Hidden in plain sight is the best way to describe Abu Dhabi’s Al Mina Fruit and Vegetable Souk. Every morning, as I can look towards the port, I can see this bazaar. A combination of an open-air market and distribution shops with large refrigerator rooms means that retail and wholesale businesses are operating whenever one is up. If one is thinking of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and spices, fresh or dried, in Abu Dhabi, this is the place to go.
As I work on my plan for meals in the coming week, I always keep the Al Mina marketplace in the back of my mind. Inevitably, it is the odd ingredient required for a dish that catches me up. Knowing something is available in the market does one little good when one forgot to add it to the shopping list or buy the item when one was there.
In my reflection to kick on the day, I find myself thinking through recipes, plans, and to-do lists. There is a fun connection between instructions to put together a great dish and how to live life at its maximum. With both, what some see as rules and strict guidelines, I see as recipes and proven ways of getting to a wonderful outcome. Both descriptions work, one formalised while the other reflects the freedom to choose enhanced by a desire for a great result.
Ingredients, while interesting, serve no purpose if one does not put them to use. A dish without a key ingredient is not the dish anymore. Life without love, care, and compassion is not going to lead to the kind of outcome I am aiming for. Old words might seem harsh, but they do ring true; “Merely hearing God’s law is a waste of your time if you don’t do what he commands. Doing, not hearing, is what makes the difference with God.” (Romans 2.13)
Techniques, how one does something matters. Throwing the ingredients into a dish will not lead to a great meal. The love and care that one brings to great ingredients creates something special.
