BREAKING ROUTINE
It is difficult to enjoy the cleansing benefits of cooking for yourself and others when you find that you’ve fallen into a routine. The same dishes, the weekly rotation (pasta, chicken, fish, pizza, occasional exotic salad, and so on through Sunday, then here we go again), makes for the comfort of predictability, but not much else. No matter how well prepared or flavorful the dish, nor now much care goes into the selection of ingredients, the preparation, the setting of the table, predictability can drain the life out of any meal. And with it are lost the gifts of mindfulness and care. We forget why we cook, and for whom.
Of course, relying on our favorites is not always bad. The comfort in knowing the outcome of a process, security in our technique and skill, and the knowledge that we’re about to put something on the table guaranteed to please those we love should not be underestimated. I never avoid the familiar meal, and the pleasure my family shows when tucking into a pork tenderloin or a well-roasted chicken on a autumn Sunday evening brings its own rewards.
But sometimes, we just get stuck, and when we’re stuck in the kitchen, there’s a good chance that we’re blocked somewhere else in our journey, as well. So, busting up the routine in the kitchen a bit can often help jostle the circuits a bit, open up possibilities outside ourselves that we may have lost track of, and get us thinking and feeling and imagining again. A little reclaimed wonder in cooking can help us find wonder again in our world.
Some ideas for shaking out the culinary cobwebs:
–Pick something off the produce shelves that you’ve never tried before. Jicama, ugly and uninviting under its drab outer skin, is a great base for a salad; grilled, it becomes a smoky, sweet delight. Or, try cactus leaves. Peeled diced and combined with a little lime juice, some chopped peppers, a bit of cilantro, make a surprising salsa. Braise some collard greens. Or, blanch some rapini, braise it in a little wine and stock with some garlic cloves, and serve lukewarm with a little good olive oil, some salt and pepper and a healthy squeeze of lemon.
–Build a meal around an unfamiliar condiment. Aioli, that wonderful garlic mayonnaise common in Mediterranean cooking, is simple to make in a blender, and is a great compliment to roast chicken or grilled fish. Or, serve as an accompaniment to some blanched carrots or broccoli flowers.
–Search the back of your spice cabinet for something unusual. There’s probably a jar of Chinese five-spice powder, crying out to be the fuel for a great stir-fry. Or maybe turmeric will get you on the hunt for a new Indian recipe.
–Ask yourself some food questions: When was the last time you made French toast for breakfast? How long has it been since you’ve eaten Lebanese? Has anybody you know been craving something, and been too shy or quiet to ask?
–Set some bread to rise. There’s nothing more centering than the patient wait for a homemade loaf or baguette. And bread making teaches us patience and forbearance like nothing else.
–Find an old recipe, something of your mother’s from your childhood. Reconnect with your past, with memories of family and the hearth. Or, something you made your partner when you first met. Revisit yourself, and say hello.
–Take the afternoon to make soup, stew, or a classic Coq au Vin. Slow down the clock a bit, and attend to simple things.
–other ideas?
Tags: 1st chakra, breaking routine, chakra chefs, chakra cooking, Chicken Andalous, chicken recipes, cooking and health, cooking instruction, Craig Kinzer, foods for the 1st chakra, foods for the chakras, healthy cooking, Julia Child
Trust Your Vibes
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