Vegetarian "karma yoga" for the home kitchen
Rating:
4 / 5
In this excellent book, Jon and Robin Robertson explore the sacredness of food preparation as taught in many different religions and cultures. They also give you plenty of good vegetarian recipes from around the world. Sprinkled thoroughout their book are quotations, prayers, and meditations from different Paths to help make your cooking experience a more spiritual one. Also included are well-written essays on how such mundane activities as chopping, slicing, and stirring your foods can become a form of meditation when done with focused intention and centeredness.Regarding Jewish content, the book does include Judaism among its lists of quotes, as well as a section on the various foods used in the Passover Seder (pp.112-115). Disappointingly, however, there is no mention at all of the preparations and food rituals connected with Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath.) The Passover Seder is performed only twice a year (first and second evenings of Passover) but the Sabbath happens once a week -- 52 times a year -- and is on a higher spiritual level than Passover in the cycle of Jewish life. For an observant Jew, the Sabbath is the focus of the entire week, to the point that, if we find an especially nice fruit or vegetable, such as one that is just coming into season or difficult to obtain, we save it to serve in honor of the Sabbath. This makes the Sabbath a central part of food consciousness when we go shopping during the week. The authors here do mention the Jewish "hamotzi" blessing over bread (p.42) but seems to have no idea that the most common time to say this would be over the two specially-braided loaves of bread (challah) served at each of the three sacred meals on the Sabbath. To be fair, the Robertsons are not the only writers to make this mistake -- other eclectic books of this type overlook the Sabbath also. I find myself wondering if this might not be the subconscious result of negative attitudes about the Sabbath in the Western gentile/Christian world (the Robertsons are not Jewish.) At any rate, they missed a major area of Jewish food symbolism here. There is also a serious blooper on pp. 102-103 which states that "Moslems fast during the day and Jews fast in the evening." This is wrong. Most Jewish fasts, both public fasts and those for private vows, are from sunrise to sunset, exactly the same as the Muslim fasts. The only time Jews ever fast in the evening are on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Tisha B'Av (mourning for the Destruction of the Temple), both of which are 24-hour fasts that do begin at sundown. Jewish DAYS always begin at sundown (I'm not sure if Muslims are the same, or if they begin at sunrise) but our FASTS generally do not. Somehow, the Robertsons got this mixed up. For this blooper and the omission of the Sabbath above, I am docking the book a star, but it is still an excellent resource and well worth buying.
The Sacred Kitchen
Rating:
5 / 5
Robin Robertson is a former restaurant chef, caterer, and cooking teacher who now writes cookbooks and food-related articles. Jon Robertson has spent more than twenty-five years researching spiritual growth, worked as writer and photographer, and taught at the college level. They've combined their skills and knowledge to produce The Sacred Kitchen: Higher Consciousness Cooking for Health and Wholeness, a "practical guidebook meant to inspire family and friends alike to once again pull together for their physical, mental, and spiritual nourishment, particularly at mealtimes."
Many people lead very stress-filled lives, and preparing a meal is often just one more thing that has to somehow be fitted into an already overcrowded schedule. The Robertson's emphasis is on turning the kitchen into an oasis of peace and tranquility, where meal preparation is a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. They say that "in sacred texts from all over the world, we learned about the secret energies of food and the hidden meaning behind the act of cooking itself."
All cooks transfer some of their energy to the food they prepare. A meal cooked with love in a stress-free kitchen has significant healing effects on those eating it. The Robertsons emphasize the importance of "mindfulness" in food preparation. Mindfulness is focusing on what you're doing as you're doing it, rather than thinking about something else. Mindfulness relaxes and energizes those who practice it.
Each chapter includes one or more recipes based on the information in that chapter. Additionally, one chapter is devoted to general information about specific foods, such as grains, followed by a collection of recipes. They also include time-saving tips and strategies with the thought that "just because you have a sacred kitchen doesn't mean you have to spend all day there!" There's also a section on menu-planning, with sample menus.
One appendix provides a listing of suggested pantry items to keep on hand; and a second appendix lists resources.
The Robertsons say "we believe that when you transform cooking from mechanical drudgery into a celebration of life, you can have a tangible healing effect on your health and the well-being of those who eat your cooking." Readers will find that Sacred Kitchen provides everything they need to know to transform their own cooking from drudgery to celebration. Most people will find buying several copies advisable--one for themselves, and extras for their friends and relatives.
All Kitchens should be Sacred
Rating:
5 / 5
This book opened my eyes and my mind to what can truly be achieved through cooking. I have never really been one for cookbooks - but this is much more than that. This book contains not only recipes for the stomach, but recipes for the spirit as well. The sidebar quotes are inspirational - and I have now learned how to turn my eating space into a "Centered Dining Experience." Thank you Jon and Robin for opening my eyes and my mind to experiences and wonderful tastes that I never would have imagined. I am looking forward to more "Sacred" books. This book should be featured on Oprah.
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