LOVE and a PINEAPPLE- ORANGE- COCONUT SMOOTHIE

In her novel “Love,” Toni Morrison explores the different facets of love, its proximity to hate, and its destructive effects on the psyche when it is missing from one’s life, especially the life of a child. She examines the different varieties of love: self-love, romantic love, parental love, platonic love, and love that is sadomasochistic or perverted; if it's sadomasochistic or perverted it's not actual love is it? But it can mistakenly be referred to as such.  

The novel, written with exceptional artistry both in style and content is a book one needs to read at least twice in order to fully understand its meaning.  

"Love" is set in the fictional town of Silk, located somewhere on the Southern East Coast. According to the plot, the town was once famous for Cosey’s Hotel and Resort, “the best and best-known vacation spot for coloured folk” on the Southern East Coast. The resort was built during the depression by the larger than life Bill Cosey, and it thrived because it offered prosperous black clients a place to vacation in style without fear of discrimination. Following integration, the resort began to lose business. Bill Cosey died, and eventually, the resort closed. 

What remains of the Coseys is the large house that Bill Cosey had built for his family. This family includes his daughter-in-law May, who dies deranged, his granddaughter Christine who was sent away and stayed away until she returned penniless, and his second wife Heed, whom Cossey married when she was eleven years old.  Looking over everyone is the spirit of L, the former cook of the Coseys, who provides the novel's commentary. L is the philosopher and moral centre of the novel. 

The action takes place in the 1990’s, but the characters reminisce of time spent in the presence of Bill Cosey, and we see how he influenced their lives and how he continues to be an influence even some 20 years after his death. We also see how close the distance between love and hate can be. Christine and Heed, who had been loving childhood friends, had a wedge driven between them by the adults around them when Bill Cosey decided to take Heed as his wife. Their relationship turns to one of hate, and it is not until a newcomer, a girl named Junior Viviane enters their lives, that events occur which melt their hate instantly, and they realize how strong the love each has for the other still is. This knowledge comes late, after their lives have been wasted from lack of nurturing and love.   

In contrast, Romen, a teenage character in the novel, has in his life the guidance and love of an intact family. The guidance he receives moulds his character in such a way that he acts heroically when a difficult opportunity presents itself.  

The character of Vida is Romen's grandmother. She likes pineapple and in her honour, I decided to make a pineapple smoothie. In this way, I am contributing to Novel Food, the literary/culinary event hosted by Simona from Briciole.  Read something, cook something inspired by the work, and then write a post about it. That’s Novel Food! HOW I MAKE A PINEAPPLE "LOVE" SMOOTHIE: Ingredients: 2 cups fresh pineapple cut into chunks 2 oranges, peeled, broken up into segments, seeds removed 1 banana, peeled, cut into chunks ½ cup Greek yoghurt 1 cup coconut milk 2 teaspoons shredded coconut Directions: Add all the ingredients except the shredded coconut into a blender.  Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and sprinkle the top with shredded coconut. IT'S REFRESHING!!!  And it's smooth as silk, which reminds me of Silk, the fictional town in which the novel "Love" is set.