Main Characteristics of the New Art of Cooking
Animals are eating food more or less in its original state; only human
meals are creations which do not exist in nature. If we observe dishes we
consume with a deeper attitude from what we do usually, we'll notice how
their ingredients often very radically change their basic features through
the treatments in the kitchen. For example, if we compare raw and cooked
rice, we can notice big changes in its inner structure, degree of moisture,
taste, etc. But the transformation of ingredients and creation of dishes –
although they are two indispensable parts of cooking – are not enough for a
new art of cooking. For cooking is an indispensable part of human evolution
and in human history there existed many cooking masters and mistresses; this
means that we already have an art of cooking. What we refer to is a new
approach to the art of cooking in comparison with the traditional one. If we
want to grasp the difference we need to focus on the question: "What is
guiding us in our choices of food ingredients, methods of cooking, and the
types of dishes and meals we prepare?"
There is plenty of evidence that our choices of food and ways of cooking [1] are
to a great measure dependent on our personal eating preferences, imparted
habits, and the cultural environment. Besides, our choices are influenced
also by our understanding of the world and the human being, and with our
attitude to the animal, plant and mineral kingdoms that are providing us
with the food. However, who can say that s/he really understands the process
of photosynthesis which is going on in the plants with the help of the light
and which has crucial significance for the whole food chain? Although
science helped to uncover many secrets of nature, we still do not grasp the
essence of life. Therefore science itself doesn't suffice when we want to
comprehend the secrets of the world existence. "Goethe [2] repeatedly pointed out how a person
who approaches the secrets of nature also longs for the worthiest
interpreter of these secrets – art. In all his works throughout his long
life Goethe showed that for him art was the interpreter of truth. It may be
said, in fact, that in exemplifying this view Goethe discovered something
that has always been a basic conviction, a fundamental theme, in all ages
and epochs of human evolution. More or less consciously or unconsciously the
different arts present us with the different 'languages' that express
certain truths living in the human soul. These are often the most secret
truths, the most secret insights, which cannot be easily reduced to rigid
concepts or abstract formulae but seek artistic expression." [3]
We need to stress here that an artistic approach that excludes science
and spirituality cannot lead us to the real truth. For example, in cooking
we are using the products of nature [4] which
are investigated by various branches of natural science with the aim to
understand their impacts on human being's health or illness. Many
professional cooks are simply not taking into account these aspects of
nutrition – what is important to them is artistic culinary creation and the
positive effects on the sense of vision, smell, taste, etc. It seems they
are not interested in the more hidden impacts of their artistic creations on
the physical bodies of those people who eat them.
On the other side we have nutritional guidelines or approaches which are
based solely on the discoveries of scientific investigations. But "if you remain within the world of
physical existence, you will be unable to penetrate the essential being of
man or of any kingdom of nature. You cannot become an artist.
True art must
be created out of the spiritual. There is no other solution. As soon
as we touch upon the problem of man, any perception of just the physical world
has no answer to life's questions. If we are to return to the fountain-head of art
and artistic creativity we must recover insight into the spiritual world."
[5]
This is true also for the art of cooking. If we want to renew it we need
to start with the recognition that "in a work of art everything depends upon
the degree to which an artist has implanted the idea in matter (material form) .
Not what he handles, but how he handles it, is the important point. In artistic creation
nothing must be left upon which the artist has not impressed his own
spirit." [6] This means that those cooks who wish to
work in the spirit of the new art of cooking have to aim to permeate
whatever they do also with the knowledge of the spiritual realities of
existence. For that reason they need to continually strive to expand and
deepen their existing understanding of the human being and the role of
nutrition. This is an essential condition in the age of
consciousness soul when we must strive in
all domains of existence to "understand with full consciousness what resounded instinctively in the
Mysteries of old," [7]
in the spiritual centres of the old cultures where they carefully nurtured
and transmitted the spiritual knowledge from one generation to the next,
including with insights about the effects of food on human being.
"In earlier times, artists were connected to the significance of the
cosmic order in dim consciousness without knowing it. But art would perish,
it would not be able to continue, were it not that, in the future,
spiritual
science as a new form of knowledge will bring a new foundation to the arts.
Unconscious art has become a thing or the past. Art that allows itself to be
inspired by spiritual science stands at the beginning of its development.
Although artists in the past did not need to know what stood at the basis of
their art work, artists in the future will have to know, but they will have
to know by means of powers that are capable of presenting something out of the full
content of the soul. In the future, humankind will find how to create the
possibility, the artistic materials and means, to bring to expression in and
for the outer world what otherwise can be read from the spiritual memory of
the world" [8] by those who have the abilities to access it.
This holds true also for the art of cooking.
Thus the holistic approach to cooking must integrate art, science and
spirituality. When this thought takes root in our souls, not as a theory,
not as a doctrine, but as living insight, then we shall feel the great
significance of spiritual-scientific explanations of the nature of the human
being and the role of nutrition, for these explanations enable us to connect
our soul and spirit intimately with the totality of the universe and in this
manner transform one of the most ordinary daily activities into a sacred art
of cooking. Then the kitchen can become our 'art studio' – a place of
implementation of alchemical transformations and new artistic creations
which will contribute its part to the healing of humanity.
The Art of Cooking as a Social Art
From the descriptions given so far we can see that a true artistic
approach in the kitchen is not due to the fact that we take various food
ingredients in various forms and compose them in more or less unique
fashions [9],
but it's due to the fact that we do this work in a state of conscious
awareness of spiritual forces working behind everything material. For that purpose we do not need to become
clairvoyant; what is
necessary is to nurture the "inclination to reflect about what we see or to
let the spirit of things live in our souls. We need to digest our
impressions spiritually by thinking about them, and by forming concepts
about the underlying spiritual foundation or the world. To the extent that a
person tries to work on things in the outer world through spiritual ideas,
concepts, and feeling of beauty, that person" [10] –
whenever prepares a meal with such attitude – performs an activity which we
can designate as new art of cooking whenever we prepare a meal with such
attitude. There is a great difference between the work performed in the mood
of materialistic attachment to the world of senses and the work inspired by
spiritual ideas and contents. For "an artistic, that is a creative impulse,
operates whenever clear consciousness works directly out of inner life"
[11]
of the soul.
Thus we nurture and stimulate our artistic creativity, but for a
holistic approach this is not yet enough. We also need to take into account
scientific facts about food ingredients, and processes involved in food
production, preparation and digestion. We need to integrate in our work
scientific objectivity – that is, the approach that looks at the facts
without assumptions and prejudices, and waits with conclusions until they
are confirmed by multiple evidence. [12] For
that purpose we need to develop capacity for clear thinking, because "our
times demands that we see things as they are, with all their angles and
contours." [13] This
is something that the existence of the physical world enables us to do; this
we can learn with the help of modern science.
When we succeed to combine nutritional information offered by science,
artistic attitude to the preparation of food, and nutritional insights
enabled by spiritual science then we truly have a new approach to the art of
cooking. But this new art of cooking cannot exist on its own; it can exist
only if it works hand in hand with a new approach to the food production,
healing, and education. For we need collaboration of all these activities if
we want to achieve positive results. Because of their holistic approach we
can regard these activities as new forms of art. But even this is not yet
the end of cooperation with other branches. Whenever we prepare meals for
other people we are also part of a community. For that reason the new art of
cooking demands also new social skills. Because of this we need to become
familiar with specific principles of the working of the social organism.
Although this realm is as complicated as the realm of nutrition, we do need
to mention some aspects of social challenges in the present time.
[14]
As is described in THE RITE OF A COMMON MEAL we live now in a time of
gradual transition from old forms of society based on consanguinity to the
new forms of society that will be composed of free individuals. That means
that new communities do not have traditional hierarchical structures any
more, but are connected by the common vision and common interests. One of
the most important attributes of new communities is their division into
three independent domains where we need to use different means of
collaboration:
- Cultural domain encompass all activities which
enable personal development of each individual, such as education,
research, formation of the worldview, expression through various forms
of art, etc. Here we need to respect the freedom of each person to
choose and follow their own interests.
- Legal domain encompassing all mutual agreements, rules and standards
that are valid for all members of the community. Here we are all equal: each
person has the right to participate in the formation and adoption of
agreements, and each is obliged to respect them later.
- Economic domain encompasses all activities which enable the
production of goods and services for the needs of the community. Here is
valid the principle of cooperation and rightful distribution of all
profits made by the members of the community in question. Each member
contributes his/her work in accordance with his/her abilities, and
his/her needs are satisfied from that what was created by the work of
the whole community.
Here is available an approach that enables us to finally overcome
traditional hierarchical structures of rulership and implement three ideals
of the French Revolution: freedom–equality–brotherhood. This can happens
only if we understand social organism in the light of spiritual science
which enables us to gain insights into what is necessary to develop in the
present time if we want to be a part of the progressive stream of the human
evolution. If we wish to overcome old hierarchical structures which are
still predominant in traditional and modern societies, then we need to use
the so-called 'royal social art'. It is called
royal art
because it presents the foundation that enables the existence of communities
of the free individuals, and the organisation of all domains in the life of such communities in the spirit of
ethical individualism.
Perhaps this is nowhere more evident than in the realm of nutrition where we
are confronted with the challenge of finding the best diet for ourselves; we
can do this either alone or by following this or that nutritional authority
who defend this or that version of 'the most healthy diet'. However, if we
want to become really free in this realm, we need to take matters into our
own hands and develop our own abilities of distinction among all that is offered.
The development of our own talents will have an additional positive
effect. "As the rose beautifies herself, she beautifies the garden. And
if we don't attempt to develop all our faculties we will have little success
in helping" [15] other people. We all can become
artists in whatever we do with the expansion of our spiritual awareness and
with conscious development of our talents and skills. If we transfer this to
the kitchen situation then we can say: "If I want to be a real artist also
in my cooking and baking then I need to work on perfecting myself as much as
I can." We can improve ourselves if we are continually striving to acquire
new insights, if we never stop with expanding and deepening our
understanding of the world. Only in this way will we develop inside us the
powers that will enable us to help other human beings in the best possible
way every time we create a meal for other members of a community to which we
belong.
For complementary perspectives see:
♦ DEVELOPMENT OF NEW EATING 'INSTINCTS'
♦ PATH TOWARDS NEW FOOD CULTURE
♦ THE NEW ALCHEMY OF COOKING
DIETARY CONCLUSIONS & PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS
We will mention – even it is quite obvious – that each 'cook-to-be' need
to develop first practical skills of cooking –
that is, methods and techniques – as a 'painter-to-be' must first learn the
skills of painting. This is an indispensable part in the process of
acquisition of new skills, otherwise we cannot cook well. On the other
hand, we can have all the cooking skills, but without inner spiritual work
we are just imitators of existing role-models, new trends or creations from the past.
Those who cook can ask themselves: "Where do I usually get ideas
for the meals?" One very common source is the traditional recipes
passed from generation to generation with the help of oral tradition or
cooking books. Another source is the innovations of those people who have
created new recipes and then spread them around in the same manner. But the
new art of cooking is asking for conscious striving for inclusion of
NINE ASPECTS OF A HEALTHY MEAL. If we look at these aspects we can
notice in the middle the aspect of 'Harmonising' which refers to the task of
the creative balancing of all general and individual aspects which affect
the final quality of the meal. As explained in
THE RITE OF A COMMON MEAL it is a real challenge to create a meal which
will satisfy individual needs and food preferences of all eaters. But here
is opened, at the same time, space for artistic creativity which is emerging
from the necessity of the real life situation. Besides, we need to be aware
that there is no one single solution, for example, two different cooks can
create in the same situation two different balanced/healthy meals.
Usually those who cook are focusing on creating attractive and tasteful
dishes which will be satisfying to people who eat. And those who eat are
judging the outcomes by their senses of vision, smell, warmth, taste, and
touch (which is experienced in the mouth cavity when they chew the food). [16]
Those who cook and those who eat should not forget that we live in times where the
majority of humanity is suffering under the heavy weight of health problems
related to modern nutrition. Therefore it is not enough to rely on physical
senses alone; what is needed is an holistic understanding of the human being
and the role of nutrition and that which really nourishes us in the food.
The true art of cooking has to become also an art of healing!
[17]
If there are cooks interested in the new, holistic art of cooking, they
can start with their work in a domestic kitchen, in a community kitchen, or
in a public restaurant. How much it is possible to achieve depends, of
course, on the level of interest and the number of people involved.
♣ For some practical guidelines see
Conscious Co-Creation of New Food Culture
♣ For practical aspects of the
new art of cooking see GENERAL NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES
WARNING: You always have to put the above
practical dietary instructions inside the framework of
GENERAL NUTRITIONAL
GUIDELINES with the aim to know their limits when looking for a solution
of a specific nutritional problem. You also need to be familiar with
THE ROLE OF NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES
with the aim to avoid any one-sided conclusions.
