Recently, I read fellow foodie blogger, Lucie Divadian, voyeuristic description of dinner with none other than Ms. Badu. For a few sweet moments of my day, I was a fly on the wall in an intimate exchange between Luice and Erykah as they enjoyed lavish surroundings and dined on Indian inspired morsels to the soundtrack of Erykah’s eclectic sounds.  Love her and loved it!

It’s no secret that I am in love with the lyrical prowess and ascended spirit of the Star known as Common. As a matter of fact, it’s no secret that I feel a cosmic connection to him.  Maybe it’s because he’s had a vegetarian/flexitarian journey like myself, or perhaps it’s because his lyrics pluck the strings to my soul, or maybe it’s because he’s sculpted like a God or maybe it’s simply because he IS.  It matters not;  the connection is there and even my neighbors can attest to this since their ears are prone to his musical calls and my emphatic responses several times a month.

Well, I, like Lucie, often dream while I magically prepare plates of deliciousness for myself and others.  Rarely do I detail those dreams, however her dinner with Badu is such inspiration, I think I’ll let you peep in on this phantasmagorical picnic with, the Love of my Life : Common.

Picture the third Sunday in March, the day is as long as night and I’m dressed in white.  I emerge from my kitchen, in which I’ve spent the past two hours, blessing morsels with magnetic, attractive energy to heal, to expand, to nourish and to relish with each bite.  The bell rings and I float towards the arched door and take a moment to breathe knowing that only a few seconds stands between this butterflied moment and a lifetime of bliss. There he stands…regal, royal and ready…ready to consume my fire…errrrrr I meant fine cuisine on this picnic.

I greet Rashid (it’s what I call HIM) and he in his delicate but masculine manner greets me in return.  No need for haste, because in my vision, I have all day…to feed him slices of sensuality dripping with decadence as he feeds me lyrical love coated with specks of lust.  In truth, I envision a back and forth, an exchange that includes his thoughts on:

• manifesting a desired life…to…creating love and balance…to…his personal response to the Earthquake in Haiti…
• and answering questions like
• if he was in a creative musical rut (*gasp, imagine that?) what dish could I serve him to allow his thoughts to flourish again?
• or
• if I no longer found inspiration in concocting the next culinary star, what poetry would he bestow on me to bring me back to life
• all of this would be…
• peppered with lip smacking, licking and delightful, gentle moans because this foooooooooood is so darn good.

At some point, he looks up from his freshly prepared Spicy Avocado Citrus Kale Salad and says, indulging like this makes me “tired of the fast lane and he wants me to have his last name.”

I smile, as I polish the crust of the Toasted Ciabatta Bread that was dipped in my Curry Chick Pea Spread and I reply “love has no limit, let’s spend it slow forever”.

Surrounded by white hyacinths and green shrubs, we both savor the edibles before us as we continue to discuss past lives and future potential, share in silly secrets, reminisce about the 90’s, absorb our silent moments and evolve into the infinite foundation that this meal provides.

It’s moments like those….when the silence is filling…that

I look towards the sky and fully understand “it don’t take a whole day to recognize sunshine” because “I know the stars and the Gods aligned me and you”.

I welcome his interruption of my thoughts as he asks me for seconds, thirds and fourths.  I deliver all that he desires, my culinary delights pleased to nurture his bites.  I pinch myself to make sure that I’m not crazy….just wanted to make sure that….

There was no “count of three and I needn’t run back to my fantasy”.

because Here I stood and there he BE…….eternal.

So tell me…Who would you invite to your own satiating picnic? Whoever it is, make sure you serve them this recipe:

Spicy Avocado Citrus Kale Salad – ( this live food cleanses and revitalizes, a perfect compliment to any outdoor occasion)

• 2 heads kale
• 2 c roma tomatoes chopped
• 2 grapefruits, peeled and sectioned
• 2.5 t salt
• Citrus Avocado Dressing
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 chipotle pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 TB lime juice
• drizzle of agave nectar
• dash of Adobo

1. Remove stems from kale, and cut into strips
2. Place in a large bowl with salt and massage until it softens and wilts, and let rest
3. Add avocado, chipotle, garlic and lime juice to a food processor or high speed blender until creamy
4. Drizzle agave nectar and sprinkle Adobo to desired taste
5. Mix Kale and Dressing together in bowl
6. Fold in tomatoes and top with grapefruit slices.