
Meanwhile, in Vermont
If I’ve been a little silent over here of late, it’s because I took off for a bit! Right after New Year’s, I left for Vermont, to apply my creativity in a completely different way: cooking. You might know that I am pretty passionate about food. This, however, is different. I am here to cook for a small meditation retreat. It is wonderfully refreshing to be doing something completely different. Volunteering in my community is important to me, and this is my favourite way to do it.

The tricky bit about this one are the restrictions: no meat, no onion or garlic, not even leeks. And no chillies. This style of eating is part of many yogic traditions, and it it how monasteries cook.
For me, this challenge highlights where I hide as a cook. Not being able to use onions, especially in vegetarian cooking, isn’t easy. It means I rely a lot on aromatic vegetables such as celery and fennel, as well as citrus and fresh herbs. I do this same gig often at this time of year, and sometimes I have access to excellent produce, even in winter. This time, sadly, that is not so, which makes it harder still. But once you slow down and start to look and feel and smell, you start discovering all kinds of possibilities: Indian curries with their colourful spices, Moroccan cuisine, African stews, and simple vegetarian Italian or French meals. I am having fun with this, and it is refreshing to apply myself to something completely different for a bit.

The contemplative nature of the space is also a very nice change of pace, of course. And the bonus? I get to cook in an amazing kitchen. I am starting to miss my bench, though, and look forward to coming back soon.

I will be back in the studio February 9th. During my absence, my new employee and apprentice Aryam is manning the fort back in the studio. THAT is a whole other story, which I will tell you about in the next post!
Enjoy. Each experience influences the following one.
Oh so true, Nancy!