au·then·tic/ôˈTHentik/ (thanks to google)  Adjective:                                                  Of undisputed origin; genuine: “authentic 14th-century furniture”.  Made or done in the traditional or original way: “authentic Italian meals”.

I spent some time in the kitchen yesterday.  As much as I love discovering new blogs through this 31 Days challenge and as much as I love writing, my husband was in dire need of a good home cooked meal.  You can only go so far with rice and beans, or sandwiches.

This led me to a new recipe for Bolognese sauce that I wanted to try.  Which in turn lead to an affirmation about me – I like things to be authentic.

While the Bolognese was still simmering on the stove, I could tell it was going to be quite tasty; however, it basically looked like spaghetti sauce, so I wondered what made it specifically a Bolognese sauce.  Like any avid researcher, I googled and this  is what I discovered.  Quite the history, and I read it all.

After reading, I came to the conclusion that what I made is not really an authentic Bolognese.  The sentence that clinched the deal for me:  “Serving spaghetti with Bolognese sauce is actually a sign of mediocrity in the understanding of Italian cuisine.” And then this one: “In the United States, the term ‘Bolognese”‘ is sometimes applied to a tomato-and-ground-beef sauce that bears little resemblance to the ragù served in Bologna.”   I had already decided to use Penne which is on the approved list of pastas, so, I felt somewhat validated.  Thank you very much.

I have decided that I want to discover the most authentic recipe I can find and try again. This one seems pretty close.  In the meantime, the sauce I made was quite tasty and it received Mr Piano’s seal of approval.

You may be wondering how discourse on Bolognese sauce relates to word weaving, commonly referred to as writing.  If you have ever read any books written by writers about writing, then you already know the answer.

Our writing must come from truth.  You’ve heard it before – write about what you know. Be authentic. Just like the sauce was a modified version of the original, if we’re not careful, our writing can become a modified version of the truth.  Whatever genre you write, it has to be authentically yours – your voice, coming from your experiences and grounded in your truth.

If the writing is honest it cannot be separated from the man who wrote it.Tennessee Williams

In grace,

Sadie

Are you following the 31 Days – you can find other participants over at Nesting Place