Never Bake Solo.

May 4, 2017 Sharon Jacobson

One of my Pampered Chef Team members always talks to me about the importance of her Community Group at her church. This group meets weekly and serve as a source of support for each other in good times and challenging times. This group ensures that no member of the group ever has to go through anything alone. They celebrate with each other and work with each other to create solutions or to provide support when going through the challenging times. Never does she have to go through anything feeling unsupported or alone.

My son taught me a similar lesson when he first came into my life. He wanted to bake cookies. I was so busy at the time working on my dissertation that I honestly did not want to stop working. However, my time with Nick was also rare. He both wanted me to bake with him, but also wanted to bake like a big boy and do it himself. So I moved my work near the kitchen so we could be together and I could help him when he needed it, but he could also cook like a big boy. It was his first time ever to bake cookies, something his birth mother had never allowed him to do. Each part of the experience was new and exciting. I remember feeling so grateful to be able to witness his joy, although I remember not looking forward to cleaning up the mess he was making. The best part was when he came to see me and I could see all the places he had touched his face, as there was white flour all over his chocolate skin. It is a moment I will remember forever.

Prayers and Pretzels

April 26, 2017 Sharon Jacobson

Today is National Pretzel Day. I am always amazed at how many foods have their own holidays. Growing up my father loved pretzels, just about any kind, hard or soft, sticks, twisted, large or small. My favorite are the soft ones which are twisted and look like what in my mind is a pretzel. As a child, I would hold them up to my face and think they reminded me of a face. Two holes for the eyes and one for the mouth and the nose was the space where they came together.

As an adult, I was amazed when I learned that the crossing of the pieces was linked back to the ways people used to hold their arms when they were praying, crossed. Today we hold our hands together in prayer. However, in the 600’s people crossed their arms in prayer. The three holes were representative of the Holy Trinity (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).[1] Learning this gave me a new perspective on what is one of my favorite treats, the pretzel, especially the soft ones that I love to eat.

Garlic and Gratitude

April 12, 2017 Sharon Jacobson

Years ago, I got in the habit of starting my day by writing down five things I have to be grateful for. Giving thanks is not just a good thing to do, it is an integral part of my spiritual journey and helps me stay grounded, balanced, and working on enriching my life. I know others have suggested writing 5 things in in a journal each evening, but I find it a great way for me to start my day. However at night, sometimes around the dinner table or before we go to bed, my wife and I take a moment to give thanks for one thing the other one did that day that made us feel loved. I am always surprised at the little things that make her feel loved.

Sometimes I am grateful for things I have. However, sometimes I am grateful for situations that did not turn out the way I wanted because they provide me opportunities to learn, grow, and evolve. Each time I step foot in the kitchen, I have to much to be grateful for. This morning I realized how blessed I am to have access to all the Pampered Chef tools and utensils I have acquired since becoming a consultant and the lessons they have taught me.

Peace, Kale, and Potatoes

April 5, 2017 Sharon Jacobson

The other day I was listening to someone near and dear to my heart. I would say we were having a conversation, but really, they just needed me to sit and listen. Sometimes we all need that in our lives. After we hung up, I found myself sitting with sadness about how bitter and hardened their heart was. Somehow that led to me thinking about two vegetable potatoes, because when we bring them home from the store are hardened, and kale which can be bitter if not treated properly. Interestingly when transformed, they can become soft, tender, and nutritious.

Kale can be quite bitter, but massaging it with one’s hands causes it to break down the structure of the kale and causes it to wilt, change color and shrink. You can also add a little olive oil or salt to assist with the process if desired, however, in most cases, a little tender loving care will do. Isn’t that how our hearts can be as well. Sometimes we have allowed life to harden our heart and cause us to become bitter. I remember being part of a meditation group once where we were told to see ourselves opening our chests and taking our hearts out and examining its condition. Was it smooth and soft or were there hardened spots. In those places where our hearts had hardened, we were guided to gently massage our hearts, like the kale, until they had returned to their softened texture and we had transformed them. Then we gently placed our hearts back in our chest and secured them in place allowing ourselves to feel the release of all that which had hardened our hearts. Sometimes, we need to work with our hearts, like we do with kale and gently massage away that which has caused our hearts to harden.

Topsy Turvy Cakeology

March 22, 2017 Sharon Jacobson

Hard to believe it has been almost a year since I have blogged here. For the last year, I have been praying about whether or not to continue with this blog. I had been praying for guidance about whether or not to restart. This past week, I was contacted out of the blue by a food site called Chew the World. They wrote a blog called The Definite Guide to Spaghetti Squash. While doing research on the topic they had run across a blog on Spaghetti Squash Spirituality I wrote over a year ago. We chose to help make each other’s work visible. Even though I was not included in their guide on how to cook it, to have my work recognized and shared by another food blogger inspired me to think about writing about the spiritual lessons from food again.

It was this connection with Chew the World that inspired my writing again this week. Their most recent blog was about How To Make A Topsy Turvy Cake The Easy Way. I am not sure if you have ever seen one of these cakes but they look amazing and like they are so difficult to make as if layer tilts at a different angle. The secret they point out is having the right equipment,

Under Renovations

March 3, 2016 Sharon Jacobson

The Zenful Kitchen is temporarily closed as my personal life undergoes renovations. When we reopen, I will begin blogging here again.

Green Eggs and Ham

February 17, 2016 Sharon Jacobson

It has been a while since I have taken the time to write here. I am not quite sure why, other than I have been busier than ever between school, Pampered Chef, SAJEWord, Inspiritual and family. Honestly, though I think it is just that I have not taken the time to sit and be still and let my imagination flow. Nevertheless, this morning I woke up thinking about green eggs and ham and peanut butter and jelly and bacon and chocolate and other now normal, but once new flavor combinations.

It is hard to remember a time when there was not peanut butter and chocolate, burger and fries, ham and cheese, salt, and caramel, butter and popcorn, spaghetti and meatballs, apple pie and ice cream, raspberry and chocolate, bacon and eggs, pizza and beer, rum and coke, chicken and waffles, chocolate and peppermint, cinnamon and apples, caramel and vanilla ice cream, salmon and cream cheese, chocolate and wine, lime and coconut, and the list goes on. Even as I was typing this list, my wife kept telling me there has always been this and there has always been that. It is hard to imagine these flavor combos not ever being together.

Food Gratitude

November 11, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

While i was doing some research on the Paleo diet, I came across this article on food and gratitude. Since that is our focus this month, I thought I would share it. It is not about the Paleo diet, but really about our attitude towards food and how food is something for us to be grateful for in our lives.

Sure, it’s easy to focus on everything that’s wrong with the modern food system. The corn subsidies that make Coke and Doritos cheaper than tea and apples. The junk food industry that advertises sugar-coated sugar to our kids for breakfast. The research sponsored by food and beverage giants like Pepsi Co. All those things are serious problems. But keep it in perspective: we have plenty to be grateful for.

Spaghetti Squash Spirituality

October 28, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

It has been a while since I have written here, Life has been full and I have had to make decisions about removing some things from my plate periodically. I also hate writing when I have nothing to say and lately. It has not been that I did not have anything to say, but for some reason I had told myself I needed to write about the spiritual practice of the month and not just write.

So this morning as I sat and twirled the spaghetti squash around my fork I found myself thinking about how interconnected everything is and how transformative a vegetable can be. Yesterday what I was eating was a whole squash. Then I cut it in half, scooped out what was not usable, roasted it, and then this solid mass of squash began coming out as spaghetti as I ran my fork through it. It is not so much what I did with it afterwards that intrigued me, but the process of transformation which spoke to me.

A Diet of forgiveness.

September 3, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

The spiritual practice we are focusing on this month is forgiveness. As I began to pray about this, I wondered how I was going to talk about forgiveness and food. It was during our Living the Five Agreements group when I realized that what had helped me stop overeating and eating compulsively was when I began forgiving myself and others.

I, like so many others, have tried just about every diet imaginable. For the longest time I thought about dieting as it related to food and how much I ate. When I thought about forgiveness, I thought about other people. I had never thought about forgiveness and food. In my mind, forgiveness was what I ate, not what I had a relationship with.

The Whole Salmon Story

August 27, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

Have you ever seen a commercial that just sticks with you because it is making a message that transcends the product it is selling, or attempting to sell to consumers? I have a few, but one of them for me is a commercial for Wolf stoves, a top of the line appliance company. Years ago, I saw this commercial, where this “spirit,” was watching a woman prepare an ambitious meal in her apparently new Wolf stove. He was trying to place doubts in her mind that she could prepare what they wanted one to believe was a challenging dish to prepare. Eventually, her faith in herself and her confidence in her abilities caused him to leave and she continued on with the preparation of her meal.

Just Eating?

August 20, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

Just eating? This morning I was looking for inspiration for my blog. I was having a hard time thinking about faith and cooking. Then I stumbled upon this simple question which was the framework for a whole program on practicing faith in our eating, and eating is one of those things that I sometimes forget to think about when writing this blog. Just eating? While this phrase could mean only eating, the word, just, also means “being honorable and fair in one’s dealings.” Eating is something we can do with minimal to no thought or reflection or it can become an opportunity to practice our faith and our beliefs about justice. Eating is also a space in which we can be mindful of what we are doing and who we are with.

Cooking with Faith

August 12, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

I know it has been a while since I have written here, but this morning seemed like a good time because what I have been reminded of recently was that I need to have faith in my senses and gifts when I am cooking. Cooking is all about having faith in one’s self and one’s abilities.

It all started with a simple zucchini. I was sautéing some shredded zucchini to cook off the water in it. As it was cooking, I began seasoning it for inclusion in what I thought would become a recipe I was going to make. However, watching this broth develop from the juices being released from the zucchini inspired me to try making this into a zucchini soup. I had to have faith in my inspiration, my taste buds, my vision, and my abilities. It was so good that I wound up drinking the whole pot of “soup” and I know I will make it this morning.

Lacking Enthusiasm

July 8, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

This morning I was seeking inspiration and came across this blog about dogs who are not enthusiastic eaters. I had to laugh because the only time I had known a dog who did not eat with enthusiasm was when they were sick. However, as I read this piece I realized that a lot of her advice had to do with people as well personally and spiritually. So today, I am trying something a bit different and my responses to her are in italics.

Most dogs are eager eaters. You’d be hard-pressed to find a dog that actually knows how to chew.

However, there are some dogs who don’t eat well. Some are finicky about what foods they eat while others are just less than enthusiastic about the whole experience. There are temporary circumstances when your dog’s appetite may suffer and that includes vaccinations, illnesses, changes in the household, changes in his normal routine or travel. But these are usually short lived decreases in his appetite that will return to normal without much delay.

Bring It~

July 1, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

When you look at this image and this quote, they both provide the same advice. Whatever you are doing in life, bring it! Bring enthusiasm, bring your soul, and bring your passion to the dish or to whatever you do. A recipe is nothing more than a recipe. It is what you bring to it, how you prepare, and the love you infuse into it that brings it to life.

Eating One Raisin

June 24, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

Everything in life is an opportunity to practice devotion. When we remember that everything we do from the way we worship to the way we eat has the potential to be an act of devotion, then we have the potential to practice living a life of devotion. Recently, I found an exercise about eating one raisin which reminded me to think about all that I eat and drink in the same way. How differently would I eat and drink if I went through a process of honoring and appreciating every little thing about that which sustains me. So this morning, I thought I would share this devotional approach to eating with you. I encourage each of us to do this with at least one food item each day. It doesn’t have to be a raisin, but we could begin there. This morning, I am going to start with broccoli as it is what I am having for breakfast.

What is your signature dish?

June 17, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

What is your signature dish? That is the question Bobby Flay asks each contestant who has come to challenge him to a throwdown. The question really inspired me this morning. A signature dish is a recipe that is like a chef’s fingerprints. It becomes one of those dishes that one could eat in a blind test taste and know who cooked the meal. I have seen it compared to how an artist has his or her own unique style or a writer who has his or her own voice. The dish itself does not need to be unique, but the manner in which it is prepared is. Whatever the dish is, most chefs talk about how they have been working on perfecting their signature dish for years, sometimes decades.

In an issue of Food & Wine magazine, they identified the signature dishes of 10 world-renowned chefs. Wolfgang Puck’s was Pork Schnitzel, Thomas Keller’s was Smoked Salmon Crisps, Daniel Boulud's was Chilled Spring Pea Soup, Mario Batali's was Bucatini all'Amatriciana, Rick Bayless's was Carne Asada with Black Beans, José Andrés's was Paella with Shrimp and Squid, Gale Gand's was Lemon Meringue Pie , John Besh's was August Chopped Salad, Tom Colicchio's was Braised Short Ribs, and Nobu Matsuhisa's was Black Cod with Miso.[1] Each of these chefs had spent years devoted to perfecting this one dish.

It is all about the devotion

June 3, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

The last few days I have been thinking about how many times I have heard or read stories about how people have devoted their lives to perfecting their craft. In reading the stories of now renowned chefs, I have heard their reflections on how those who mentored them would have them devote blocks of time to preparing a single vegetable. For example, months spend learning how to properly clean an artichoke. People who are renowned for what they do in life, are so because they have devoted their life to perfecting their craft. In the process of trying to find some examples to share about the importance of devotion to the process of cooking, and in reality anything in our lives, I came upon this article about Jiro Ono. This story about him and his devotion is inspiring and carries valuable lessons for each of us, encouraging each of us to become devoted to being the best we can be with the talents we have been given, regardless of what we do.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a documentary on the life and craft of the great 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono who owns a tiny 10-seat shop in Tokyo that has the highest Michelin Guide rating of three stars.

To get a seat you must make a reservation months in advance. The courses are carefully planned and the creation and serving of the meal is a multi-course symphony of sushi that some guests have even described as “stressful” yet an experience like no other. Jiro himself serves each course to his guests and carefully examines their faces as they taste his elegant works of edible art. What follows is the wisdom distilled from the great sushi chef on how to master your craft.

1. Learn from the best. Sometimes you must learn to fail before you learn to succeed.

Yamamoto, a renowned Japanese food writer, says: “When you work for Jiro, he teaches you for free. But, you have to endure ten years of training. If you persevere for ten years you will acquire the skills to be recognized as a first-rate chef.”

In Jiro’s restaurant, many apprentices do not make it to the next level. Yet there are those who persevere. For example, one of the apprentice sushi chefs tried over 400 times to make egg sushi that met Jiro’s standards of being worthy to be served. When he finally received Jiro’s approval, he was overwhelmed with joy and cried.

Take away lesson: Only when you understand what it feels like to fail and try again will you be able to cherish the moment when you achieve success.

Cohesive Connections

May 13, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

One of the comments I hear from the judges on Chopped most often is that individually, the components on a dish taste good, but it was not a cohesive dish. The various ingredients did not come together a unified whole. I feel that way a lot. My wife, for example, likes simplistic meals, like a “fried” chicken breast, a baked potato, and a salad. She is thrilled, but for me that is not a cohesive dish because there is nothing that weaves it together.

When I was pastoring, it was important for the service to be cohesive. Everything from the artwork on the front of the bulletin, to the music, the scripture, and the sermon needed to weave together so that everything worked together and wove together in a seamless manner. Doing so required time to plan my way through the process.

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