Editor Kysha Harris takes us into her kitchen meditation and offers tips for cooking a week's worth of meals for a family of four.
| |  | | My 6-Hour Cooking Meditation | | | Before my tenure here at The Spruce Eats began in October 2020, I was a full time entrepreneur, the owner and chef of food-service company SCHOP! for 18 years. It was during these years that I discovered my passion for the food business in all of its shapes and forms—client service, writing, culinary producing, and of course, cooking.
These days, I don't have time to keep the same roster of clients. But I still cook for a patron-client of 15 years and his growing family. Some would say that a six-day work week is too much, but it is all about perspective to me. Those six hours every week have become a meditation for me—a time when I can focus on a single goal guided by my personal mantra of "intention and purpose." What are my intentions at this moment? My purpose? How am I manifesting them?
The meditation time usually begins with menu planning and grocery shopping—thinking about client needs, what can be prepared within the time period, and of course, special requests. As soon as I am in the kitchen, I gather the ingredients, sharpen my knives (a meditation within a meditation). I set myself up for success by preheating the oven, pulling out all of the pots and pans I need, and diving right into the mix.
For the family of two adults and two children, I prepare three main dishes like fried chicken breasts, braised pork chops, and meatloaf and at least three side dishes. I want the proteins to get as much time to marinate, so I season them first to sit while I prep aromatics like mirepoix for a beef stew or the holy trinity I use for my braised collard greens.
I par-cook vegetable side dishes like broccoli and string beans by steaming and cooling them until I am ready to saute them in butter and garlic, as one of my last acts. Dishes like this balance out with others that require more hands-on work and longer cook times. I also like to plan a balance of stovetop and oven cooking, if not more of the latter. And always clean during my downtime.
Before I know it, I look up and I have six plus dishes in front of me. I bring my meditation to a close as I wipe down the kitchen, sweep, and store the food in the refrigerator. Intention and purpose have been reached. Namaste. | | | | | | | | | | My Go-To Meal Prep Recipes | | | | | | | | | | | The Spruce Eats on YouTube | | | | | | | | | |
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