Of Onions and Olive Oil
Mindfulness in Cooking
“I think preparing food and feeding people brings nourishment, not only to our bodies but to our spirits.” — Shauna Niequist
Sauteing onions in olive oil is a very sensuous act. The way the oil swirls around the skillet as it heats. The quiet sizzle of the onions as they hit the pan when the oil is just the right temperature. The tantalizing aroma as the onions begin to cook. The shift to translucence as they soften.
I can come home after the most chaotic, mind-numbing day on the front lines of cubicles and paperwork, and cooking is the absolute last thing I feel like doing. But once I smell the onions and the olive oil, the world seems to melt away. Throw in a nice glass of red wine, and I’ve found my own little slice of heaven.
This got me thinking: Many of us are so busy, so ridiculously burned out from jobs we need but don’t love, and yet we still have to feed ourselves at the end of the day. Even for those of us who love to cook, weekday dinner so often feels like just another chore.
But then I go back to the olive oil and the onions, and the way I feel when I take the time to be aware of how my senses are responding to the process of food preparation. It makes me wonder if mindfulness could…
