The Sage Syndrome

I have recently been observing certain traits of people from a relationship point of view. Parents to children, husbands to wives, siblings to siblings, friends to friends, so on and so forth. This little research was undertaken after someone asked me a simple question – Are you a type of person who likes to be in control or be controlled?

Independence is one thing, but there are times, especially as a child, when your movements, decisions, and in short, life, are all controlled by your parents, superiors or guardians. As we grow and mature, keeping in mind the culture we are brought up in, we tend to hone a certain rebellious streak and a need for independence after we cross a certain age. Most of our freedom is experienced once we cross our school graduation and a free rein is handed over to some lucky ones. From then on, you are out of your comfort zone, you make new friends, you travel, you study in other countries or cities, you settle down in life. All this attracts new relationships and they are formed with strangers, some of whom get close to you, some of whom turn acquaintances and even some of whom who you don’t get along with.

There is one trait constant in all relationships a person goes through in his/her life – its control.

Control is a trait which is usually not inhibited by you but by others onto you in one way or the other. People who come in your life or are a part of it are there for a particular reason. Deep down, it’s because they know they influence their presence by being a part of you and the fact that they feel they have some control over you. It may be discreet, it may be in-your-face and sometimes it’s self inflicted, as in an individual may attract it from the person on the opposite end.

When the question was asked to me, I was mute for a while and after much introspection realized that I have reached a stage where I do not want to control or want to be controlled. It’s what I call experiencing and institutionalizing a sage syndrome. To be simply put a sage is wise, he is the imparter of knowledge but at the same time creates a bubble of his own of which he is in full control of. Every individual, I believe, should only be allowed to control one aspect of his life – i.e. himself. The moment a person decides to meddle and control elsewhere or allow control to take over is when he is stepping on the wrong side of the human nature.

I do not preach of inner peace or attaining nirvana when I refer to enacting a sage’s personality. I merely profess the need to enlighten my readers that to lead a good and fruitful life, one must get a grip on his own life, know exactly what he/she is doing with it, cross your own hurdles (sometimes, yes, with a helping hand to skip over), get into meaningful and fulfilling relationships without the extra baggage of intruding in a space other than ones own and religiously commence with life as though its your last day tomorrow.

Establishing the sage syndrome takes a lot to understand and only a person who truly knows exactly what he wants or is settled down satisfactorily can honor it. Try it, or atleast make an attempt to concentrate on the bigger picture for a change and I guarantee, life would seem a little less stressful and a lot more enjoyable.

Cutting down on my prophecy and keeping in mind the overall continuity of my blog, I was away for a while before I wrote this post. The first thing I cooked was, coincidentally, with a herb called sage (yes, I know, what are the odds). Sage is a peppery herb which tastes best when it’s used fresh, whole and crisped in butter. This recipe being quintessential in nature is quite popular around the world with versions cropping up all over; I still regard this as one of my favorite combinations. Buttery, smooth and with just the right amount of flavor, this dish will add a gourmet touch to your next sit-down dinner.

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Crispy Sage Butter Sauce

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Gnocchi

• 750 gms Pumpkin
• 3½ cups Plain Flour
• 1 Egg (beaten)
• 1 tsp Nutmeg powder
• 1 tsp Fresh Thyme or ½ tsp Dried Thyme
• ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)
• Salt & Pepper to taste

For the Butter Sauce

• ¼ cup Butter
• 2 tsp Vodka (optional)
• 4-5 cloves Garlic (sliced thinly)
• ¼ cup Fresh Sage Leaves
• 1 tsp Red Chili Flakes
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Pick pumpkins which are sweet and not too large, they pack in more flavour and are sweeter.

Slice the pumpkin into half, deseed and prick all over with a fork (skin-side). Place cut side down on a baking tray and roast in the oven on 200C for 1 hour or until brown and tender. Scoop out the flesh and puree in blender till smooth.

In a bowl, beat egg and seasonings together and spoon over the roasted pumpkin puree, mixing gently. Add the parmesan and mix well. Add in half the quantity of flour and stir well with a firm hand, continue adding the flour till you get a doughy consistency which is sticky but leaves the bowl when scooped. Dust with more dough and roll into four separate thick logs.

On a floured surface take a log and roll it into a rope size of ½” thickness, with a sharp knife cut in every 1” intervals. You will automatically get pillow shaped gnocchi’s.

Take a large pot of water (about 6 litres), salt well with sea salt (about ¼ cup) and bring to a boil. Once boiling drop the gnocchi carefully (about 8-10 pcs at a time) and sweep the water once in a while till the gnocchi floats to the top.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Repeat till you cook all the gnocchi.

In a large skillet, heat the butter on a low flame, it will start foaming and then settle down to start turning brown. Once it starts turning brown, throw in the sliced garlic and stir fry for about two minutes but not till they start browning. Add the whole sage leaves and turn up the heat to medium and stir well till both, the garlic and sage have turned a shade darker and start to crisp.

Add the vodka and seasoning and give it a good stir. Toss in the gnocchi and carefully toss till the sauce coats the gnocchi. Serve hot in a deep dish with a side of grated parmesan and dinner rolls.

Nonchalant Gourmand Variant:

Add about 10-15 slivers almonds and a couple of teaspoons of white pumpkin seeds after adding the garlic, adds a nice nutty touch and crunch to the dish.