So, I decided to give this “zen cuisine” thing a try the other day. Heard about it somewhere, maybe saw it online, can’t quite remember. The idea is basically cooking, but like, really slowly and paying attention to everything. Sounds simple, maybe a bit weird, right? But my mind’s been racing lately, figured maybe slowing down in the kitchen could help.
Getting Started
First off, I had to figure out what to even make. Nothing complicated. That seemed like rule number one, though nobody gave me rules. I just grabbed some vegetables I had lying around – carrots, some sad-looking celery, an onion. Found some tofu in the back of the fridge. Okay, stir-fry it is. Real basic stuff.
Then came the “zen” part, I guess. I cleared the counter, which almost never happens. Usually, it’s chaos – mail, keys, who knows what else. But I put everything away. Tried to make the space feel a bit calmer. Turned off the radio. Just silence. Felt a bit awkward, honestly. Like I was waiting for something to happen.
The Chopping and Stuff
Alright, the actual cooking. Started with the onion. Tried to really focus on slicing it. The knife going through, the smell. It’s funny, you chop onions all the time, but you don’t really think about it. This time I tried. Felt the shape of the carrot under my fingers as I chopped. Concentrated on making the pieces sort of even. It was… slow. Really slow.
- Washing the celery. Feeling the cold water.
- Cutting the tofu into cubes. Trying not to mash it.
- Hearing the sizzle when the onion hit the pan.
It wasn’t magic. My mind still wandered. I thought about that email I forgot to send, about whether I needed to buy milk. Had to keep pulling my attention back to the damn vegetables. It was harder than I thought, this whole “being present” thing. Felt less like zen and more like concentration practice.
Eating and Thinking
Got everything cooked. Didn’t burn it, which was a plus. Arranged it in a bowl. Tried to make it look nice, like they do in pictures. It looked okay. Just a simple bowl of stir-fried veg and tofu.
Then I sat down and ate it. Tried to do that mindfully too. Chew slowly, taste the different bits. It tasted… fine? Like stir-fry. No sudden enlightenment hit me over the head.
But here’s the thing. After I cleaned up, I realized the kitchen was still tidy. And I felt… calmer? Not blissed out, just less frazzled. Like turning down the volume knob in my head a tiny bit. Maybe it was just the quiet, or the focus on doing one simple thing from start to finish. Didn’t expect much, honestly. I remember when I first changed jobs, everything felt overwhelming, total information overload. Trying to learn new systems, new people, felt like my brain was short-circuiting. This cooking thing felt like the opposite of that day-to-day scramble.
So, zen cuisine? I don’t know if I’d call it that. But just taking an hour to chop vegetables quietly and cook something simple, without the usual rush? Yeah, I think I’ll probably do that again. It’s just cooking, but maybe doing anything deliberately and slowly for a change is the actual point.
