Zenful Kitchen
Recently I was asked why I describe my kitchen as zenful. It is because I am intentional about keeping the feeling here relaxing and filled with calming energy. I love cooking by myself sometimes because it is easy for me to just cook and be present and not be influenced by the energy of others. It reminds me of an experience I had as a teen where I was sitting in a small rowboat in the middle of the lake by myself. I wasn’t rowing or anything. I was just sitting there in my boat, feeling the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the summer breeze. I just was.
That is not to say I don’t like having others in the kitchen with me; I do. However, I have to remember to maintain my peaceful presence in the midst of others so that the kitchen stays calm and relaxing. If I am not the calming presence in the space, things can easily get pulled out of balance by others stress and need to be in control. If I don’t do anything, things can go wrong. So I stay the calm in the storm and restore balance, peace and that zenful feeling.
I remember a scripture in the New Testament where Jesus and the disciples are on a boat in the storm and everyone is panicking but Jesus who is sleeping through it. After they wake him up, he just looks at the storm and says peace, be still. In the kitchen when I stay solid and calm, others do not panic and we are most likely to keep that zenful energy in my kitchen.
There are times that I have those rough waves and storms in my kitchen. Sometimes my friends want to help but get stressed out because of their own lack of confidence over what they are doing. The teacher in me has to remind them to breathe and have fun in the moment. This is how we learn and create amazing memories. In the midst of these moments, we learn how speak to the nervousness and say breathe, I can do this. I have also had people try to boss me around in my kitchen because of their need to be in control. Sometimes, I suggest we work together and collaborate, after all we are not in a competition. Other times, I delegate parts of the meal and act more like the conductor of an orchestra so that we all play together and serve up a meal that comes together in perfect harmony.
There are things which help me stay zenful in the kitchen. One thing is my remembering to take time to meditate and be at peace as I roll in. This is especially true when preparing a feast for company like I am this weekend. I remind myself to enjoy each moment and to infuse love into all that I make. I also envision the whole process so I know the least stressful and most enjoyable way to experience the day. I think about what I am doing and what it symbolizes, like how coring 5 lbs of apples for my apple crisp is an opportunity for me to think about my core values. I think about how the apples will be coated in ingredients which will help with their transformation and add flavor to them as they cook. I think about the vegetables I will be adding to my salad and what each one brings to the party I want people to experience as they eat. I try to remember that people experience love and comfort at the table in different ways. While I love my lasagna, I enjoy soup more (especially this time of year). Thus the menu this weekend will contain soup, salad, lasagna, garlic bread and a bubbling apple crisp with vanilla ice cream and homemade caramel sauce.
What I love doing most in the kitchen is infusing love and zenfulness into everything I make. I want everyone to not only taste the love but experience it. Each meal should be creating a memorable moment, one bite at a time. There is nothing like being at the table with those we love that nobody wants to leave. This is what happens in the zenful kitchen.
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