Last year I did a cooking class in India. The instructor refused to give us a recipe for each dish, instead wanting us to be guided by our palate and instincts. We had a limited spice set that covered all the bases: digestion, health, salt, bitter, sweet, sour, umami and heat.
There were some guiding principles for the order to add spices and a general flavour profile we were aiming to create for each dish, but the depth of flavour came from tasting and adjusting throughout the cooking. There was no correct amount of anything, just a desire for the final version to be delicious.
When it was time to check the balance of flavours, our first urge was to ask her for direction. But she refused. “It’s your dish. You’re the one who’s eating it.” She encouraged us to pay close attention to what our senses were telling us, and to trust our judgement on what to add and how much. Then add 60 percent of that. Let it settle. Then taste again.
It was such a lovely metaphor for a mindful way to live. Know what matters. Choose a limited but well-rounded set of key ingredients. Be present. Be intentional. Be mindful of all of your senses. Embrace your own preferences. Trust your intuition. Take action.
Taking the metaphor a step further we can set our sights on the ideal, then do 60 percent. Make the action bold enough to make a difference but modest enough to be sustainable and allow room for further adjustment. Give it some time. Review and adjust. Share and savour. Keep going. With consistency and repetition, instincts become a craft and the process becomes a rhythm that can carry us through the ups and downs.
Helen Mentha 