Nona’s Kitchen

Nona’s Kitchen

Growing up primarily Jewish
we called my grandmother Bubby
When I moved down south,
my black grandmothers and I
were Memaw.
My Italian friends would bring me home
to meet their Nona.
I remember the first time I referred to my friends Nona
as her grandmother.
She stared at me and said no this is my Nona.
Nona is more then a name,
or a role,
it's a position of honor.
It's about how she gave birth to this family
and has been pivotal in the unfolding of its life.
There is something about the Nonas I have met.
They are loving,
giving,
supportive,
and firm all at the same time.
They are the only ones who when I was a size 16
told me I was too skinny
and needed some meat on my bones – mangia.
Every Sunday is a family gathering
and the women all gather in the kitchen.
This is where all the magic happens
Nona and the women are always cooking
and Nona always wants you to eat.
What we made varied from week to week
but there was also an extra bowl
of Sunday gravy.
Sauce was made during the week,
gravy was reserved for Sunday
and taught me the importance
and transformative power of a good gravy.
You don’t just throw a gravy together,
you take the tough cuts and they cook all day
and then they fall apart
and they melt in your mouth.
Gravy, she would tell me,
is like life.
It takes the toughest part of you
and makes you tender.  

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The Zenful Kitchen

The Zenful Kitchen

Recently I was asked why I call my blog and space the Zenful Kitchen. That is an easy question to answer. Zenful is probably one of those terms that most people recognize as relaxing and calming. It is that very definition that inspired me to name my kitchen that way.

One reason for doing so is the recognition that the emotions I am feeling when I cook have an affect on my food and how it comes out. When I am relaxed and calm, my food comes out amazing, regardless of what I cook. When I am stressed and distracted, something always goes wrong. A friend of mine once shared the story about his signature dish, which people normally request him make if they are coming over. One night he was frazzled and really not ready for company and his signature dish came out horribly. When asked what he had done different, he said he forgot to take time to meditate and relax. I have had my own share of incidents when I have not taken the time to calm down and relax.

The worst has been when I have tried to calm down and relax while I am cooking. This is  not the best time to meditate or relax.  The few times I have done so, my perfectly golden brown grilled cheese sandwiches have been a few shades too dark. I know there have been other dishes ruined, but that is my most recent memory. So reminding myself daily this is a zenful place causes me to take time before I begin to bake and cook. There are days I forget, but most times I remember to sit for a moment and relax and fill myself with love, light and positive energy.

I try to infuse our table with those energies as well. One of our house rules is tht we come to the table with positive feelings. We have both noticed that how we are feeling can not only effect how what I made tastes but how we taste it. There have been times I have eaten leftovers, which the night before tasted amazing. However, because something was bothering me, it did not taste as it did the night before.

Staying a zenful space does not just affect how food is prepared but how it is received. One of the final reasons for maintaining this loving and balanced space is that it is a reminder that the food cooked, prepared, served and received is a gift from the Ultimate, or however you refer to your Higher Power. What we have is a gift from the Ultimate. Recognizing it and all those who gave so that we might be nurtured is important. Seeing the ingredients as gifts contributes to the energy and the zenfulness of our kitchen.

Should you ever come to dine with us, we pray you will come with the love and positive energy we bring so we may all give thanks and experience the goodness and blessings of all on the table and in our zenful kitchen.

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Do you love your beer?

Do you love your beer?

Are you a lover of beer?  All of my friends who love beer have different ones they just love.  Personally mine, when I have a beer, is usually Pacifico, Modelo or Corona.  When I lived in Canada it was an Ice beer (can’t remember the Brand). What is it about beer that people love? For one thing, it is refreshing.  Most love nothing more then sipping on a cold, fizzy beer, especially on a hot day. The light bright flavors along with bubbling carbonation and cold temperatures and make the perfect way to cool down.

Some people love beer because they think it tastes good. As I once read there is a beer flavor for everyone.  I had a blueberry beer once at a local microbrewery and a friend of mine had a champagne beer once. My guess is that there is a beer somewhere for everyone but not everyone is going to love the same beer.

Another friend of mine says he drinks beer because it makes him feel good.  Of course it does, it is another form of alcohol and like any form will give you a slight buzz, not as much as other beverages, well alcoholic ones, but still a little buzz. Interestingly, a study from the Indiana Alcohol Research Center found that even without the alcohol, the taste of beer itself causes you to produce more dopamine, so it really does make you feel good.

One of my students told me that beer is like women, there is the perfect looking beer for everyone.  He loves the way beer looks when you pout it in a class. He said he loves just looking at them.  He doesn’t want to drink them all, but he loves looking at them like pieces of art in glasses with varying colors and fluffy heads. He loves looking at them so much, he collects bottles of beer and taps just so he can admire the beauty in his collection.

Another of my students told me that with almost 3000 craft breweries in the US, each making their own beer and in their own way, the options are limitless.  Beer, she told me, is like the world. There is a unique beer for everyone. She told me about a banana bread beer and one flavored with Sriracha sauce. Another student told me of one made with habaneros.  I think I may go back to my Mexican and my local blueberry. LOL

One thing I have come to learn about beer is that it is filled with history and tends to be communal. Regardless of where you are gathering, a beer or two can help even the most introverted of people (ask me how I know) However, beer has never gotten me so drunk I made a fool out of myself. I have done that, but not because of the beer. LOL.

One of the things I remember learning when studying Old Testament in seminary was that beer or mead was consumed ancient farmers.  As I said in the beginning beer is refreshing, especially on a hot day, or when you are toiling in the sun along the Nile River. 

So why do I love beer? Well it is not my go to, but one reason I love it is that it gets my creative juices flowing, perhaps because it relaxes me just enough to let go.  It allows me to travel around the world and be adventurous. 

More than drink beer these days, I cook with it.  I make beer bread for one

Here are a few recipes you might want to try.  Let me know which one is your favorite?

Beer Bread

Cheese Fondue

7 Vegan Recipes made with Beer

If you need anything to make any of these, check out pamperedchef.biz/sharonjacobson

When Sombeody Loves You

When Somebody Loves You

Years ago, I read a quote in Jess S. Scott’s book The Intern, “When somebody loves you, the way they talk about you is different. You feel safe and comfortable.” We all know what it feels like to feel loved. For me it is like being wrapped in a blanket where I feel the warmth, safety and comfort of those who love me. I am blessed to have a small circle of people in my life who keep me humble and do things to make me feel loved every day of my life. I would like to believe I say and do things that make them feel my love for them.  I try to radiate love to all, sometimes from a distance, but with others it is as close and often as possible.

I found myself thinking about this quote again when my friend Angel asked me to write about love and cooking. I thought Scott’s words were true for my cooking. To paraphrase him slightly, “When somebody loves you, the way they cook for you is different. You taste the love and the positive energy.” You may be able to think of a meal or a person whose food you can taste the love in. My friend Laura, who is no longer with us, would always request a tray of lasagna and a tray of orange brownies for her birthday. I would think of her and how much I love her as I made it and I would always be rewarded by that look and the smile and the joy that radiated from her as she slowly savored each and every bite. She would then take the leftovers home and savor them and make them last as long as possible.

I was at a vending event once and a woman told me how she hated chocolate chip  cookies and then she tasted mine. She was floored. She asked me what my secret ingredient is and I very humbly told her love. We are not always conscious of how love and the positive energy we carry with us while we are cooking changes the way we cook and the way the food tastes.

A friend of mine shared a story with me about a time he was cooking dinner for his family. It was a dish he had made hundreds of times. However, this time he was not thinking about his family and how much he loved them. Rather he was thinking about all the things on his to do list and the frustrating day he had experienced at work. As he shared nothing came out right. His mother asked him if he had a bad day. She could taste it in the food.

Last year a coworker and his spouse gave birth to their 2nd child. I thought of how much he means to me and how tired they would be when they came home. So I made some uber simple vegan dishes to greet them when they came home from the hospital. They could taste the love in what I made them. 

It is not about the complexity of what you are making, but the love and attention you pour into whatever you are making. So as you prepare to make your next meal for yourself or others, fill yourself with love and then start cooking.

100% our donations go to support our ability to provide low and no cost offerings to those seeking to grow and evolve spiritually.When Somebody Loves You

Years ago, I read a quote in Jess S. Scott’s book The Intern, “When somebody loves you, the way they talk about you is different. You feel safe and comfortable.” We all know what it feels like to feel loved. For me it is like being wrapped in a blanket where I feel the warmth, safety and comfort of those who love me. I am blessed to have a small circle of people in my life who keep me humble and do things to make me feel loved every day of my life. I would like to believe I say and do things that make them feel my love for them.  I try to radiate love to all, sometimes from a distance, but with others it is as close and often as possible.

I found myself thinking about this quote again when my friend Angel asked me to write about love and cooking. I thought Scott’s words were true for my cooking. To paraphrase him slightly, “When somebody loves you, the way they cook for you is different. You taste the love and the positive energy.” You may be able to think of a meal or a person whose food you can taste the love in. My friend Laura, who is no longer with us, would always request a tray of lasagna and a tray of orange brownies for her birthday. I would think of her and how much I love her as I made it and I would always be rewarded by that look and the smile and the joy that radiated from her as she slowly savored each and every bite. She would then take the leftovers home and savor them and make them last as long as possible.

I was at a vending event once and a woman told me how she hated chocolate chip  cookies and then she tasted mine. She was floored. She asked me what my secret ingredient is and I very humbly told her love. We are not always conscious of how love and the positive energy we carry with us while we are cooking changes the way we cook and the way the food tastes.

A friend of mine shared a story with me about a time he was cooking dinner for his family. It was a dish he had made hundreds of times. However, this time he was not thinking about his family and how much he loved them. Rather he was thinking about all the things on his to do list and the frustrating day he had experienced at work. As he shared nothing came out right. His mother asked him if he had a bad day. She could taste it in the food.

Last year a coworker and his spouse gave birth to their 2nd child. I thought of how much he means to me and how tired they would be when they came home. So I made some uber simple vegan dishes to greet them when they came home from the hospital. They could taste the love in what I made them. 

It is not about the complexity of what you are making, but the love and attention you pour into whatever you are making. So as you prepare to make your next meal for yourself or others, fill yourself with love and then start cooking.

100% our donations go to support our ability to provide low and no cost offerings to those seeking to grow and evolve spiritually.

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Love

Jess S. Scott, in his book The Intern wrote, “When somebody loves you, the way they talk about you is different. You feel safe and comfortable.” I used this quote earlier this week as our thought for the day. We all know what it feels like to feel loved. For me it is like being wrapped in a blanket where I feel the warmth, safety and comfort of those who love me.

I could edit this quote a bit and say “When somebody loves you, the way they cook for you is different. You taste the love and the positive energy.” You may be able to think of a meal or a person whose food you can taste the love in. For my friend Tom, it is my Smac n Cheese. He and his wife drive 90 minutes each way for him to eat this. The look on his face while he is doing so is priceless. He consistently tells me he can taste the love. I am so glad because I do think about how much I love him when I make it for him. My friend Laura, who is no longer with us, would always request a tray of lasagna and a tray of orange brownies for her birthday. I would think of her and how much I love her as I made it and I would always be rewarded by that look and the smile and the joy that radiated from her as she slowly savored each and every bite. She would then take the leftovers home and savor them and make them last as long as possible.

I was at a vending event once and a woman told me how she hated chocolate chip  cookies and then she tasted mine. She was floored. She asked me what my secret ingredient is and I very humbly told her love. We are not always conscious of how love and the positive energy we carry with us while we are cooking changes the way we cook and the way the food tastes.

A friend of mine shared a story with me about a time he was cooking dinner for his family. It was a dish he had made hundreds of times. However, this time he was not thinking about his family and how much he loved them. Rather he was thinking about all the things on his to do list and the frustrating day he had experienced at work. As he shared nothing came out right. His mother asked him if he had a bad day. She could taste it in the food.

It is not about the complexity of what you are making, but the love and attention you pour into whatever you are making. So as you prepare to make your next meal for yourself or others, fill yourself with love and then start cooking.

Donate