A Drink Inspired Me To Write a Song - Sorrel - Stell’s Song
Sitting in the cockpit is my ritual when the sun is west, and staying aboard for days on end is my sanity. More wild, more outdoors, more solace and blues, less around screens and motor vehicles. Less distractions, more writing, more crafting, less streets, less wires, less noise.
And in these moments, you will hear the highs and lows of a lone flute echoing through the cabin, up the companionway, and into the anchorage. I stare down to the water, blue and still, imagine no line between sky and ocean with the breeze at a whisper. Straight to the bottom, beds of seagrass swaying, neutral hues of tan, the sandy floor calls to me to jump in. It is this everyday…My smile lines are deepening around my eyes. More thankful, less distracted.
I grew up between Bethlehem and Allentown Pa, a little cow country, a lot ATV and muscle cars, and much folk music. My deep obsession with music began at age 7 when I hopped on a yellow school bus from school to discover Prokofiev's symphonic fairy tale, “Peter and the Wolf” performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. When the duck and the bird argue on whether a proper bird should be able to swim or fly, it was then I realized that the sound of this bird was one of the most beautiful and haunting sounds I have ever heard. I pretended myself as Peter, an adventurer, standing in grandpa’s yard, watching the bird. My journey doesn't take me much beyond the red velvet seat I sat on, but for me, it was a realization, and I simply couldn’t help wanting more and more of that bird. That flute. Hence, the flute player who wrote the song above for you.
But here sat a cut bouquet of sorrel sitting on my dinette table, looking ready for harvest. I thought it best to do something with this small bounty before it wilts and dies and I knew I had a recipe for this hibiscus somewhere on our 43ft sailing vessel, Catherine.
Space is always an issue while living aboard, so our library is thoughtfully curated: passage making, woodworking, celestial navigation, music, and recipe books. It’s completely obvious that I love the Caribbean culture, food, people, music, everything that embodies this sensual environment I call home. Honey in my heart.
So, child, I am fixing to create a sorrel punch to quench my thirst by this recipe graciously given to me by a St Lucian woman and writer, Yolanda Cools-Lartigue.
Enjoy your weekend, ya’ll. Blessings abound.
Sorrell
(This a a Traditional Christmas drink but we drink this all winter/spring. It can also be found in health stores or local Island markets in the dried form and is called “African Malva Leaves” or Hibiscus as it is in the Hibiscus family.)
1lb sorrel or 1/4lb dried
2 Bay leaves
3 whole cloves
1 stick of cinnamon
sweeten to taste
Method: Put Sorrel leaves, bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon in a large sauce pan. Pour boiling water in a sauce pan, enough to cover sorrel if fresh sorrel is used. If you’re using the dried, poor enough boiling water to reach 3 inches above. Cover and place over heat and boil for one minute only. Remove from heat and allowed to cool. Allow to stand overnight. Next day, strain and sweeten to taste. Serve hot or cold.
“...the idea is to take things easy and enjoy the passing time under the sun.”