Changing Lives through Dancing by David Woodbury
Arthur Murray Dance Studio Santa Monica
Many years ago, I had a wonderful cooking coach. She was also a very talented ballroom dancer. She spoke 7 languages fluently and she was an amazing cook. She was born in Cairo, and as her family moved throughout Europe, she learned and spoke the languages of each of the countries where she lived.
As she coached me in cooking, she trained me in French. My French was so good in those days and I was always ready for my visits to Paris visiting my oldest sister, who always spoke French with me.
I’ll never forget something my cooking coach said one night as we were serving a dinner in my home to some friends who were also accomplished cooks. As we were preparing, she became quiet for a while and said to me “You are a natural cook!”. I will always remember that time stopped for me in that moment. No one had ever said to me that I was a natural in anything in my life.
Her comment changed my life and made me a confident cook for these many years. My confidence soared and I learned to listen to that “still small voice” in the kitchen to just know how to prepare the dishes perfectly and make everything delicious.
Even now, in my life as a ballroom dancer, when I meet someone talented in dancing, I will always say to them “You are a gifted dancer” in the hope that it will profoundly bless them as well.
One night as I was preparing for one of our dinners, I made an Asian stir-fry meal. It called for cayenne pepper. I was new to that spice. The recipe called for a “pinch” of cayenne. I looked at that pinch in my hand and it looked just like paprika to me, so I added enough so it was a quarter size of cayenne.
I added the cayenne to the wok and then brushed my hands together. Suddenly I sneezed and rubbed my hands over my face before washing them. My nose started to itch so I rubbed it and then my eyes began to itch so I rubbed both eyes with my cayenne pepper hands.
Then the fun began. The heat took over my lips, my nostrils, and both eyes began to swell up. I could not wash out the burn. In just a few moments, I looked like I was ballooning up. Since two of my guests were registered nurses, they began to wash me and help me with the burning.
We tasted the food in the wok, and we had to change the recipe to take the heat out of it. It took some doing to remake it so that we could eat it.
The meal turned out to be delicious and we laughed the whole night as my face was still red. I remember how I looked, felt, and how much we laughed at my mistake.
I still use cayenne pepper in my cooking, yet I always remember that ill-fated dinner where I quadrupled my additions of cayenne pepper and I always use just a small pinch!
I love the spice of life, but that took it to the limit.
The moral of this story: keep your life spicy, just use the spices in moderation in all areas of life.
My dad always said, “Live a balanced life”. I’m still trying to figure that out.
Don’t get me started on the night I first used jalapeño peppers and I cut them by hand and did not have gloves on, and yes, you won’t believe it, I rubbed my eyes and nose and mouth again. Oh boy!
Now, I have learned, by the trials of fire, how to use hot spices and peppers correctly.
To all my cooks reading this, I know you understand. I just had to learn those valuable lessons early in my cooking days.
Today’s spices: laughter, friendship, loyalty, listening, empathy, caring, the delay of anger, understanding, patience, kindness, hope, faith and love. Yes, these spices are always in my pantry, these spices never get old or stale.
Hey, got any cayenne or jalapeños?
Thank you for reading and Keep on Dancing!
“Dance & Thrive in ‘25”
David Woodbury