Upon visiting The Contemplative Cook, there will be a warm welcome and the offer of a hot beverage before sitting down at Alissa Price’s kitchen table for a chat.
Over a cup of tea she tells me that people who book a mindfulness cooking session with her may do so for personal reasons – some are hoping to learn how to prepare a specific dish and others are interested in the experience – but she can’t really say what motivates them deep down.
She says although food is the entry point for the conversation, for her mindful cooking is more about the process of preparing something in a way that allows one to experience all of the sensory opportunities presented, from the steeping of the tea, to the measuring of ingredients and using one’s hands to wield tools or mix dough.
“It’s a calming process from start to finish,” says Price.
During my visit to Price’s Dunedin home, we made brown butter cookies topped with edible flowers grown by New Life Farms in Chatsworth.
While the dough is chilling, Price puts out a spread of her homemade artisanal goodies – sourdough bread with soft cheese made from yogurt and preserved in wild leek infused olive oil; chicken liver paté topped with cherry basil chutney; and some of her precious handmade butter.
One of her favourite things to do is make preserves. She says she seeks out small scale growers, often forming a personal connection with them, and when possible picks the fruit herself. She sets aside a whole day to prepare and jar the fruit, pickle, or tomato sauce knowing that at an opportune time she will be able to access the flavours and the colours of the season preserved in the jar to make a meal or gift to a friend.
The Contemplative Cook initiative is inspired by Mary’s Kitchen, a local movement started by Price that resulted in a big group of volunteers that would prepare meals for people who needed support. This new project, says Price, is a little more aligned with her personality. A little introverted, she says she enjoys the act of cooking with one or two people, so she can be more herself.
The act of mindful cooking is about noticing the details – the texture, flavours, colours and smells. It hones the focus and forces one to be present.
“Cooking naturally lends itself to a mindfulness practice,” says Price.
After a 20-year career as a sign language interpreter, Price now works as a nanny and cook. She has had formal education and training in meditation and mindfulness, and looks to integrate the lessons learned in more formal settings into every day life.
The hope is that people leave a session with the Contemplative Cook with something that they made but also with a sense of peace, and an awareness of how it was achieved. She says practising mindfulness can slowly shift a person’s perspective over time.
“The kitchen really is the place where it all comes together,” says Price. “Going through the rhythm of cooking helps direct our attention to something nourishing and beautiful.”
The Contemplative Cook is offering three spring cooking sessions options: the brown butter cookies, rhubarb jam, or spring pea and leek soup with sourdough bread. For more information, visit thecontemplativecook.com.