Thus commences the nothing
Look at the calendar. Everyday is something. In fact, we, at Only Cumin, focus on many of these so called “holidays” ad nauseam. There is no rest from the celebration. But, sometimes even jubilation needs a reprieve. Thus commences the nothing, for today is National Nothing day. Unfortunately, it’s also national good teen day, Printing ink day, Appreciate a dragon day, and a handful of others including religious freedom day. So, in a way, this is the most important day on the calendar. For, what is more important than your right to choose whatever it is that brings you enlightenment and relief from the everyday?
The concept of nothing is so foreign to all of us, though. The fact that I’m writing this now, is anathema to nothing, because it is something. Even taking a break from everything, we still do something. Maybe today, you don’t go to work, don’t finish an assignment, don’t take a shower, or finish a sent… You still do something. Instead of working, you nap. Instead of taking a walk, you sit. Even when we sit still, there is still something happening. And, when you look up a definition for everything, nothing has to fall under that umbrella. Nothing isn’t the absence of everything. Everything encompasses all that is, including nothing. The only way to truly experience nothing is to find a corner of the universe or consciousness untouched by anything else. But, the moment you encounter it, you have exposed it to something. Pretty frustrating, no?
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And on the eighth day the lord said Thus commences the nothing
People who study the bible and religious texts talk of the creation of the heavens and earth. If you subscribe to intelligent design theory, this is, possibly, the last time nothing actually existed. Even the big bang theory acknowledges this. But, even in that “nothing” there was some form of gas or element. Philosophers, poets, preachers, and prospectors for truth and knowledge the world over seek the meaning of everything. But, few embark on an exploration of the nothing, for nothing when encountered eventually reveals itself to be something, even if that something is a void when contrasted with anything else. So, the holiday of nothing (Spoiler alert), much like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, doesn’t exist. In fact, there is more to suggest the existence of the made up holiday heroes than nothing itself.
So, if God did create the heavens and Earths, did such an act doom us to never know actual nothingness? Does it make the statement “you don’t know nothing” grammatically correct? In this context it truly is. For, no mortal being actually knows nothing. Once something has a context, it ceases to be nothing and becomes something. Yes, we have no bananas. This is the state of nothing. Where there once were bananas is nothing. But, the fact that there may or may not have been bananas there means the dearth of bananas is itself a thing as opposed to nothing. This is how we frustrate ourselves when we say Thus commences the Nothing.
Isn’t there a drinking holiday to stop this madness?
So, this makes today a truly frustrating holiday. While the concept was to create a date of relaxation, it opened a Pandora’s box of paradox-ism. In an effort to not celebrate any holiday, we create something else to celebrate. Even doing nothing is its own form of celebration. And, as described above, that nothing we do is actually something. So, the best thing to do today is ignore the semantics, and do whatever it is you want to do. That is probably a better name for the day: Do what you want to do day.
So, who’s the wiseguy who started this thing anyway? The celebration of Nothing day dates back to 1972, when Harold Pullman Coffin, a columnist for the San Fransisco examiner suggested the day to oppose the proliferation of everyday holidays on the calendar. It went into effect January 16, 1973. But, it never got widespread or national recognition. Yet, he’s not the only one to make such a suggestion. In 1956, the AP circulate a proposition from the Mayor of Birmingham Alabama to create a national nothing week from February 26 to march 3. And, the realist Society of Canada has a “There has always been Something “THABS” day in July. Sorry America, but the Canadians are closer to the truth on this one.
Luckily, there are enough drinking holidays throughout the year to stop the futility of finding nothing. Didn’t Rene Descartes say I drink therefore I am? And, if there isn’t one today, what many people consider doing nothing often involves drinking. So, have at it. Thus commences the Nothing.
Isn’t doing nothing actually doing whatever you want day?
So, that’s the true meaning of this holiday. Despite the misnomer, it really is do what you want day. So, don’t let anyone tell you what to do or not. In seeking nothing, you may discover everything. Or, maybe just create a bigger indentation on the couch. Either way, feel free to do something you find relaxing and plead fealty to no holiday. take that Fig Newton day! Unless you like Fig Newtons, then have at it with them. But, not because it’s fig Newton day. Do it because it’s what you want to do. And, if nothing is what you want, Thus commences the Nothing.
And, if you like to cook or just want to try cooking, here are a couple random recipes to get you going. It’s something to do with your day of nothing. For, doing nothing is a lot like wasting time. Henry David Throeau famously said “As if you could kill time without injuring eternity”. This captures our frail existence in all its shortcomings. So, Nothing day actually creates a conundrum for us. It’s intention is to escape what others want us to do and do what we want. But, the onus is on us to do something fulfilling for ourselves. Remember, we won’t have another nothing day for another year. So, make the most out of nothing.
To that end, here are your random bits of nothingness so you can avoid killing time and wounding eternity. Thus commences the Nothing.
Happy Nothing day to everyone and everything!
Vanilla Cherry Chambord margarita
Ingredients
- 8 Oz tequila (Blanco, preferably)
- 4 Oz Triple Sec or Orange Liqueur
- 4 Oz Chambord Liqueur
- 1 Small Vanilla bean
- 1 Pint Fresh Cherries, Pits and Stems removed
- 4 oz Agave Syrup
- 8 Oz Lime Juice
- Plenty of ice
- Limes and Cherries to garnish
Instructions
- Seed and stem the cherries and cut them up. Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Put the pod in sugar to give it a vanilla flavor or use it some other way. Place the vanilla seeds and cherries in a large pitcher. Muddle them with agave. Then add the rest of the ingredients and fill with ice. Mix well.
- Dip glasses in water. Then salt the rims with a mixture of sea salt and large grain sugar. Fill each glass and garnish with limes and cherries.
Herbed Spinach, Chia and Quinoa Timbale with Fresh Vegetable Medley
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Chia Seeds
- 1 Cup Quinoa
- 8 Oz Baby Spinach
- 1 Cup Diced Sweet Onion
- 3 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
- 1 Cup Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Cup White Wine
- 4 Cups water
- 1/4 cup Chopped fresh herbs (whatever is available)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 3 to 4 cups Assorted Fresh vegetables (Seasonal, local, and Fresh)
- Olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- Heat 2 separate pots over medium high heat. Add in a coating of olive oil. Put 1/4 cup onion and garlic in each. Stir occasionally. Cook until translucent. Then add the quinoa to one pan and chia to the other. Stir both. Add 2 cups of water to each, and bring to a simmer. Add salt and pepper, and stir. Allow the two grains to cook until they are fully cooked through, but not mush. Fold the herbs into both grains. Set aside.
- Char the red peppers on a grille or pan without any oil. The skins should be well charred. Place them into a pan and cover with plastic, so they steam. Let them sit for a few minutes. Then peel the skin off, and remove stems and seeds.
- In another pot, heat some more olive oil. Put in the remaining onion and garlic and stir. Cook until translucent. Then add in the peppers. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add a little more water and cook for a couple minutes. Then, either transfer the mix to a blender or use a stick blender in the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Blend until a smooth sauce is created. Set aside.
- In a large saute pan, heat some olive oil. Add in the spinach and wilt it down until it is lightly cooked, soft, but still somewhat intact. Season with Salt and pepper.
- Cook your seasonal vegetables in a little olive oil and season lightly.
- Use a round pastry cutter or a dessert cup to assemble the timbale. If using a cup, put the spinach first, quinoa second, and the Chia last. Then, invert onto a plate. Otherwise, use the cutter to hold the three ingredients as you build a tower on the plate. Ladle the sauce around the timbale and add the vegetables to the plate and serve to your guests.
Notes
Mandarin Orange Scallop Ceviche With Crispy Tortilla Threads and Avocado
Ingredients
- 8 oz Fresh sea or bay scallops
- 2 each Mandarin oranges
- 1 cup fine diced sweet onion
- 1 cup diced fresh tomato
- 1/2 cup fine died sweet peppers
- 1 Tbsp fine diced jalapeno
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives or scallions
- 3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
- 2 Tbsp Avocado oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 each Avocado
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 each raw tortilla or flour tortilla Julienned
- Oil to fry tortillas
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Either make or buy raw tortilla dough. You can substitute flour tortillas as well. Julienne them super thin and fry in 350 degree oil. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper. These will be your garnish
- Peel and pull apart the mandarin oranges. Place the segments in a bowl. Cut them in 1/2 if you prefer. make sure to remove the little muscles from the scallops before marinating. They can be tough. Then add in all ingredients except avocado and second lime juice. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Closer to 1 hour is better. This gives time to "cook" the scallops.
- Place the flesh of the avocado in a food processor or mixing bowl and puree with lime juice, salt, and pepper.
- Serve the ceviche in small bowls or in ceramic spoons as an hors d'ouevre. Garnish with tortilla threads and avocado puree.