Good Eats and Togetherness

For all of you out there that normally don’t have a hand in preparing what you eat, there is something truly special about making your own food and sharing the meal with others. Being presented with a beautiful meal is in itself an occasion, but there is something about being able to nurture someone else with your own creation that is really powerful.

For about 3 months, I was traveling around the US with two great amazing chicas, Lisa and Rachel. The three of us were a force in the kitchen. Not only did we each have kitchen skills, but three happens to be a magical number in meal preparation. While two people prepare and cook the meal, one person relaxes. Then we would switch. Each role is valuable and switching is the key to the equilibrium. It’s taking turns giving and receiving that makes this arrangement work.

I’ve been in other arrangements where I have been the only cook, and it wasn’t as fulfilling somehow. Maybe in someway I didn’t feel taken care of; there was an imbalance. In Ayurveda, they talk about how the consciousness of the cook is absorbed into the food that they are cooking. It’s a large output of energy, so it’s great to experience both sides: putting out your energy, nurturing someone else, and also being nourished... I need to bow my head down to the ground to mothers (hey, or fathers…but really mothers) who are the sole residents of their own kitchens.

Aside from the nurturing aspect, it's a great experience cooking with another person. You look at the ingredients available, which is itself a fun scavenging process. Then, you decide what the menu is and as you cook, each person adds their own special part to the meal. It’s an instant outlet for creativity. I always love too when you get used to cooking with someone and when you are in the kitchen, everything just flows…it’s another form of working meditation.

So, a few days ago, sitting down to a meal with Lisa and Vanessa, I realized how content I felt. Vanessa and I are visiting Rachel and Lisa, who have both moved down to a small surfing town in Costa Rica. Lisa bought shrimp from the seafood truck as it was delivering food to the restaurant next door. She had the great idea to make a shrimp ceviche, which is actually ridiculously easy.

We soaked the shrimp completely covered, which was fresh fresh fresh, in lime juice for about 20 minutes, then added mango, red onion, cilantro, and avocado….Add a little salt at the end. That’s it! We toasted some tortillas and had a beet and carrot salad to finish it out. (We just grated raw beets and carrots, added a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil) It was amazing. It definitely took a little of preparation, but as we all sat down to eat, we all realized that this activity…what we were doing at that moment, sharing a meal that we prepared together, was close to the top of our lists of favorite things to do.

It’s unfortunate that oftentimes, it’s hard to find the time to cook. Since I’ve had time off, thinking about what I’m going to eat has been a major part of my day. It is sad that when we are working, or in school, thinking about what we eat actually takes up such a small part of our day. One of the things that I want to keep in my life is being able to have the time to dedicate to thinking about what I eat. It is so important, and probably the most important thing you can to do keep yourself healthy, besides also exercising.

So, I’ll keep you posted on other incredible meals….. Go make dinner with someone…and have fun!