Haile Thomas is a culinary contributor to In The Know. Follow her on her Instagram and visit her website to find out more about her.
Many of us associate February with the theme of love. Not just 14 days, but a month. The great thing about love is that it comes in all kinds of packages, from the relationships we hold close to our hearts to the way we care for our communities.
It is important to remember that our love is felt within others, shared with others, and always accessible. For example, one of the universal expressions of love is found (and experienced) in breakfast, lunch, supper, and desserts. Collecting and sharing our diet, the ingredients we choose, the style of preparation, the celebration of our culture, and what we make is all a manifestation of love. Food is communal and very personal. Our identity, affinity, happiness, and relationship with the body often begin at the dinner table. Nutrition is where we really start.
Simply put, food is love. It is a life-sustaining force that is unconditionally provided by our planet and sustains the experience of our lives. It is an important thread that connects us to the past, present and future of mankind. This foundation of love allows us to spend time in the kitchen and table on the practice of selected intent and care. To relieve stress, you can listen to the sensations and the delicious joy of cooking while showing the TLC to your body.
Providing this love to ourselves in my own journey can be deeply healing, changing the way we experience and interact with our world, both inside and outside of us. I found that. The story of narcissism can sometimes feel cliché, but I like to see it this way: narcissism simply exists. It pays attention to what your body, mind, and soul may need at any time, and respects its feedback by taking deliberate actions. Self-love is there and mindfulness is an incredible way to respect it.
Since February of this year, as I’ve been looking for ways to take advantage of self-love, I’ve been drawn to food and the space that connects us to them. Of course, our kitchen is basic! And there is a great opportunity to make the cooking time in them more peaceful, rejuvenate and nourish for our body, mind and soul.
If you want to transform your kitchen experience into something specially loving and compassionate, here are some careful cooking methods to try the next time you eat.
comfortable
Setting the mood for a relaxing kitchen session begins with how you feel! In most cases, there are many casual dishes, so it can be difficult to make your time in the kitchen feel special. Depending on your living conditions, it may be helpful to carve out the moments of your day to cook uninterrupted. Create your own “date” and schedule it on your calendar. This helps to set boundaries with yourself and others, allowing you to completely immerse yourself in a careful cooking session. But keep in mind that you can cook carefully if you don’t have a special occasion or if you don’t set aside for hours. If we allow us to be completely there, we can simmer in peace and presence at any moment.
If desired, you can also wear textures and colors that bring comfort and joy. The way you feel in your body as you move around the kitchen (and out into the world) greatly affects your ability to express yourself and feel comfortable in your quest. The soft texture may bring comfort to us, but others enjoy more flowing and flexible materials. Especially open-minded colors include green and pink because of the qualities that can help access compassion, gratitude, grounding, and feelings of love.
Set the space
A great way to turn our kitchen into a fertile space for self-love is through the atmosphere. Pick up a candle or light an incense (the scents of pine, eucalyptus, lavender, roses, etc. are great for boosting your mind’s energy!) And the scent will soothe you. Feel free to turn on your favorite music based on the experience you want to receive. Want to sing, dance and go back in time together? Or you may want to be healed purely by an instrument or a natural soundscape.
Recipe intent
You can plan what you want to make in advance, but there is something nice about making a dish that fits what our body needs at the moment. Do you have the taste you want? Do you have any nostalgia that you want to recreate and remind yourself of your childhood favorites? Maybe there is a new dish you wanted to explore? Are there any ingredients that are attractive for nutritional support? The concept of “intuitive diet” is based on these very questions. It’s all about getting in sync with your body and preparing a meal informed by the feedback you receive! In this process, we can also compassionately give ourselves a gift, indicating that we have experienced kind food and a liberation of judgment.
Preparing for presence
When you’re ready to start cooking, take the time to take each step. As a Studio Ghibli fan, I love how Hayao Miyazaki’s films capture the vibrant and romance of cooking. The large frothy stew, sautéed brilliant flames, and depictions of sizzling or brilliant fresh ingredients bring me deep-seated comfort. Since I cook my own meals, I do my best to slow down the cooking process and make it romantic by really paying attention to all the delicious details. Pay close attention to each step. Feel the texture of the material and notice its shape, ridges and curves. Note that the smell is awake when you cook, when you remove herbs from those stems, or when the steam swelling pillows rise into the air. Focus on the refreshing sound as you chop, peel, crush, pour, and stir. IRL ASMR, who?
Meals to engage
After carefully preparing your meal, enjoy it with the same intentions. Often, our meal times are treated as a temporary part of our daily lives. We are in a hurry to eat, just trying to do the following or distractingly eating. However, zooming in on our diet and zoning them is not the greatest for our digestive system and can separate us from the signals of hunger and satiety. But like a prayer before a meal, we can welcome a small but powerful presence, gratitude, and a moment of peace while eating.
You can set the space again before eating. Bring the candles from the kitchen or play some soothing music. Turn off your device or set it aside so you can focus on your food. Take some time and observe your meal in front of you. Smell the scent and take a few deep breaths before digging. This is the perfect time to thank the Earth and everyone who has made your diet possible as you wish. And don’t forget to thank you for taking the time to cook lovingly! Breathe deeply while chewing and notice how the taste evolves vividly while eating. Stew the sweetness of the moment.
If you want to perform these exercises in a simple dish, check out my recipe below, watermelon radish toast with orange maple cream. Fresh, seasonal, vibrant citrus pop and sweet! This very simple recipe features antioxidant-rich, heart-healthy radishes and citrus fruits, as well as stress-relieving herbs such as basil and thyme.
As a bonus, I’ve added a little affectionate mealtime affirmation that you can recite when you take your first bite (and more!).
Orange maple cream and watermelon radish toast
material:
- 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 tbsp + 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoon orange
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- Two thick slices of sourdough bread (I used gluten-free!)
- 1 medium-sized watermelon radish, sliced (6 required)
- 1 basil leaf, thinly shredded
- 1 twig thyme, remove leaves from stem
- Taste with flake-like salt (like Maldon) and pepper
Method:
In a small bowl, mix vegan cream cheese and 1/2 tablespoon of pure maple syrup. When mixing, pay attention to how the maple swirls around the cream cheese each time you stir, and mix until smooth. Zest a small orange and squeeze a tablespoon of juice. In the meantime, take a deep breath and take in the bright, awakened scent of citrus. Mix the zest and orange juice in the cream cheese mixture until well mixed. Save it.
Toast a slice of bread the way you like (I used a toaster!). While the bread is baking, slice the watermelon radish into about 6 slices. Observe its unique shape before cutting into the radish. Slice it carefully and witness its colorful radial pattern. Save it. Finally, grab your herbs. Gently roll the basil leaves and cut them vertically into small julienne pieces. Take a short breath here and sink in the refreshing, sweet scent of basil. Then remove the leaves from the twigs of thyme and soak in a soothing, savory scent. Set the herbs aside.
Once the bread slices have been toasted to your liking, spread the orange maple cream evenly over each portion. Place 3 slices of watermelon radish on each part of the bread and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of maple syrup on the toast. Sprinkle basil sliver and thyme leaves on top of each toast and sprinkle with salt and pepper on top. Admire your masterpiece before taking the first bite!
Take a short breath here and stop by at that moment. At this time, thank you and repeat the following affirmations loudly or in your head. “I’m worth nutrition and care. I have love for this food.” Say this as many times as you need. Dig into it and have fun!
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