my pan roasted salmon (seasoned with lime chili and himalayan pink salt) served with butternut squash coconut bisque (seasoned with fresh ginger and turmeric roots); edamame, asian chives, and pea sprouts purée (seasoned with rice vinegar, mirin, and salt); and jasmine rice...
conscious eating
“It sounds like a cliché but every dish tells a story. You get to eat the history. You’re eating somebody’s life!” -- Stanley Tucci
I couldn't agree more. Made for my son, in this dish, I tried to represent "life force energy".
In Buddhist philosophy, the number 3 refers to the trinity, a symbol of divine protection, help and guidance. It also refers to the three training of discipline, concentration and discrimination. The three dots of green purée and lime slices are the symbols of that trinity. My golden butternut squash bisque represents "sunny side" of Yang from Yin/Yang philosophy.
"The concept of yin-yang has a long history. There are many written records about yin and yang, some dating back to the Yin dynasty (about 1400–1100 BCE) and the Western Zhou dynasty (1100–771 BCE)." - ThoughCo
Food is the most fundamental of needs for our survival and almost every major event in our lives revolves around it. It plays a vital role in the development of social interactions and social relationships. I find food to be sacred and the process of making food to be awakening and insightful. It is a way to pass sacred energy to others.
Peter Bolland in his article “The Sacrament Of Food,” says that “Maybe the most sacred space in your home is not the yoga room, or the altar with the candle, or the chair by the window where you meditate and pray. Maybe the most sacred room in your house is the kitchen.”
behind the scene
Making edamame, asian chives, and pea sprouts purée (seasoned with rice vinegar, mirin, and salt)...
"Allium tuberosum (garlic chives, Oriental garlic, Asian chives, Chinese chives, Chinese leek) is a species of plant native to the Chinese province of Shanxi, and cultivated and naturalized elsewhere in Asia and around the world. Uses have included as ornamental plants, including cut and dried flowers, culinary herbs, and traditional medicine. Garlic chives have been widely cultivated for centuries in East Asia for their culinary value. The flat leaves, the stalks, and immature, unopened flower buds are used as flavoring. Another form is "blanched" by regrowing after cutting under cover to produce white-yellow leaves and a subtler flavor." - Wikipedia
Making butternut squash coconut bisque...
"The main characteristic of a bisque is that it is smooth and has a velvety texture. Most recipes will include a wine and cream to give it its signature flavor and texture. But it's not merely the choice of ingredient that makes bisque different from other types of soups. It’s also the technique for utilizing that ingredient, including the parts you can't eat, making a bisque what it is. -- The Meaning of Bisque
See more about my bisque here.
Pan roasting salmon (seasoned with lime chili and himalayan pink salt)...
"What is sockeye salmon? It is a species of small, wild salmon that can be found primarily in Alaska. They are also known as red salmon and are well known for their gorgeous color and rich flavor. Meanwhile, Atlantic salmon are bigger and farmed in many parts of the world." -- Sockeye Salmon vs Atlantic Salmon
Throughout human history, particularly in indigenous cultures, food has been perceived as sacred. The word sacred is not a religious term but rather one that simply means “set apart” or not of the ordinary. Ancient, traditional societies understood that food is life force energy for which they needed to exert significant amounts of energy whether by hunting or growing it in order to eat. Because their survival was often in jeopardy, food became sacred to these cultures." - Carolyn Baker