Did You Ever Love Me? by Rithvik Singh is a tender contemporary poetry collection about love, heartbreak, longing, self worth and learning to let go. Its greatest strength is emotional accessibility: Singh writes directly to readers who feel intensely and care deeply. The collection offers comfort without pretending heartbreak is simple, though its simplicity may occasionally feel familiar to seasoned poetry readers. Did you Ever Love Me? Have you ever loved someone so completely that, after they left, you were left wondering whether they had ever understood what they had been given? Not merely whether they loved you, but whether they ever noticed how much you loved them, how much patience you offered, how many small things you remembered, or how often you chose to stay when leaving might have been easier. There is a particular loneliness in that question because it rarely arrives at a dramatic moment. More often, it finds you while you are doing something completely ordinary. Yo...
American bean soup
Prep: 20 minutes, plus overnight soaking time for the beans
Cook: about 1 ½ hours
Makes: about 8 ¼ cups or first-course servings
450g dry white beans (cannelloni, haricot or similar); 2tbsp olive oil;
1 medium onion, chopped; 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped;
1 medium celery stalk, chopped;
2garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock;
170g chunk ham (or chicken ham), cut into ½ -inch pieces (about 1 cup);
1 chicken stock cube (if using chicken ham); 1tsp jeera (cumin) powder; 1tsp paprika; salt to taste;
¼ tsp ground black pepper; 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped;
1 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, chopped;
2tbsp fresh lemon juice
Rinse beans under cold running water; pick out and discard stones and shrivelled beans. Place in a bowl with enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Cover and let beans stand at room temperature overnight. Drain and rinse.
In 4-littre saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 8-10 minutes or until onion is tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, celery and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring .
Add stock and beans (and stock cube, if using) to saucepan in which vegetables are simmering; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes, or until beans are tender. Stir in ham, jeera, paprika, salt, pepper. Cover and cook 15 minutes.
Top serve, lable soup into 8 bowls; top with tomatoes, parsley and lemon juice.
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