Cooking with a good knife is an act of yoga. Be here and now. If not, just make do with a lot less digits. I have a wusthof knife. It makes cutting and cooking so much more fun. It is also extremely dangerous. A minor distraction can turn disastrous on the cutting board. I must gather all my thoughts and energies to cut or chop the vegetables. Multitasking is best left to the processors and machines. Humans are not very good at this. The new knife has inspired me to pick up a cookbook by Mark Bittman from my library. How to cook everything Vegetarian. The book includes a lot of advice to care for the knife and other utensils.
It reminds me of a festival called Ayudha Pooja in India. It is a day where you gather all the tools of your trade and offer prayers and thanks. Even in Kalari, the swords, spears and daggers are decorated and prayers are offered before every single fight. I happened to visit a police station in India last year during the week of Ayudha Pooja. I saw all the rifles arranged neatly in a circle, adorned with kumkum. Prayers were being offered to them. It definitely was a strange scene. Taking care of the gear you use is an important part of the process.
The zen way of cooking also makes cooking more enjoyable. You don’t think of it as a chore, it soon turns to be a fun activity. Here’s more zen advice for you.
Wash your dishes, when you wash your dishes.
Floss your teeth, while you are flossing your teeth.
Pet the cat, while you are petting the cat.
Make out, while you are making out.
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