The Vital Importance of Connection While Cooking

Connection. What does that mean to you? For me it’s being in the zone or flow. It’s a space where I am present, plugged in, and thoroughly enjoying what I’m doing.  It’s knowing I am loved.

I have had many experiences of feeling connected. My most recent one was this past week.  I put on an intimate Master Class on Finding God in Gourmet. It included a fine dining experience, with food made by me, and a lesson on pairing wines by my friend Mary, who is a Level 2 Sommelier. The experience was infused with all the Life Lessons food provides. Here is a small taste in regards to pairing your food with wine. As you take note of how well the ingredients of the wine go with your food, it  provokes one to look at your own pairings in life - with your work, with your partner, with your relationships.  Are they good pairings? Are there things you can do to improve the pairing so that it produces a synergistic result that blows your mind and expands your happiness?

We discussed ways to make cooking a spiritual experience, one that provides space for presence, intention, gratitude, and peace.  When you set an intention, you create with purpose.
It was a beautiful class and experience.

Now, what about my recent experience of feeling connected and in the flow? While I was thinking of what I could prepare for my students to eat, I remembered a meal I had at a restaurant called Le Logge in Montepulciano, Italy.  The meal started off with a “gift from the kitchen” which was an exquisite taste of salmon mousse. It was served on a tiny, beautiful dish. Though the portion was small, it rocketed me into a new Universe of bliss and was the introduction to the best meal of my life.  I wanted to create that kind of “gift” to start what I hoped would be a life changing experience for my students.

The idea for this gift came to me in the middle of the night. I was pondering what I could create that would have the same effect that Le Logge’s gift provided. Then it came to me! I didn’t know what I was going to call it, but I absolutely could not wait to make it in the morning!  It turned out fabulous!  While I was putting it together, I was so happy,  excited, and grateful to play with various ingredients I had. I asked for guidance from Master Chef Angels! I felt wise Grandmas whispering their suggestions to me. The ideas of what to add to it, to take it to another level just flowed. I was connected, in the flow, and finding God in Gourmet.

My intention is to change the way you cook! I want you to experience what I did and what I do. Finding God in Gourmet is all about connecting you to God/Source/Universe.  It is not a religious experience, it is a spiritual one. Most of you reading this, cook once a day. That is a daily opportunity to play, to enjoy, to be grateful, to connect. I hope you come to see cooking this way. I share many ideas of how to do this on my website and YouTube channel. If you’d like a good start, look for “Mai’s Pesto” on my YouTube channel. It presents seven ways to make cooking a scent-ual experience.  Let’s connect! 🙂