Warning: Existential breakdown ahead.

How do people get famous? What makes them known for what they’re good at, or just for what they do? What’s the formula that makes people popular? Is there such a thing?

Recently the thought struck me as I was watching a video of a piano player playing pieces from notable classical composers chronologically. For each period of time, there is a well-known composer you can attribute to when he was active and his work reigned.

Why don’t we have composers as big as Chopin and Vivaldi right now? They were one of a kind, true! But could it be that no one from our modern time has come to produce great compositions? Could it be the vast number of composers is making being famous, let alone being known, a tough job by itself? Were they not appreciated at their times and only gained popularity when they passed away? It’s impossible that great works of arts are non-existent nowadays. So what’s the deal?

The amount of content published and shared on a daily basis whether it’s online or offline is overwhelming. How can one pick the good from the mediocre. Everything looks good now with the polished look and feel that everyone is after, but underneath the surface, which are the ones with valuable content? There lies the confusion

Art is supposed to live and not have an expiry date. The good kind at least. Observing the world around me nowadays, it is ruled by mediocrity. We’re always getting our work half done. We’re finishing our work in the shortest time to get it out there just because we want to have something out there for consumers to devour, throw up or digest. Either ways, it’s getting out and never remembered. With the amount of products being put for consumers to see, it is a tough competition and sometimes it up to the one with the most money and power to receive glory without breaking a sweat or even having content. 

For more than a year now, I have been trying to make it to the food business, whether in cooking or styling and blogging. I am doing it because I love it, and that’s what is keeping it alive after years of very little return but the massive support I get from some people. And that’s what’s important to me to be able to reach people who appreciate good content and inspire people to cook more rather than consume an end product with no soul. I am taking the rough road, I know. I’ll have to deal with it.

I’ll leave you after this rant with a delicious salad mixing different textures and flavors. It has sweet ripe blueberries balanced by the flame of green chilis, subtle tomatoes and cucumbers to counteract the zing of celery. The slight smokiness of the flavored oil opposed by the creaminess and starchiness of the feta and moghrabiyeh. It is a festival of blasting flavors. It is a recipe you’ll surely enjoy!

Thank you @Shantdotme for designing this beautiful recipe box above!