With the textures and colors, the aromas, tastes, and even the sounds, the hospitable act of cooking offers a dynamic experience for the senses. And when I cook, my soul lights up.
When I was younger and had more time to give to preparing a meal, I would use the prep stage as a spiritual practice. I’d consider and think about the people connected to the ingredients, consider potential families connected to those people; then as the cooking stage commenced, I would send them love.
Before eating, I often say this; “Lord God, bless this food and the hands that prepared it. May it be of nourishment and energy to my body for Your name’s sake.” And when I say the hands, I am thinking of all the people I considered while prepping plus their loved ones. Asking God to bless not only my meal but everyone who is remotely involved in this particular food being on my plate — well it makes me feel connected to people all over the globe.
You can get pretty imaginative about who is connected to the food. Cashiers, truck drivers, those who picked the produce. The farm kids who collected the eggs. The cargo pilot and crew who delivered spices from India to Canada. The marketing people who succeeded at making me choose their product over another brand’s. You get the idea. Not only has this connected me with the food on a deeper level, I feel connected to people all over the globe. But I must admit, it has also caused me to consider how our household can support locally, more and more.
As you prepare a recipe from this collection, I hope you try cooking as a spiritual practice. May you connect with the Creator of all the ingredients. And may you feel a deeper connection to all humanity as you consider the lives connected to the food you eat. Perhaps cooking will make your soul light up, too!