Letter to Julia 20130910

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Well, I haven't gotten around to making chicken stew yet, so I hope you're not getting too hungry, darling.  I did go and buy the white meat, and I cut the bones off, and peeled the skin off.  But my Dad gave me 3 kilos of clams.  3 kilos!  I could eat 3 kilos of clams.  But should I?  You want some?  Whether or not I eat all of them, the clams won't keep, and need to be cooked immediately.  As you know, clam broth is most of the flavor, so I made a fond of garlic, onions, lemongrass, and chilli paste.  It turned out kind of soupy, so I wish I had some noodles.  But I didn't eat all the 3 kilos.  I only ate 2 kilos.

Fresh clam broth is a perfect food- it doesn't really need anything else.  I should have just roasted some clams in a closed pot, but it didn't occur to me to do so until later.  Just like fresh mackerel roe is a perfect food.  All the fish in the half kilo I bought for Batty had roe, which I ate while I was gutting the fish.  All the heavenly foods will be in heaven, minus the corruption and decay.  We can be in heaven together, inshaAllah.  This world has much suffering and heartache, but if we endure and earn our place in heaven inshaAllah, it will be better and more lasting than this world.