A lovely couple who stayed in our guest room for a few days left me a note every morning to thank the breakfast I made for them. I never expected anything like this at all, so I was so stunned when I found it on the first day. They kept surprising me with sweet notes until they left. Sometimes I wonder, or should I say worry if the breakfast I prepare for the guests meets their expectations. Because most of the guests are Americans and they usually eat American breakfasts which are entirely different from my vegan breakfast. So, even though I know my breakfast is very healthy (I make everything from scratch using local organic vegetables), I am always a bit nervous whenever I serve them. So, when I received a note from them, I felt much encouragement. Whenever I feel doubt about what I am doing or where to aim for the next step, I always receive a sign from somewhere. This time was a very clear note from the guests, but sometimes it can be very subtle. It could be kind of hidden from the conversation with your friends or an article you accidentally found from the internet or newspapers. However, there is always a sign for us. For my case, after I change my diet, eating more whole grains and organic vegetables avoiding white sugar and dairy, I think the quality of my life, in general, has been shifted. I get more tuned to the universe and bring good synchronicity into my life. I think it is because all grains and vegetables grow naturally, receiving all kinds of energy from the earth such as soil, sunlight, rain, wind, and love from the farmers, so they are packed with full of well-balanced energies. If we cook them using the right seasonings such as sea salt, properly fermented miso or soy sauce, we can create very powerful food that can nourish us. I heard when we take in good vibrations, they correct distorted frequencies within our cells, and I think it is so true. The couple who left me a note asked me if there is a cookbook that I can recommend for them. So I recommended a book called "Mayumi's Kitchen" by Mayumi Nishimura. Mayumi used to work as a chef for Madonna for years. Her recipes are simple but very creative. I have her several books in Japanese. I love all her books, but this English version has many photos and is easy to follow. If you are interested in the macrobiotic diet, you can check her book! https://www.amazon.com/Mayumis-Kitchen-Macrobiotic-Cooking-Body/dp/1568364814
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I worked as a chef for David’s spring detox retreat at the beautiful Hidden Villa in Los Altos. I am so relieved that I was able to complete my mission to deliver healthy healing cuisines to 28 beautiful yogis. At my nutrition seminar, I was able to introduce a "macrobiotic diet" which is based on our Japanese traditional way of eating & philosophy. Since it was a short period, I explained the most fundamental & powerful tool to be a healthy, balanced well being - chewing! The mouth is our vital digestive organ. The first chemical breakdown of the food we eat starts in our mouth. If you can chew more, the secretion of saliva increases. There are thousands of vital enzymes in your saliva which help your digestion, nourishing your organs, and restoring balance. However, if you don't chew properly, your stomach and many other organs have to work harder to break down larger chunks of food into smaller pieces so its easier to digest. We don't need to go to the store to buy digestive pills or enzymes. We can produce our own by chewing well. Here is the link about the article of conscious eating. http://www.greatlifeglobal.com/services/health-a-wellness-consultations/34.html I know that chewing well sounds easy to do, but it is so challenging to practice into our busy daily life. However, we could at least try and chew the first bite of every meal, and we can chew until the food becomes liquified. I think it will make a big difference. Michio Kushi, a macrobiotic teacher, said "Through what we consume, we change the quality of our body, mind, and spirit. Each of us is responsible for his or her own life and destiny. We are our own masters, and no one can chew for us." Thank you, David, for giving me the opportunity again to be on your team! It is always a great learning experience! Looking forward to working with you in spring again. Also, thank you Yasuyo and Seiya to assist me all the way through. Truly enjoyed working in the big beautiful kitchen with you! Also, all the yogis who enjoyed our food with a big smile💕 Here's the whole menu: 3/23 friday ☆ Before dinner - Sweet Vegetable soup as a welcoming drink (sweet vegetable soup is a home remedy soup to nourish the internal organs) https://wanowa.weebly.com/alternative-medicine/sweet-vegetable-drink 7pm - dinner - Vegetable creamy quinoa & brown rice risotto with probiotic chickpea miso - Green salad with creamy tahini dressing - Broccoli with tofu - tahini sauce - Apple cinnamon cup cake with blueberry sauce - Nettle tea (Cleansing & Detox) 3/24 saturday 8am - light breakfast (self-served) - Beet & cranberry shot - Rosemary gluten-free focaccia - Homemade Granola - Hard boiled eggs (optional) - Fruits - Organic herb Teas & coffee noon - lunch - Mushrooms Demi-glace stew with rice - Shungiku pesto quinoa pasta - Fresh green salad with creamy probiotic miso dressing - Cucumber salad - Matcha mousse with strawberry sauce - Mugwort tea (Cleansing & Detox) 3pm- snack - Home made trail mix - Sliced apples with Umesu https://wanowa.weebly.com/alternative-medicine/umesu-eliminator-for-toxins 7pm - dinner - Gluten-free noodles with homemade ramen broth - Nitamago (flavored boiled egg) can be topping - optional - Marinated tomatoes & corn for toppings on the ramen - Vegan Kale bacon for topping on the ramen - Gluten-free vegan strawberry shortcake - Nettle tea (Cleansing & Detox) 3/25 sunday 8am - light breakfast (self-served) - Gluten-free noodle with wakame, cauliflower rice, and greens - Rice & barley miso risotto with vegetables using dried shiitake mushroom broth - Boiled eggs (optional) - Fresh fruits - Mugwort tea (Cleansing & Detox) 12:30pm - brunch - Probiotic Japanese Kenchinjiru (hot savory vegetable stew) - Vegetable sushi rolls - Marinated beets salad with probiotic Amazake dressing - Mango pudding - Burdock with mint tea (Cleansing & Detox) All food was 100% plant-based, gluten-free, and organic. Following David's request, I included boiled eggs using fresh eggs from Hidden Villa as an option.🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚 Here's the website of David Cho. http://www.choyoga.com I hold a 100% plant-based gluten-free cooking workshop at Scotts Valley today! We had a lot of fun cooking together. Here' the menu! ☆ Demi-glace sauce ☆ Mushroom demi-glace stew ☆ Barley rice with lotus seeds ☆ Focaccia ☆ Oil-free vegan butter ☆ Beets & apple salad ☆ Matcha & Mugwort mousse ☆ Amazake (alcohol-free) Demi-glace sauce is a classic condensed brown sauce of French cuisine. It usually served as an accompaniment for meat. This rich & flavorful sauce often takes a full day to make. First, you roast the veal bones and veggies; then you simmer all together with herbs in the big pot for a half day... But, my gluten-free vegan recipe, it takes about 15 min. to make, and you can keep it in the refrigerator for a month. I always keep this stock because I can use it in many ways. When I am in a hurry, I can create a delicious brown stew within 20 min. For the workshop, we made mushroom demi-glace stew. To accompany the stew, we cooked barley & rice with lotus seeds. Since we are currently in the season of spring, I used barely to help rejuvenate liver. According to the five element theory from traditional Chinese medicine, spring is related to the wood element, and it governs liver and gallbladder. So, it is imperative to take care of these organs. If your liver is healthy, it will keep the balance of your whole body and build the sturdy foundation for summer. All the green vegetables such as broccoli, parsley, lettuce, kale, brussels sprouts are good to your liver. The reason I added the lotus seeds in the rice is that they have a lot of anti-aging enzymes... As for dessert, I made a matcha & mugwort mousse. Although matcha is packed with antioxidants, I added a bit of mugwort powder since it is used as a liver tonic to remove impurities from the blood. In California, you can buy dried mugwort at the organic grocery store. So you can make mugwort tea. If you can't find it, you can use nettle instead. Nettle is used as a natural allergy relief remedy, it has a lot of medicinal benefits as well, Whenever I find the fresh nettle at farmer's market, I grab them. I usually sautée them with a bit of olive oil seasoned with salt & pepper. By rejuvenating our liver, we can tune up the condition of our wood energy. So, we can move our life upward while anchoring our feet to the roots just like a tree. I hope we are fully ready to embrace the energy of wood & move forward with a healthy vision! 🌳🌳🌳 |
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