04/24/2020
FRIDAY, it is; and, to me, Friday spells chill. And, when I think chill, my brain kicks back into first gear, chugging along through rolling sensory valleys of cuisine, art, travel, music, dance, pets.... Yum! morsels and chunks and drippy sauces of creative genius tickling my Zen tonsils, lifting my Zenspirit, feeding my Zenhole - my Zensoul. 'Course, with all things Zen, it's important to pare it down to the basics, the essentials... oooh, just about heard enough of that word in the last 30 days of CoVid 19's birth...
Yeah, so I'll give it a twist. A fun, inspiring, colorful, engaging, spicy twist:
Today's essential pared-down Zensory experience explores Culinary chill. Food Zen, that is. I'm even going to brave it up a notch, or julienne it further still to the bare naked ti***es of essentials and pick a food landscape.... Asia!
There. How chill was that!
We know it feels good to eat. For most of us. But, why?! Why are therapists using cooking to combat , , ADHD, ? Can cooking really heal a , cure insomnia, ? How buzzed really was when she alluded to cooking fueling the creative spirit? Granted, she had an infectious way with her "spirit" :) Do you think it is pure coincidence that the uncertainties of CoVid 19 have birthed a generation of GenCHEF? I mean there's a shortage of masks, but folks, I see a healthy buyer's market for , amidst those !
Let's put a dollop of fact with public opinion.
any reputable journalism for a kazillion articles that tell why making a meal is good for the brain. Titles like , or , , or ... In 2015, the daily meal says cook your way to a smarter you. In 2018, 's "... If you feel at home in the kitchen, planning and preparing nutritious meals... You’re stimulating your brain with the type of workout it needs to remain healthy." My personal favorite was in 2016, when penned
Slicing and dicing and mincing, mixing, stirring, beating, whipping, coddling... Then, strain, pat, knead, shape, bake, grill, sear, glaze.... And, at the end of this laborious workout - amidst the gritty salt covered stovetop, the pseudo-fashionable turmeric manicure, the coconut milk splatter on your now deflowered bamboo chopping block- the air breathes to life as a sweet heady undefined exotic aroma pierces the most refined of your hearing senses, seeping into the deepest crevices of the brain, awakening the olfactory, magically converting a dry palate into a torrid drool station, and turns an otherwise timid tummy into the voice of Mufasa, singing Hakuna Matata!
Ah, the joy! The appreciation from the body and mind and tastebuds, and real buds... from each bite. Hmmm. More. You want more. And, no, you were not working, you were not commuting, you were cooking. And, no, you weren't rejected by your rarely looked at lemongrass or slightly pouty ginger or furry mushrooms. And, no, you didn't have to wait a year or a day for the release of this dream project. Yes, that, perhaps, is the single best feeling ever. You creat, design, direct, improvise, produce, release, have absolute autonomy, come under budget, all in the span of a few hours... and, you are rehired! Just like that. You've been picked up for another meal, another day, another season because your audience can't get enough of your creative kickass genius.
So, today on April 24, 2020, encourages you to change up the scenery - and chill in the kitchen. Whether you're keto or pescatarian. Whether your turn on is a turmeric or kale manicure. Whether you retweet or . Turn up the heat because it soothes the mind, the soul, the bod. And, yeah, it is such a chill thing to do.
Me, I'm on Thai today... Dreaming up that perfect Asian marriage of sweet, tangy and burn. I've decided it's not going to be my favorite Korean Octopus stew, I'm not feeling a pull towards Bali's Garang Asam, and I'll keep the sensual Goan Amotik for another Friday. Today, I'm churning out an adaptation of the hot sour staple.... drum roll....
fish soup from Thailand. If only I could insert a video of a cauldron bubbling with said soup, bamboo soup ladles peeking out from behind curled wisps of steam....
Sure, they say it can , help you , keep ... Must be truth to all of it - I mean it's got - and loads of it. And, and lemon... But for me, it's got a checkmark.
Because, when I'm done, I'm going to have one creative project checked off my list today. Love, Live, Smile - just for today. Check.
Resources:
https://slate.com/technology/2015/01/science-of-pleasure-food-and-drink-stimulate-the-brain.html
https://goop.com/wellness/health/could-diet-cure-arthritis/
https://www.thedailymeal.com/cook/cooking-can-improve-brain-function
https://www.amnh.org/explore/science-topics/microbiome-health/fire-cooking-human-evolution
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pgvwem/why-cooking-is-the-best-way-to-practice-zen-buddhism
We’ve all experienced the joy and calm of cooking, but is there really a science behind the mental health benefits of the enjoyable hobby? The answer is yes.
