Poetic Cookery: Sade

There is something about Nigerian- born Sade that is so jovial. She has a music genre on her own. A genre that only she can perfect. A few years back I discovered an African French group called Les Nubians that were also very good and similar in substance to Sade. However, Sade carved out her name in music by not falling into the commercial gap. I remember about 9 years ago I was looking for Shakira's CD in music stores in the US, only to find one that is dusty with scratched cover. Her music was beautiful then, as it was produced in Colombia. Then came the big record labels and turned her into a sex symbol instead with stupid english version songs. People might disagree with me on this, but I bet those people heard her recently and wouldn't understand. Sade on the other hand just gets better and better. A musician to the core. Her songs hit straight in the heart.

King of Sorrow

I'm crying everyone's tears
And there inside our private war
I died the night before
And all of these remnants of joy and disaster
What am I suppose to do

I want to cook you a soup that warms your soul
But nothing would change, nothing would change at all
It's just a day that brings it all about
Just another day and nothing's any good

The DJ's playing the same song
I have so much to do
I have to carry on
I wonder if this grief will ever let me go
I feel like I am the king of sorrow, yeah
The king of sorrow

I suppose I could just walk away
Will I disappoint my future if I stay
It's just a day that brings it all about
Just another day and nothing's any good

The DJ's playing the same song
I have so much to do
I have to carry on
I wonder will this grief ever be gone
Will it ever go
I'm the king of sorrow, yeah
The king of sorrow

I'm crying everyone's tears
I have already paid for all my future sins
There's nothing anyone
Can say to take this away
It's just another day and nothing's any good

I'm the king of sorrow, yeah
King of sorrow
I'm the king of sorrow, yeah
King of sorrow


Sopa del Alma (Soup of the Soul)

Roasted chicken cream soup with fire roasted red peppers, saffron, almonds and crispy tortilla strips.

Ingredients:

2 cups separated roasted chicken breasts
3 red peppers
5 cloves garlic
500 ml heavy cream
1 cup water
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds
1 cube chicken bouillon (maggi)
3 tbs. Vinagre de Jerez or red wine vinegar
1 tsp saffron
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
3 flour tortillas
Olive oil

Separate roasted chicken breast with fingers in small chunks. Roast red peppers on the open flame until charred from outside, let to cool down, remove skin and core then finely chop. Fry garlic in a bit of olive oil. Add almonds and fry until slighty brown. Then add cream and red pepper. Simmer for five minuets. Pour cooked sauce in blender, and blend until creamy. Add back to to sauce pan. Add chicken and the rest of the ingredients except tortillas. Cut tortilla into fine strips. Fry until cripsy. Serve soup in deep soup bowl, sprinkled fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt and add crispy tortillas on top.