Washing My Brain

Washing my Brain

Ring Pop Flowers I made for my Daughter 5th Bday Cake,2011

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just need to wash my brain.  Huh?   I had a friend who would play sick for what she liked to call a mental health day.  This may not sound like the most mature thing to do, but she had a very stressful and demanding job and although she had three weeks of vacation she rarely was able to take more than a few days off at a time.  So, she had mental health days for those times when her brain needed a break. 

So, when I say that I need to wash my brain, it’s a similar sort of framework.  This is a way to cleanse the crap and sort through all junk floating around.  Cleaning my house, playing the piano, writing; but more often than not cooking does that for me.   I have heard it called mindfulness, to be aware of only what you are doing in that moment.  I let everything fall away and slice my onion or wash the floor.   Sounds silly but it is so relaxing.  How often do we let our minds race aimlessly with all the things that we have to do in a day? When I start my day like that I end up being mentally taxed to the point of total physical exhaustion.   However, when I do one thing with mindfulness, it seems like the rest of the day goes smoothly.  Everything else somehow falls into place.  I wished I could do it all the time; but it’s just not compatible with a five year old either.  Sorry honey, Mommy’s working on her Chi; if you are running with scissors please make sure they are the ones with rounded ends.  You laugh, but I have actually said something very similar to the last part of the sentence before. 

It seems like when you are a Mom, you are “On” all the time.  Even when they aren’t around, you are on “Standby” and the only time you are “Off” is when you are in bed and even then you’re in rapid start-up mode.   I find that cooking is one of those moments where I can really get into the moment.  It has to be done and no one bothers me while I am doing it because everyone wants the final product...most of the time.  However, this started long before I had a child.  I love many different ethnic foods particularly Thai, Indian and Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Foods.  Also, being a transplanted Texan in the NJ/NY area where really good Tex-Mex restaurants are pretty much nonexistent; fantastic Mexican and South /Central American Restaurants though.  I started cooking out of culinary cravings rather than necessity. 

The wonderful thing about living in this region is the cultural diversity which brings to the area ethnic grocery stores.  What a wonderful places to explore!  The produce section alone is an adventure with all the exotic fruits and veggies.  Fresh Litchi, Durian (the most repulsive smelling and delicious tasting fruit ever), Fuzzy Squash and Chinese Okra; I found a whole new world of foods to experiment.  Now, if you look in my kitchen, you would find foodstuffs from around the world; ghee (clarified butter), an assortment of chutney’s, sauces and curries, Nuoc Mam and flour for Bahn Bao or Naan.    The thing about preparing ethnic foods is that you have to prepare it from scratch, no mixes or shortcuts.   I truly had to learn how to cook.

 I have learned to make some of my husbands and my favorite dishes.   I have had happy successes and disgusting failures, particularly discovering that Tomatillos and Passion Fruit aren’t at their best paired with each other.   Through all my culinary growth has come a profound peace from just being in that moment, me and my onion slicing away. Finding a piece of Nirvana in washing my brain and all the better for it.