wholefood kitchen

‘Every bag of whole grain brown rice, farmer spent a year to harvest, pack, gather and bring to the shop. Every single vegetable and fruit grown and harvested by a farmer travels some distance. Every kind of seaweed picked from the ocean, dried, packed and traveled. Every ounce of oil made from olive or seeds, packed in the bottle, and is transported to the kitchen. Every food we eat, went through so many people’s hands. We have magical hands to create the food we need. What a privilege to gather all these precious foods in our kitchen and cook!

Sea salt, our ancestor’s wisdom which helps to keep us alive.
Fresh water gives us ease and wellness.

Japanese ancestors invented the power of fermented foods such as Miso, soy sauce and pickles. European ancestors discovered the power of herbs and different kind of oils, vinegars different form of pickles, and invented the art of baking bread. So many different kind of foods have been developed and passed on from generation to generation to every corner of the world. Each food has a different purpose to serve our body.
Fermented foods are such a important discovery to keep our intestines alive and well.
Sweet nectar gathered from cooked grain or from the tree.
The Universe is so kind to give us what we need, wherever we live.
Rich, distinctive taste of foods to enjoy our meals.
Salty, sweet, sour, bitter and hot.
Vivid color of foods speak to our eyes.
We are so well taken care of.
Every type of food creates our blood and makes our bodies strong and well.

What an incredible energy is coming together from all these precious foods.
We celebrate seasons, celebrate different environments, celebrate different cultures,
celebrate tradition, celebrate Life. We appreciate all the energy and minerals given by Nature.
The Sun, the Water, the Soil. The Wind. The Ocean. The Moon. The Stars.
Appreciate all the people who work so hard to bring us foods to live well.

Cooking is Art.
Cooking is connecting Nature in our body.
Cooking is connecting between people.
Cooking is communicating with our body each organs to Nature.

Home cooking is the most important cooking.
We can get really grounded to our soul and to our family.
We are making a difference to ourselves and our family and friends,
with deep appreciation of Nature and Love. Thankful to all the people who grow, gather and make foods. A deep appreciation of Life that we are here and Now. When we cook each and every meal with love and care. We are making a difference to Life!

With deep gratitude.
Happy cooking!’

Some thoughts passed on by Mutsuko Johnson, wholefood cook and teacher. Mutsuko Johnson is hosting a week-long course at the Concord Institute in London, from Oct 9–15, titled ‘Living Kitchen, The Joy of Home Cooking.’ This is a remarkable opportunity to share some of Mutsuko’s vast experience in simple, nourishing Home Cooking, with love and attention. If you can’t commit to the full week (weekend and evenings) as a course participant, (though I strongly recommend it) it is possible to join in as an assistant for one or more sessions. Please contact me for more details.

I invite you to take part in a masterclass with Mutsuko Johnson, a remarkable Macrobiotic and Wholefood cooking Teacher. She is coming to London to host the next Seasonal Kitchen class at the Concord Institute, from October 9-15. Mutsuko presents Home Cooking as one of the most powerful, practical ways of being ‘present’ in our lives. Cooking is a form of meditation, but it is also about celebration, life and colour. Cooking simple, nourishing meals, which are full of life. She is committed to passing on her experience to others. I am enrolling the programme, so if you would like to take part or assist in the kitchen during the week, please contact me directly by email or call the Concord Institute on 020 7607 1140 to book your place. Please visit the Concord website for course details.

A thought for the day, with love and thanks to Mutsuko Johnson

Four Corners
(Native American Indian text)

To the winds of the South.
Great Serpent.
Wrap your coins of light around us.
Teach us to shed the past the way you shed your skin.
To walk softly on the Earth. Teach us the beauty way.

To the winds of the West.
Mother/Sister Jaguar.
Protect our medicine space.
Teach us the way of peace. To live impeccably.
Show us the way beyond death.

To the winds of the North.
Hummingbird, Grandmothers, Grandfathers, Ancient Ones.
Come and whisper to us in the wind.
We honor you who have come before us.
And you who will come after us, our children’s children.

To the winds of the East.
Great Eagle/Condor.
Come to us from the place of the rising Sun.
Keep us under your wing.
Show us the mountains we only dare to dream of.
Teach us to fly wing to wing with Great Spirit.
And to see from the highest perspective, through the eyes of the heart.

Mother Earth.
We’ve Gathered for the healing of all your children.
The Stone People, the Plant people.
The Four-Legged, the two–legged, the creepy crawlers.
We offer prayers for you and ALL our relations.
Holiest of holiest, Source, Creator of all that is.
Father Sun, Grandmother Moon, Star Nations.
Great Spirit. You are who are known by a thousand names.
And you who are the unnameable One.
Thank you for allowing us to sing the song of life yet one more day.

Have a great day.

Love, Peace and Joy.
Mutsuko Johnson

(The Four corners: where 4 states meet: Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado)

I am finding more and more how important it is to eat wholefood Macrobiotic cooking. I can feel the Oneness in my body. Not just ‘a good idea,’ or ‘it makes sense’ or ‘I give it a try if I like it, one day…’ NO.

The food we choose connects us with the environment we live in. When more people choose to eat organic foods, it not only supports Organic farmers but it also creates better soil for future generations. The soil is the foundation of our nations. When we choose to eat more whole grains, vegetables and sea vegetables, it creates a healthier balanced relationship with Nature for future generations.

Balanced cooking is so important. When we carefully choose our food, we participate in the creation of a healthier environment. Wholefood Macrobiotic cooking creates our wellbeing physically and mentally. It all start from ourselves. Oneness. Everything is connected. Our ancestors understood this. The technology we have developed is remarkable. At the same time we have lost connection to these life fundamentals. The food we choose. The cooking we choose. We are creating inner peace. Balance and harmony in the environment. When we cook whole grain and vegetables, We are activists. We are peacemakers!

Wholefood Macrobiotic cooking connects us with nature, and allows us to express gratitude.
Thank you to the Universe for the food we can eat.
Thank you to people who grow, produce and deliver the foods to us.
Thank you to ancestors for their wisdom.
Thank you to family and friends to share the foods.
Thank you to Life.

Mutsuko Johnson

Early in the Foundation Course programme, I received an invitation to cook a Saturday lunch for the participants. I was nervous, excited, apprehensive. Yet I was being offered something I had longed to do, to take on a leadership role within the Concord kitchen. Jean Torne, in his inimitable way, supported my stepping forward into the role. He coached me towards a meal plan, and even gave me a head start by preparing parts of the meal ahead of time.

The invitation I heard was to take on a role, beyond what I was capable of doing. As the day panned out, it became clear that the role was definitely beyond what ‘I’ was capable of: the ‘I’ that is trapped in fear, self concern and significance. The one who seeks attention, who wants to do a good job, be seen, and be seen to do a good job. (The holy trinity!) The one who is fearful of making mistakes. Who wants to please. The one who is nervous about stepping into a role I have seen others fill with such grace and aplomb. A concern about measuring up, to the standards set by Jean Torne, Mutsuko Johnson and all those I have cooked alongside in the Concord kitchen.

There was a small, committed team on board. Myself and Sarah Hall, supported by Jean and the remarkable Foundation Course Production team. The cooking progressed according to plan, with parts of the meal prepared in a largely orderly fashion. However, when the finished plate appeared in front of me, I received a huge shock. It was an explosion of life and colour; rich, golden autumn foods. It bore some resemblance to the meal sketch I had made earlier, but it seemed to have emerged from somewhere else completely. It had very little do to with me personally. It didn’t feel like I had created much of it, at all. It gave me a feeling, more than a thought, of what I was capable of creating when ‘I’ was out of the equation. And that it was possible to create something with others, of a magnitude infinitely greater to what I was capable of creating on my own. I felt incredibly humbled.

My willingness to say ‘yes’ to the ludicrous invitations Concord present me with has stood me in good stead. My journey, through cooking, has been a process of letting go: of the idea I have of myself, of food, of pretty much everything. A surrender of control, and a knowing, which increasingly reveals itself to be a limited world. My body, my spirit, is becoming open to nourishment, and I am accessing a true freedom around food. I am becoming more skilled in the kitchen, but I am also letting go of the idea of what it means to be ‘good at cooking.’ I am learning to surrender to my intuition, my senses, and to a greater order of things. I enter the kitchen as the natural place to create alignment and balance in myself, in my life. A place to come to earth. I feel nourished, and grateful. Tihei Mauri Ora! (I am Alive)

Kevin Helas

An article which featured in the Concord Newsletter, Winter 2011. The full newsletter is available to download here.

The meal plan for the lunch for day two of ‘The Curious Case of Macrobiotics‘ workshop with Bill Tara at the Concord Institute, created by Mutsuko Johnson.

Home made Udon noodles from a simple dough of flour and water.

A Zen temple style platter of Handrolled Sushi, Tempura Tofu ‘Sandwich’ with Blanched Squash, Arame with Red Onion on a Blanched Cabbage Leaf, Blanched Broccoli and Winter Greens with a Tahini, Lemon & Orange Marmalade dressing.

The full lunch, rounded off with a simple, wholesome Miso soup.

Mutsuko Johnson’s plan for Saturday lunch during Bill Tara’s ‘Curious Case of Macrobiotics‘ workshop at the Concord Institute. A Nabe soup, accompanied by a plate with Aduki & Rice Croquette, Tempeh wrapped in blanched Winter Greens with Orange garnish, Turnip pickle, and a Lambs Lettuce salad with a light Lemon & Shoyu dressing.

A meal prepared under the watchful eye and guidance of Mutsuko Johnson for the iEvolve course facilitator. An absolute joy to create a slow cooked ‘Nabe’ one pot soup with Seasonal Root Vegetables including Daikon, Swede, Carrot, Sweet Potato & Potato topped with a chunk of panfried Coley. Accompanied by a plate of Aduki Bean Rice Triangles, Baked Squash, Blanched Savoy Cabbage & Broccoli with a Tahini & Miso dressing.

‘There’s a Rat in mi kitchen
What am I gonna do?
There’s a Rat in mi kitchen
What am I gonna do?
I’m gonna teach that Rat, that’s what I’m gonna do,
I’m gonna teach that Rat.’*

I am that Rat. And its in the kitchen that I have been conducting an experiment. The experiment comes in the exploration of a question: ‘What is my relationship with food?’ Equally, it could be rephrased simply as ‘Who am I?’

The journey I have taken has been deceptive. Initially, my prevailing love of food drew me in, and inspired an engagement with and commitment to learning the arts of wholefood cooking. Yet this passion, as strong as it is, constitutes just a taste of what is really available in the kitchen. The kitchen provides an invitation to engage in the world with a full and rich sensuality.

There is a version of sensuality I have always used, but primarily as a form of escape to create a separation between myself and the world. Through cooking I have uncovered the lack of trust I have in myself, in the world, on a sensual level, which explains the efforts I have made to maintain this sense of separateness and isolation.

How has this become apparent?

Primarily, by engaging in the practice of cooking in the context provided by Jean Torne, Mutsuko Johnson, Melanie Waxman and other teachers within the Concord Institute kitchen. It was during Jean’s recent Seasonal Kitchen programme that yet another layer of the metaphorical, transformational ‘Onion’ was stripped away.

At the start of the week, Jean laid out an extraordinary context, asking us to voice the question ‘Is this food?’ when faced with choices about what we select to nourish and sustain ourselves. This began a week-long exploration of awareness.

There was an invitation to develop tastes and flavours slowly and patiently. We experimented by cooking using a low flame. We cooked slowly, but used the extra time to simply connect with the activity at hand, rather than filling the available space with another action, as we have learned to do in our multi-tasking obsessed world.

We were encouraged to taste others’ food, comparing the difference in flavours, textures, saltiness, degree of cooking. Infinite variations emerged from a single recipe, based on who was cooking, how was cooking, why was cooking. We often took an hour or so to ‘finish’ our dishes, We paid careful attention to the fine-tuning of flavours, tastes and smells, and learned to appreciate the distinction between ‘adding’ and ‘pouring.’

And did we learn recipes? Yes, and No. They acted as a guide throughout the week, but we connected with cooking as an activity which comes from a different place. Less cerebral, more whole-body. We navigated through dishes and the menu as a class, and as groups. On one occasion, the group I was working with consulted a printed recipe, and we ground to a halt. Suddenly there were clashes of opinion, interpretations, debates and confusion. The difference was palpable, and we returned immediately to the ‘whole body’ approach.

During Jean’s course, and certainly afterwards, other things have come to light. Faced with food, and choices about food, I am presented with myself, my thought patterns, my habits around food.  ‘It is mealtime, I must eat.’ (regardless of whether I am actually hungry or not) ‘I must finish what’s on the plate’ (even though I’m already full, 2/3 of the way through a meal)’ At mealtimes, I eat too much, and too quickly, simply from habit. I encounter an insatiable craving, a hunger in me which goes beyond my connection with food, and indicates a state of survival I live in. And then, after eating too much? My body shuts down. I need to sleep. I feel frustrated, annoyed at myself, for I am aware that I am responsible. Yet I cling to my blanket of powerlessness, for the sense of security and familiarity it provides.

Outside of the class, I found it difficult initially to recreate the meals, simply because it requires a level of patience and commitment to myself I am not accustomed to. A commitment to a level of responsibility for my own nourishment, for my own wellbeing, but also an opportunity to enter into a new world , one where I am engaged, connected and able to make a full contribution to, and connection with others.

The experiment continues. Through engaging with wholefood cooking, I am learning the benefits of slowing down, taking time, listening to what is around me, listening to my body, to myself. There are messages which are starting to come through, beneath the noise that buzzes around me, which are less to do with ‘me.’ All that seems to be required is to enter the kitchen regularly, with a sense of patience, sensitivity, awareness, and gratitude.

My heart goes out to Jean Torne and teachers of the Concord Institute kitchen. They have created a space which holds up a mirror, revealing the person I am. I have encountered someone who is at times vulnerable, anxious, naive, impatient and arrogant, but as time goes on I am beginning to see my own breath form on the glass.

The world outside beckons.

Kevin Helas

An article which featured in Issue 19 of the Concord Institute Newsletter, available online.
Image taken from ‘Ratatouille,’ a remarkable film about the he(art) of cooking, and making a difference. See the trailer.

*apologies to UB40 for the lyric modification.

Man harvesting grains of Rice
by hand.

The Emperor of Japan.

Bow to the ground.
Bow to the Nature.
Bow to the Life.
Bow to the golden colour of Grains of Rice.

Humble, respectful, appreciative, grateful, graceful
to the Universe.

He is the Leader of the Spirit of Japan.
Beyond religion,
Beyond politics,
Beyond history.

He is the man to show us
where we came from.

We came from the Universe,
Mother nature nourishing us.

Be graceful.
Be humble.
Be peaceful.

Have a lovely day.

Mutsuko Johnson

An appropriate message for today, 10/10/10, with thanks to Mutsuko.
Emperor Akihito is the 125th Emperor of Japan. He is 76 years old.