The ConceptsFood and Love: The Passion of Cooking”Love in its essence is spiritual fire.”

—Emanuel Swedenborg

“One word frees us

of all the weight

and pain of life;

that word is love.”

—Sophocles

“Nothing can heighten the senses like love.”

—Author Unknown

“Those who live

for love

live.”

—Author Unknown

“You have to love either what you are going to eat, or the person you are cooking for. Then you have to give yourself up to cooking. Cuisine is an act of love.

—Alain Chapel, Chef (1937-1990)

“The words I have to say may well be simple but they’re true. Until you give your love there’s nothing more that we can do. Love is the opening door. Love is what we came here for. No one could offer you more. Do you know what I mean? Have your eyes really seen?

Love is the key we must turn, truth the flame we must burn, freedom the lesson we must learn. Do you know what I mean? Have your eyes really seen?

—Elton John, Love Song

Love is the pleasure of food. To experience food is to experience the pleasures of love.

—Unknown

Candles. Incense. Flowers.

These are the Things of Love.

—Unknown

The act of cooking is simple. Given two quality ingredients, stellar cooking may be accomplished by a child. What, then, is difficult about cooking? Perception and sensation are roadblocks to great cooking. Technical knowledge and understanding of the cooking process leave many a hopeful cook baffled for an entire lifetime. Certainly, time must

play a vital role in the process, as it does in all processes. Yet, if there is a secret to be known, a quality to be cherished; if there is an ingredient to be held in the highest regard—it is Love. Without love, cooking as an experience is dull, as an act it is boring, as a craft it is uninspired. The food that results is hurried and flavorless, made for profit, made to turn heads. It is made for any other reason than pleasure and meaning and transcendence—all qualities of pure love. *A head is restaurant lingo for a customer. A table of four people, to a kitchen, is described as four heads.

Combine the Quechan concept ‘Camay’ with the Andean understanding of putting positive energy ‘out there’ without the expectation that it will return, yet with an understanding that the energy is still circulating. Further supplement with Western psychological understanding to ‘perform a behavior and let the feeling come (Value Committed Action and Mood Independent Behavior).

Creating The Dream

Connect idea of Dream change with ‘planting a seed.’Sidebar Quote.Do not believe anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in traditions simply because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. But when, after observation and analysis you find anything that agrees with reason, and is conducive to the benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.

—Buddha, Kalama Sutra

Exposure, Exploration, Enlightenment“Dear Prudence,

Open up your eyes.

Dear Prudence,

See the sunny skies.

The wind is low. The birds will sing that

You are part of everything.

Dear Prudence,

Won’t you come out to play?”

—The Beatles, “Dear Prudence”

“Day by day, minute by minute, it’s how are we livin’?”

—Brett Dennen, Day by Day

“The animal kingdom is protected by the phenomenon of neophobia—the fear of eating what is new.”

—Hervé This, Molecular Gastronomy, page 85

Life could be defined as the exposure to experience, our willingness to expose ourselves to the experience of Life. Each day we walk outside we are exposing ourselves to a unique set of circumstances, and with each passing moment the potential exists to change our lives, to reshape our thinking, to allow us insight into wisdom, and to apply the knowledge we gain.With every passing moment, then, the choices we make determine the quality of our experience. For instance, who we choose to talk to, what

restaurant we choose to eat at, what dish we choose off of the menu—all of these and infinitely more go into determining the memory we take away from an experience. These we will call the variable of exposure.While the variables determine our experience, they are not the experience itself. When viewed holistically we perceive the experience from the perspective of the whole, meaning everything that happened, both within and beyond our awareness. Experience is every conceivable aspect of an infinitly complex situation boiled down to a set of internal memories, feelings, and images.For instance, recall a vivid childhood memory—it may be food related or not, it is your choice.

This is in direct contrast from the modern, what we will call, “Movie Style”With every exposure we gain something—a memory to be cherished, an opportunity to learn a lesson, an idea to be enlightened, a friend to be made. Whatever it may be, this something is undoubtably unique to each experience. our past experiences, and our perception of reality.

Broadening Our Taste“Broadening of tastes or acquiring a taste is a process that is learned; it is a process with both psychological and biochemical composition. The [holistic] process of acquiring a taste is [simple]. On the one hand, it entails overcoming the inertia of established habits, those habits that exclude the potential new food item, seeing it as exotic [and] unfamiliar … This process … involves psychological mechanisms, such as [accepting] the new food item for reasons that may be as much social as nutritional.”

—Terrance McKenna, Food of The Gods, page 170Acquired Tastes“Humans are both attracted and repelled by substances whose tastes skirt the edges of acceptability. Foods that are highly spiced or bitter or aromatic arouse strong reactions from us. We say of such a food that one must “acquire a taste” for it. This is true of foods such as soft cheese or pickled eggs… Repetition of exposure seems to be the key to acquiring a taste … the process is

[simple] and involves both behavioral and biochemical adaptation.”

—Terrance McKenna, Food of The Gods, page 29An essential ingredient in the process of understanding food is exposure. Beginning from as young an age as possible… (the benefit of exposure to food) ”guiding through an exploration of the food both physically and mentally. Depending on the situation, this exploration may include touching, smelling, seeing from various angles, imagining from another perspective, listening, viewing at different times of the day, under different lightings—both natural and artificial—and during different seasons. If possible, plant a seed, tend to the crop, and enjoy the bounty of the harvest. Even if the process is small, such as a backyard garden, the connection to nature, to the food source is invaluable. Throughout the process, repeatedly observe how other living creatures interact with the fruit, vegetable, or protein source (in the case of a fruit or vegetable, from the seedling stage to the fruit-bearing stage to the over-ripe and rotting stage). Understand food is a complex system.

Consider the origin of the food—from the name, region and history to the variety, breed and molecular structure, if so inclined.) If not a naturally occurring fruit, vegetable or meat, discover how the product was created with the hope of understanding the entire process that went into its creation (cheese, with a wide variety of styles and production methods, is a wonderful example).Physically, feel the food or product in question. If need be, remove the product from the container (a jam or jelly, for instance) and rub it between your fingers. Observe the texture. Observe the temperature. Visually, note the foods color, both cooked and uncooked. Compare the color difference between the same variety of fruit or vegetable, as well as between different varieties. Where a color difference is observed between the same vegetable (a dark, forest green garbanzo bean and a light, pale green garbanzo bean) if possible, sample and taste each. Observe the flavor depending on color. Mentally, note both its imagined and actual texture. Begin to imagine foods that may

potentially pair well with the food, drawing inspiration from all perspectives— the foods shape, size, texture, smell, color, temperature, where it came from, and the season it is available during. Our purpose is to saturate the senses from every conceivable perspective. In the process, with Time, we will discover that every object, every experience is fascinating, intricate and complex. We have begun the process to understanding that the label applied to an experience is only a small part of the whole. Working with this understanding, sooner or later, we will become enlightened to the wondrous capacities and infinite possibilities of food as an artistic medium for human emotion … connection to Nature. We are immersed in Nature—everything is Nature—we are Nature.When eating at a restaurant ask for a copy of the menu. Menu items at high-end restaurants generally lack explanation. Most are simply listed with 3-4 ingredients. In our case, and especially at the beginning stages of conceptualizing food, when we have little stored memory of flavor pairings, this provides us with a wonderful opportunity. Imagine and create your own dishes from the pairings (Questionable advice from a creative standpoint—maybe as a ‘stepping stone.’)

…plagued by negative food experiences stemming from childhood, the significance of food is often hidden behind its utility. Put simply, the purpose of food is not found in aesthetic beauty or the capacity for pleasure but in the feeling of fullness, the innate human drive to eat to satisfy the feeling of hunger.

The Magic of Memory Food“[T]thoughtful sensory engagement leads to a store of experiences that allow us to bring more intuition to the cooking process, synthesizing what we’ve done before into innovative approaches to creating a dish.”

—Andrew Dornenburg, The Flavor Bible

“I was banking flavor-memories, developing a set of reference points for the level of depth and complexity that could be achieved in a dish.”

—Heston Blumenthol, The Fat Duck Cookbook, page 34

“Memory provides us with a range of references—flavours, tastes, smells, sights, sounds, emotions—that we draw on continually as we eat.”

—Heston Blumenthol, The Fat Duck Cookbook, page 111-112

The Chef and The Artist“Bring me a chef true to her nature and I will show you an artist, an architect, a designer, an inventor, scientist, sensitive, sage, performer, poet, philosopher, magician, composer, creative, lover and visionary seamlessly rolled into one. Cooking is a creative act of the highest order.”

—Unknown

“Good cooking is an art, as well as a form of intense pleasure … A recipe is only a theme, which an intelligent cook can play each time with a variation.”

—Madame Jehane Benoit, Chef (1904-1987)

“[T]here are different orders of creativity, and merely following a recipe is a creative act of the most basic order.”

—Andrew Dornenburg, The Flavor Bible, Preface VIII

“Gertrude Stein asked the French artist Henri Matisse whether, when eating a tomato, he looked at it the way an artist would. Matisse replied:

“No, when I eat a tomato I look at it the way anyone would. But when I paint a tomato, then I see it differently.”

—Gertrude Stein, Picasso, 1938

Illustration. The Order of Cooks.

Illustration. Open Your EyesIllustration. Figure 3.2, A Whole New Mind, page 50

Cooking and The Creative Process“Time’s the Revelator”

—Gillian Welch, Revelator

“Creativity is a universal human capacity […] it can be applied to anything that can be done innovatively, imaginatively, flexibly, spontaneously.”

—Stephen LaBerge, Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming, pg. 206

“Cooking at its most basic level is a creative act, one of transforming food through the application of heat and the incorporation of other ingredients.

—Andrew Dornenburg, The Favor Bible, Preface viii

“While analyzing his own discoveries, the great nineteenth century German scientist Hermann Helmholtz first described the stages of the creative process: saturation, incubation, and illumination.

In the saturation stage, problem solvers gather information and try different approaches without complete success. These preparations might consist of

reading, talking to experts, observing, recording, photographing, or measuring. The problem solvers then think about the problem—concentrate, meditate, model it in their minds, review the research. […] At the end of this stage, the problem solver says to himself or herself, “Okay, I’ve studied the problem. I’ve thought about it. I’ve looked at it. Now, what’s the answer?

The next stage is to do nothing. Incubation begins when a problem solver gives up actively trying to solve the problem, handing it over to the realm of the unconscious. Many creative dreamers in the historical literature have decided at this point to take a nap. Other problem solvers have incubated their solutions while taking a drive or a long walk. … The incubation phase will then give birth to illumination: ‘Eureka!’—the sudden arrival of the solution. This is the time of the switching on of the proverbial light bulb.”

—Stephen LaBerge, Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming, page 206-207

The Thought-ExperimentVisualizationAdapt, improve, reshape, reinvent

L-Mode, R-Mode, and the Cognitive Shift “[T]eachers have three main tasks: first, to train both hemispheres—not only the verbal, symbolic, logical left hemisphere, which has always been trained in traditional [Western] education, but also the spatial, relational, holistic right hemisphere, which is largely neglected in today’s schools; second, to train students to use the cognitive style suited to the task at hand; and third, to train students to be able to bring both styles—both hemispheres—to bear on a problem in an integrated manner.

—Betty Edwards, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, page 269

“[P]rovide conditions that facilitate making cognitive shifts to R-mode, the thinking/seeing mode,” while facilitating an understanding of the benefits of L-mode cognition.

“[N]euroscientists agree that the two hemispheres take significantly different approaches to guiding our actions, understanding the world, and reacting to events.

—Daniel H. Pink, A Whole New Mind, page 17

“In general the left hemisphere participates in the analysis of the information … In contrast, the right hemisphere is specialized for synthesis; it is particularly good at putting isolated elements together to perceive

things as a whole. Analysis and synthesis are perhaps the most fundamental ways of interpreting information. You can break the whole into its components. Or you can weave the components into a whole. Both are essential to human reasoning.

—Daniel H. Pink, A Whole New Mind, page 22

“[T]he left hemisphere [is] particularly good at recognizing serial events—events whose elements occur one after the other—controlling sequences of behavior. The left hemisphere is also involved in controlling serial behaviors. The serial functions performed by the left hemisphere include verbal activities, such as talking, understanding the speech of other people, reading, and writing.”

—Daniel H. Pink, A Whole New Mind, page 19

“The right frontal lobe has been (and in some cases still is) considered the most silent of brain areas. In contrast, it may represent one of the most important brain regions … [and] is critical to the highest and most evolved human cognitive functions.

—Daniel H. Pink, A Whole New Mind, page 198 (Shammi and Stuss)

[O]ur brain is designed for dual action, with its left hemisphere and right hemisphere. … The right side of the brain serves the receptive, creative, and nurturing experiences. We use this side during feelings connected with aesthetics, such as art and music, compassion, and

global and spatial reasoning. In the area of cognition, this side adds to our understanding of meaning. The left hemisphere is geared toward linear, analytical, mechanical situations, such as … practical planning; and logical thought. Of course, both sides are always connected in complex cooperation.”

—Joan Bello, The Benefits of Marijuana, page 34

Both sides work together—but they have different specialties. The left hemisphere handles logic, sequence, literalness, and analysis. The right takes care of synthesis, emotional expression, context, and the big picture.

—Daniel H. Pink, A Whole New Mind, page 198

“In order to gain access to the visual, perceptual R-mode of the brain, it is necessary to present the brain with a job the verbal, analytic L-mode will turn down.”

“The latest research in this field is now revealing that the dominant side [the left brain] is perceptually limited …The dormant side [the right brain], in contrast, has exceptional latent abilities – even its capacity for pleasure is more encompassing.”

Characteristics of R-Mode: “…silent, engaged in the task at hand, attentive and confident, alert and content.”

Left brain qualities: sequential, logical, analytical

Right brain qualities: non-linear, intuitive, holistic, inventiveness, empathy, joyfulness, meaning.

“Why do most people find cooking so difficult ? Because for most people it is a matter of repetition and habit.”

—Hervé This, Molecular Gastronomy, page 7

Sidebar Quote.Thomas Gladwin, an anthropologist, contrasted the ways that a European and native Truskese sailor navigated small boats between tiny islands in the vast Pacific Ocean.Before setting sail, the European begins with a plan that can be written in terms of directions, degrees of longitude and latitude, estimated time of arrival at separate points on the journey. Once the plan is conceived and completed, the sailor has only to carry out each step consecutively, one after another, to be assured of arriving on time at the planned destination. The sailor uses all available tools, such as a compass, a sextant, a map, etc., and if asked, can describe exactly how he got where he was going.The European navigator uses the left-hemisphere mode.

In contrast, the native Truskese sailor starts his voyage by imaging the position of his destination relative to the position of other islands. As he sails along, he constantly adjusts direction according to his awareness of his position thus far. His decisions are improvised continually

by [observing] relative positions of landmarks, sun, wind direction, etc. He navigates with reference to where he started, where he is going, and the space between his destination and the point where he is at the moment. If asked how he navigates so well without instruments or a written plan, he cannot possibly put it into words. This is not because the Trukese are unaccustomed to describing things in words, but rather because the process is too complex and too fluid to be put into words.The Trukese navigator uses the right-hemisphere mode.

—J.A. Paredes and M.J. Hepburn “The Split-Brain and the Culture-Cognition Paradox,” 1976

Let’s create Deviled Eggs, a classic of The South around the holiday season. Ingredient list:

Eight (8) hardboiled eggs.The human brain attempts to handle the task.The logical, sequential left brain handles the task by searching out a recipe complete with a list of ingredients, a set of directions and the required measurements. Once gathered and arranged, the left brain cook counts the number of eggs—sixteen, in total. She then divides the eggs into equal parts—two sets of eight eggs. From there

the left brain cook places the eggs into two separate bowls, measures out the flavoring ingredients in line with the recipe’s suggestion with the help of precise measuring spoons, cups, and various other tools, she completes the recipe based on the guidelines. In the process, the left brain cook likely forgets to taste to balance flavor and texture; the idea of looking closely at the eggs to determine a pleasing color goes unrealized; and the resulting eggs are likely aesthetically unappealing, texturally unbalanced and lousy tasting.The nature of left brain cooking is observed as being creatively limited, perceptually unaware, sensually disengaged, “recipe-style” cooking.

In contrast, the right brain cook handles the task by conceptualizing an idea. It then imagines various combinations of ingredients based on the cook’s unique perspective and experience. Once immersed in the act of cooking, she begins by sighting equal parts of eggs yolks and placing them into separate bowls. If they are uneven, she then adjusts the amount relative to the other bowl until she perceives both to be equal. With an understanding of the nature of each ingredient and its impact on the whole of flavor, texture,

mouthfeel, etcetera, the cook then improvises the direction of the dish until she is pleased with the outcome.The nature of right brain cooking is observed as being perceptually aware, sensually engaged, and guided by a cook who is intuitive, imaginative, flexible and creative.

As Thomas Gladwin explained, the process of right brain thinking is too complex to describe with words because of being, at the same time, simple yet infinitly complex. Illustration. Comparison of L-Mode and R-Mode, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, pg 44Illustration. Deviled egg sketch.

Instinct, Inspiration, Imagination“Over the years, cookbooks have come to dictate precise measurement of ingredients along with instructions for their preparation and assembly, which has done much to improve the general accessibility of recipes. However, they also have come to provide a false sense of security for which the unsuspecting cook pays a price. When a recipe is rigidly scripted and blindly followed, it negates the cook’s own instincts and good judgment—not to

mention much of the pleasure of truly ‘being’ in the moment.”

—Andrew Dornenburg, The Flavor Bible, Preface IX

“The real thing is intuition. A thought comes and I may try to express it in words afterwards.”

—Albert Einstein, 1954

“It is the marriage of the soul with Nature that makes the intellect fruitful, and gives birth to the Imagination.”

—Henry David Thoreau

Instinct Activities: Fasting, Foraging, Wild Cooking

Concept, Creation, Community“To share food is to be of one body … Through eating the food of others we remain as one.”

—Terrance McKenna, Food of the Gods

The Rhythm of the Kitchenthe Tao of Cooking, the Way of a Chef

“Any intelligent fool can make a thing bigger, more complex […]. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction.

—Albert Einstein

“Bare Necessities lyrics”

—Jungle Book, the Movie

Whinnie The Pooh quotes.

Taoist Principles— The Uncarved Block

“The essence of the principle of the Uncarved Block is that things in their original simplicity contain their own natural power, power that is easily spoiled when that simplicity is changed.”

—Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh, page 10

“Since the advent of farmers’ market, when I get a product, it is phenomenal—because it was picked at the right time and has never even been refrigerated before it comes to my door. … people will love something, and ask what I did to it. Often the answer is “Very little.”

—Monica Pope, Chef, T’afia in Houston, Texas

Connecting with Nature, Experiencing the Tao

“Nature is alive and talking to us. This is not a metaphor.”

—Terrance McKenna “We are here … simply to exist [and] enjoy life together with plants, animals and loved ones and to delight in contemplation of the beauty of nature.”

—Pablo Amaringo, Visionary, Painter, Shaman

“Easy wind ‘cross the Bayou today. ‘Cause there’s a whole lot of women, momma, out on the streets in red today. And the river keeps a talkin’ but you never hear a word it say.”

—Ron “Pigpen” McKern, The Grateful Dead, Easy Wind

“Say, Pooh, why aren’t you busy?” I said.“Because it’s a nice day,” said Pooh.“Yes, but—““Why ruin it?” he said.“But you could be doing something Important,” I said.“I am,” said Pooh.“Oh? Doing what?”“Listening,” he said.“Listening to what?”“To the birds. And that squirrel over there.”“What are they saying?” I asked.“That its a nice day,” said Pooh.

—Conversation between Benjamin Hoff and Whinnie The Pooh Bear in the The Tao of Pooh

Begin to explore Bergson’s theory that the brain acts as a reduction valve for Mind At Large—the whole of Cosmic experience. Bypassing or eliminating that valve is the key to experiencing the howling Tao. “Bergson’s theory as explained by Cambridge philosopher Dr. C. D. Broad —‘the function of the human brain and nervous system and sense organs is in the main eliminative and not productive. Each person is at each moment capable of remembering all that has ever happened to him and perceiving everything that is happening everywhere in the universe. The function of the brain and nervous system is to protect us from being overwhelmed and confused […] by shutting out most of what [is possible to] perceive or remember at any moment, and leaving only that very small…selection which is likely to be practically useful.’ According to such a theory, each one of us is potentially Mind at Large. But in so far as we are animals, our business is at all costs to survive. To make biological survival possible, Mind at Large [is] funneled through the reducing valve of the brain and the nervous system.”

What does this mean to us? Quite simply, it means that There Is A Whole Lot Out There. In short, we must recognize that we have unlimited potential, that the human brain is Magnificent and infinite in depth of understanding. Only then may we free ourselves from the self-limiting beliefs that block the flow of progress, change and growth.

It is freeing to not question, “what if I don’t remember this tomorrow.” “What if I’m not good enough.” It is freeing to understand that we are all Mind At Large, infinitly complex beings with limitless potential to tap into the howling Tao and experience the whole of reality.

Negative into a Positive (Improvisation)“If you have o ask what Jazz is, you ain’t never gonna know.”

Mistakes cease to exist and are replaced by the opportunity to improvise, create and reconceptualize the direction of a dish.

Prepping Food

“You cannot move mountains if you believe them to be mountains.

You must first think of them as collections of small stones

Which can be moved one at a time and then be reassembled.

Make work difficult and it cannot be done.Make work easy and even a simpleton can do it.There is great virtue in hard work As long as someone else is doing it.”

—Waldo Japussy, The Tao of Meow

Wu Wei and “Self so”

“There’s flies in the kitchen. I hear ‘em a buzzin’. And I ain’t done nothin’ since I woke up today.”

—John Prine, Angel From Montgomery

“There ain’t no use for me to work so hard ‘cause I can live off the chickens in the neighbor’s yard.”

—Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Mournin’ Blues

Little Feats, Big Steps “Journey of one thousand miles begins with one step.”

The Wisdom and “Perceptual Innocence” of the All-Seeing, All-Smelling, All-Touching All-Tasting, All-Knowing Child

“I’ve been thinking about turning ‘round and heading up stream to climb a mountain of youth.”

—The Wood Brothers,

The state of a chef is that of being immersed in the present moment. It is a state of being where there are no right or wrong decisions, where intuition guides the cooking process, movement is effortless and creation flows freely. […]

to Become a Chef, to Be a Chef“To become wise, you must solve the riddles of life.”“To be wise, you must forget the riddles of life.”

—Waldo Japussy, The Tao of Meow

“To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.”

—Lao Tzu, The Tao Te Ching

The same applies for a chef. In the case of cooking, the riddles are the what’s, how’s, when’s and why’s of preparing food. In the case of technique and order-based cooking rituals, these riddles may be solved with order, logic and science, or by practicing your knife skills until they are mastered, chopping vegetables until the act flows with ease, or experimenting with the amount of baking soda needed to give rise to a cake batter. As for perception, these riddles will be solved through the concepts and activities presented in this book.

Ultimately, the ability of a chef is not displayed in remembering how to cook, knowing intellectually why an ingredient pairs well with another or deciding when to add butter when making a sauce; developed by mastering technique or in perfecting the order by which a dish is constructed.To be a chef, you must forget. Immersed in the present moment, order is defined not by logical steps, but by intuitive perceptions. Technique is a long forgotten memory. Recipes are left by the wayside and timers are the joke of the town. As an artist in motion, a chef trusts her instincts, believes in her abilities, reaps the sweet fruit of her imagination, and always trusts her senses.