Moon dance

and a recipe for maraq dagaag, a delicious spiced chicken soup

It’s a rare thing indeed when the earth appears to stand still.

But that’s what seemed to happen last Monday around 3:20 pm ET. We abandoned our phones, left our computers, went outside, donned flimsy glasses, grabbed a colander and looked up at the sky.

Even though the clouds didn’t quite cooperate in my part of the world, if you were patient, that glimmer of a total solar eclipse was visible. No matter if you were alone, in a group or part of a crowd: there was a strange alchemy afoot: a sense that, for but a few short minutes, we were bound by a collective experience that was magical, mysterious and just a little bit unsettling.

When everything around us seems to be in a constant frenzy, and the only sensible thing seems to be to pull the covers up over your head, once again Mother Nature steps in with a showstopper to shake us out of our dolour.

Hitting the pause button

Unlike the chance viewing of a spectacular summer thunderstorm or a dazzling winter sunset, the details for last week’s solar eclipse were laid out with the precision of a military operation. If you were at all interested in following the path of that sun and moon dance, science had you covered.

But even with all the facts and figures at our fingertips, there was still a sense of wonder and excitement afoot. As we sat outside on our terrace, the air was somehow electric. I imagined what it might have been like to see that very first recorded eclipse of so long ago; what omens and portents might have ascribed to it.

And then the temperature dropped, the sky darkened and a Cheshire Cat of a crescent broke through the cloud cover. For something that was a fleeting moment, it felt like there was a perceptible shift, a rebalancing of sorts. I breathed deeply and took in the gift, palms up, heart open.

The eclipse as seen in Southern Ontario

Looking at life through moon-coloured glasses

That brief moment when we all looked up is one to hold onto. Just as that shifting elliptical moon doesn’t follow a straight course around the earth, we should be more thoughtful about recalibrating ourselves, changing course, shifting gears.

Life can be explosive and intense. That moment—when the sky darkened, the air chilled and sunsets were all around us—signalled more than a change on the horizon. It was a bit of magic, an ancient sky dance that we’re still trying to decipher, still learning the steps to.

Maraq digaag (spiced chicken soup)

New York Times Cooking

serves 4-6

This wonderful soup, another Richard creation, gets its depth from the xawaash spice blend that is typical of Somalian cuisine. Usually served in times of sickness, I think of it as fitting meal to usher in a clean slate of another sort, courtesy of the solar eclipse.

Note: To prepare your own xawaash blend, add 8 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom to a small nonstick pan. Toast over low heat, stirring continuously, for 1 minute or until the spice mix becomes fragrant, then stir in 1 teaspoon ground turmeric. Makes 4 tablespoons.

Ingredients

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

½ lemon, juiced

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1½ tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped with their juices

4 teaspoons xawaash (see Note)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 handful cilantro, rinsed and roughly chopped

1 medium carrot, diced into ½-inch pieces

1 small jalapeño, stemmed and cut in half

1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces

2-3 cups chicken stock or water

1. In a medium bowl or ziplock bag, combine the chicken thighs, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

2. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly golden, 6 to 7 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes to the onion and cover. Cook tomatoes until they have softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Move the tomatoes to the sides and make space in the middle of the pot, turn the heat to medium-high and add the chicken and the juice, cooking 3 minutes per side.

4. Turn the heat down to medium-low, add in the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the xawaash, garlic, cilantro, carrot, jalapeño halves and 2 cups of stock or water. Cover and cook for 13 minutes, mixing occasionally.

5. Add the potatoes, cover and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. You can keep the chicken thighs whole or break them down into smaller chunks with a spoon or kitchen shears. If the soup is too thick add more liquid until it reaches your desired consistency.