Mediative Cooking

I like to meditate while I am cooking. I love cooking for special occasions. I love thinking of the person of honor. Whether it is a birthday, a graduation, or a height of summer dinner party, I love meditating on the person or people I am feeding.

We had a Moon Ceremony for my daughter when she was 12 or 13. I made a full Indian Feast. Many women and girls were gathered in the garden under the billowing saris hanging on the clothesline. After the ceremony, we had spinach and paneer, fancy rice, potato and pea samosas, tomato and spinach pakoras, cucumber raita, fresh coconut chutney, mango chutney, sweet rice and rose ice cream. There were also lassi's. My daughter's favorite.

I cooked for two days. As I stirred and chopped, boiled and cooled, I thought of her. Her face kept popping into my vision. I remembered little past deeds, funny ways she said things, dresses she had. It is so lovely to be cooking, and fondly recalling how much you love the person you are cooking for, how they like certain flavors more than others. Trying to remember every favorite preparation they enjoy.

This morning I am making cupcakes for a friend. They are for a baby shower. I like thinking of this unborn babe, feeding his mama a nice sweet treat, hoping his nature will follow the sweetness of the cupcake. The cupcakes are all white. I like white cupcakes. They are pure and simple. White cream cheese frosting flavored with coconut and vanilla and almond flavored cupcakes. Sweet, in more ways than one...

Even evening dinners are more sweet, when I take the time to enjoy the process. I think of my loves and what will nourish them and satisfy them after a long day. Meditative cooking....