplifting experience -- transcendence!!
Shirley
Well, Shirley, do you live in Fairfield, or nearby? If that is the case, Claude has to make another lunch, don't you think, and invite us both so we can meet. And I want exactly the same meal. The colors, the tastes, all perfect!
LE MENU PREPARE A L'AIR DELICIEUX ET BIEN PRESENTE SUR LA TABLE
JE CONNAIS UN PEU LA CUISINE DE CLAUDE POUR L'AVOIR DEJA GOUTEE IL Y A QUELQUES ANNEES, LES PLATS SONT TRES BIEN ASSAISONNES
J'ESPERES QUE QUAND IL VIENDRA NOUS VOIR, IL NOUS PREPARERA EGALEMENT CES BONS PLATS
Where do you live, belle Jocelyne? I believe I generally understood what you said. You said Claude's food was delicious and beautifully presented on the table. You know a little of Claude's cuisine because you had a taste some years ago, and his food was very good then. You hope that when Claude comes to see you, will will prepare an equally good meal!
How did I do, Claude?
You did very well, Gloria. Almost perfect translation. "Tres bien assaisones" means "very well seasoned", or "very well spiced" (i.e. delicious tasting). She is also hoping that I will prepare the same things for her (and the family) as on the pictures. Jocelyne is actually one of my sisters living in France, she called me today for Easter and to chat, and I mentioned the blog to her at some point. She is herself a great cook, too, and always invites me over to lunch or dinner when I visit the family in France.
Reply from Adria on April 29, 2008
Gloria,
Your blog is terrific! Claude suggested that I visit it!
How lucky for you all, that Claude has made his way back from Detroit, to share, once again, his growth, his charm, his wisdom and enlightenment, his many talents, and best of all, his creative gifts with cooking Ayurvedic foods!
Claude puts a little bit of love into everything he prepares!
From the soups, to the fresh mixed green salad with paneer cheese, red cabbage walnuts and olives, olive oil and a bit of fresh lemon juice, to the butternut squash with Indian spices and ghee, white rice, & various other specially prepared vegetables of choice, on occasion, the experience is magical!!! It is as the say, "Absolute Ambrosia"!! Add to that:
Delectably Delicious!
Heavenly Healthy!
Scintillatingly Scrumptious!
More! More! More! PLEASE!
Thank you, Claude. Fairfield, Iowa is fortunate to have you!
Your special friend,
Adria
Beloved Adria,
After reading your beautiful posting, I am very hungry.
Are we blessed with having you live in Fairfield also?
If so, then how do we get Claude to invite us both over?
If you do not live here, when are you going to come visit?
Will Claude see your posting? In case he does and reads my response: "Claude, I am hungry, and I am especially hungry for your superb cooking. What is a good day for you to invite me?"
Of course, I would never be so bold to invite myself.
Adria, will you check out Heavenletters too? www.heavenletters.org
and post here often?
Hello Gloria,
I would love to come to Fairfield,Iowa just to meet you. I visited your website today and found the wonderful story about the man and his hat, selling his vegetables! A spiritually growing and definitew God ment for sure!
Life lessons come from everywhere and through everything and anyone, if we are opened to receiving them! It is clear to me, that we are both blessed in being able to perceive, receive and experience many of those moments.
If you are lucky enough to have dinner or lunch again with Claude before I get there, thing of me as you allow that ambrosia to pass over your lips!
I would love to hear from you too!
Please feel free to write me at: adriamichele@msn.com.
I would love to speak to you directly by phone if that would be comfortable for you!
Looking forward to connecting.
Regards,
Adria Brown
Gloria,
Just read over my note to you. The 3rd line should read: "a definite God moment for sure".
Let me hear from you.
Adria
Hi Gloria:
I saw the comment from Adria today. Thanks to both of you for being so appreciative of my cooking. And I got the "message", Gloria, sooooo how about having dinner at Gloria's tomorrow lunch (around 1pm)? I'll make the chapatis, dal, and salad at least. So we can also catch up on other things. Maybe we can call Adria while we have lunch or right after, and let taste the food through our words.
Love yu,
Claude
Yes, Claude, it is very very nice of Adria and me to love your cooking!!!
Your chapatis, dahl, and salad are to die for. Oh, I am in Heaven.
I will soak mung dahl tonight. I have black mustard seeds, cumin, coriander seed, asofoetida, fresh ginger, fresh and dried tumeric and Celtic and black salt. Fresh cilantro.
I will also soak rice tonight.
I will make a vegetable. Also lassi from kefir.
1 p.m. is good.
Yum, yum, can't wait!
And, yes, by all means let's talk to Adria.
Adria, Claude did cook a marvelous lunch today at my house. All we did was eat all afternoon. Claude took some photos. Maybe another blog entry!
The time slipped away, and I'm sorry we didn't call you.
You live in Michigan? When are you coming to Fairfield?
With love and blessings,
Gloria
Yes Adria, Gloria and I were so busy preparing chapatis and tasting all the great food, and time passed so quickly it seems, that we forgot to call you. Gloria prepared perfect asparagus, and also served several unique beverages including home-made Kefir--yummie (what was the name of that other drink you served, Gloria, the one made with tumeric? could you explain how it's made?). The whole experience was bliss, bliss, and more bliss. Thank you Gloria for getting set up on such short notice. I know you are very busy with Heavenletters every day, plus you are so passionate about this work, that I feel honored that you took so much time out of your schedule to visit with me. We definitely had fun, didn't we?
Hi Gloria, I look forward to sharing another meal with you next Saturday, this time prepared with organic vegetables grown in my own garden! Wait till you taste that!
Beloved Claude, I have to get pictures up of your wonderful fresh vegetables on a new blog entry. And you have some photos to send me PDQ!
See you Saturday!
Merry Christmas Gloria (and Santhan, too).
I just got off the phone with Mary Mellen, a lady I recently met over the phone through my job at Geovision Software. We have become buddies supporting each other in what we are up to in life. Today she shared with me about the Institute of Human Ecology she is starting, so I asked her who was going to cook for the guests coming to the retreats, and we ended up talking about the possibility of me doing that (and possibly teaching dancing there, too). I was reminded of this blog post which I shared with Mary. I am letting you know in case she leaves a comment and you wonder who she is.
It was nice to see you at the store yesterday.
Love,
Claude
It would be wonderful to have a comment from Mary. She would be getting a wonderful cook if she gets you.
In addition to dancing instruction and cooking, you could also do your technique there.
Of course, I would rather have you nearby, dear friend.