I think its only natural when our lives are at a standstill or a turning point that we begin to think about what got us to that point and what we’ve learned along the way. Thanks to the Internet we know that we’re not alone in these thoughts. I frequently find myself coming across thoughtcatalog/buzzfeed lists with lists like “20 things I wish I knew before I started college” or more commonly “20 things I wish I knew when I was 20.” Most of these lists compile the life lessons of the author(s) - what they've learned through their own experiences that they wish they could go back in time and tell themselves.
It's ironic though, because the value in these life lessons comes from learning them ourselves, not because someone merely told us the “right” way to think or act to better ourselves. The things we learn from our own triumphs, failures, and wrong or right decisions - not someone else's - are what define who we are today and who we will be in the future.
One of my biggest life lessons comes from the failing dozens of times to make homemade pizza. The frustration stemmed from me feeling I was passionate about cooking, so naturally I should be good at cooking, and that too at cooking everything. I tried and failed a few times and didn't bother again for at least 3 years.
Finally I decided it was time to give it a shot again, and eventually I perfected my technique. This lesson translated into my academics and my career. It took me a while to realize that just because I was passionate about something, whether it be cooking or dentistry, didn’t mean I was going to naturally be amazing at it. It would take triumphs, failures and practice to develop my passions.
The songs paired with this pizza remind me of all the times I’ve failed, all of the lessons I’ve learned from those failures, all of the times I’ve succeeded without any missteps, what I’ve learned from those experiences, and how all of these define me and the life I lead.
Beats:
Materials:
Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough
Ricotta Cheese
1 Lemon
1 Bunch Asparagus
3-4 Basil Leaves
Olive Oil
Methods:
1. Leave pizza dough out for at least 20 minutes before beginning to let it get to room temperature.
2. Spread about a tablespoon of olive oil on a pan (either with a brush or a paper towel).
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place pan inside oven.
4. Shave asparagus using a vegetable peeler.
5. Slice lemons into thin sections, and then cut in half. (about 10 slices total)
6. Add salt, a squeeze of lemon juice and pepper to the ricotta cheese.
7. Using flour liberally, roll and stretch out the pizza dough.
8. Remove pan from oven and place stretched pizza dough on pan. Cook for about 5 minutes.
9. Remove par-baked pizza dough and spread most but not all of the ricotta cheese mixture, layer with shaved asparagus, and the thinly sliced lemon slices.
10. Top with a few dollops of remaining ricotta cheese.
11. Cook until top is bubbly and crust is golden brown (about 10 minutes)
12. Finish with some fresh basil!
