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Toward a Right Relationship with Food A Learning Module for Excellence in Community Kitchens by Jonathan Mooney & Katessa Harkey 1

Toward a Right Relationship with Food

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Using this learning module, explore various aspects of running a successful Community Kitchen for diverse populations. Deepen your practice as a hearthkeeper, exploring the topics of Spirituality & food culture; basic nutrition; kitchen planning & documentation; and ethics.

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Page 1: Toward a Right Relationship with Food

Toward

a

Right Relationship with Food

A Learning Module for

Excellence

in Community Kitchens

by Jonathan Mooney & Katessa Harkey

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Table of Contents:

Introduction 3

Sharing Food Stories 3

Introduction to Community Food Service 4

Spirituality & Food Culture 6

● Judaism…………………………………………………………● Christianity……………………………………………………..● Islam……………………………………………………………● Hinduism……………………………………………………….● Buddhism………………………………………………………● Indigenous Practices……………………………………………● Syncretic Practices……………………………………………...

791113151719

Community Kitchen Planning 26

● Meal Plan……………………………………………………...● Base Recipes List………………………………………………● Equipment Inventory………………………………………….● Provisions Sheet………………………………………………..● Budget & Expenditures…………………………………………● Order of Work………………………………………………….

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Fundamentals of Nutrition 38

● Concerning Diet……………………………………………….● Micronutrients: Vitamins & Minerals………………………….

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Food Ethics & the Community Kitchen 46

Closing Thoughts 48

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Introduction

Our fields of professional and personal experience are related directly to the practical application of nutrition in cooking for large groups. Jonathan received training as a professional chef at Western Culinary, which included considerations of nutritious cooking and special diets; and has since worked in food service. Katessa has been cooking for special diets from a young age, owing to overlapping illnesses in a large household. She has continued cooking for communal households and catering special events (private parties and festivals) into the present. Katessa and Jonathan share a commitment to a holistic approach to nutrition which asks, “As ecosexuals, how can we be in right relationship with food?” We invite you to explore with us this fundamental question of life, in a journey that will take a lifetime to answer.

Brightest Blessings,J. Mooney & K.S. Harkey

Sharing Food Stories

Food plays an important role in the creation of culture. For many families, the sharing of a common meal is the daily ritual that binds the group together as a unit. Major life events and holidays are marked by feasts, fasts, taboos, symbolization and overindulgence. When a new neighbor comes to town or an old friend loses a loved one, a proper expression of care in either case is the gift of food.

We require nourishment for life; and spend a great deal of our time over the course of our lifetimes engaged in the earning, collection, preparation and consumption of food. It should go without saying, therefore, that food and culture are intrinsically linked. The way that we engage with the food we eat will be influenced by the underlying philosophies and assumptions communicated to us primarily through early life experiences; and/or significant formative events to do with food.

What memories flood your mind when you consider the subject of food-in-general? Perhaps you have happy family memories of a grandmother or grandfather who cooked for you; or special holiday meals that brought everyone to the table. If you were less fortunate, perhaps your stronger early memories are of box dinners hastily prepared; or nights of little to nothing at all. Early food scarcity can leave painful scars and deep fears. Rest assured that you are not alone and you do not need to hide these truths about your experience from others. If your food experiences have tended to be painful, cultivating positive moments of joy with food is that much more important to the practice of developing a right relationship with food.

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Exercise:Choose one food story, a single memory of an event that was formative to the way you

have tended to treat food over the course of your life. This need not be the way you currently interact with your food. Take the time to meditate upon this food memory, recalling as many physically describable details as possible: the color, the smell, the tastes and flavors. Where were you when you had this food experience? Did you have it alone, or were there others with you? How did this experience affect your relationship with food? You may write about these things in your journal if it is helpful. Prepare yourself to share your food story with the group as a way of introducing yourself and opening up to shared honest learning over the course of the intensive. Each participant will get 3-5 minutes to share.

Introduction to Community Food Service

When we are cooking in a group, as we must in order to accomplish service for large community events, it is important to cultivate a shared commitment to excellence and sensitivity to group needs in order to maintain a positive working atmosphere. Ideally, careful pre-planning will allow for smooth operations in general so that the environment remains joyful and stress-free. From an energetic model of practice, the emotions of the chefs might well end up in the food.

The primary virtue necessary in the community cooking environment is trust. We develop this by truly considering the consequences of our actions on those with whom we are working and on the overall event or community that we are serving. Because we are working to produce an actual finished product on a given deadline, certain practical considerations must always be kept in mind.

The first key to developing trust is respect for scheduling. This means showing up a little early so as to be prepared to begin work on time. The number of team members needed to complete tasks on schedule is one of the calculations considered in the preparatory phase. If a team member doesn’t show up (or communicate the need for a substitution in case of illness) other team members will have to compensate by working more hurriedly, which may make the environment more stressful and can lead to mistakes and accidents. If multiple team members fail to appear, it may not be possible to complete the meal and serve it out on time, potentially throwing off the schedule of the entire event.

We must also take care to remain generous and kind with one another. In a large scale cooking environment, communications must often be kept short and direct. Try to remember to use “please” and “thank you” as a matter of good habit. Conversely, try not to take it personally if communications are short; the heat is on; or tempers are frayed. Cooking under a deadline can be very stressful. Sometimes it is slow enough to chat while we work, while other tasks require our full attention. Sometimes, we must suddenly react to a situation, interrupting a side conversation. We can help support ourselves and one another by adjusting our communication expectations to the kitchen environment.

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It is important to maintain a cleanly and orderly kitchen. Obviously, our first concern must be food safety; but it is equally important to return ingredients and equipment to their proper places so that they may be found later by other team members. Pay attention when you

get out a piece of equipment. If you are not sure where something goes, it is far better to ask the kitchen manager than to put it away in the wrong place. Similarly, make sure that ingredients are fully closed; containers are externally clean; and that they are properly stored away in the place they belong- cold foods in the refrigerator and everything else organized on pantry shelves by item type. Share in the general responsibilities of kitchen maintenance such as waste sorting and disposal cheerfully and without needing to be asked. Leave any station on which you work clean and prepared for the next worker to use.

Finally, communicate clearly and honestly your capacities and the limitations thereof. If the kitchen manager asks you to chop vegetables but you do not know how to properly use a kitchen knife, say so. If someone uses a culinary term (such as “sauté or “julienne”) and you aren’t 100% certain what it means, ask for clarification. If you are not comfortable around fire, ask someone else to light the propane stove. If a task would be harmful for you to take on due to physical incapacity or ailment, say so. Community food service should be joyful and should not lead to suffering, accidents or injury.

Exercise:Journal about any of the following question:

● What has your experience in foodservice (hearthkeeping) been like?

● What kinds of kitchen situations are stressful for you? Joyful?

● What skills in food preparation do you have or lack?

● Why are you drawn to community food service?

● What are your favorite meals to prepare for or with a group?

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Spirituality and Food Culture

Above: A feast spread prepared and laid out to follow an initiation ritual. Culture, Spirituality and food go hand in hand.

Customs related to food make up a significant portion of a given group’s collective identity. Variations in geography have, until very recently, dictated the types of foodstuffs available to the people inhabiting whatever area. These differences have in their turn been reflected in the taboos, recommendations, and symbolic mythic meanings of food within local and regional traditional systems. Diet has been a consideration of metaphysical philosophers since the earliest surviving spiritual texts. Conventions governing food are sacred as opposed to secular in most cultures. That is, failing to abide by these customs is a form of religious error.

In our modern era, with proliferation of access to goods from around the world and the blending of cultures made thereby possible, regions are demarcated with reference to the “dominant” culture. Food customs and availability in stores and establishments will reflect the desires of the majority of the area unless restrictions are imposed by an external authority through bureaucracy, cronyism, sanctions or disenfranchisement. In fact, denying a group access

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to its culturally preferred foods is a method of forcing assimilation, as it is a direct attack upon personal cultural identity.

Following are brief introductions to the food cultures associated with the “major” (statistically dominant) world religions; followed by examples from other traditions. Examining each in turn, look for the ways in which the components of food culture operate: taboos, prescriptions, mythic symbolization and ritual activity. By understanding the formations of spirituality and food culture from the past, we may begin to re-imagine the food culture we desire for ourselves and our collective future.

JudaismIn traditional Judaism, the complex and intricate food culture has served to bind together

the community through repeated diasporas. Because kosher foods must be prepared in specific ways and examined and certified by members of a priestly caste, Jewish communities had to maintain their own separate food supply chains from those of the cultures they found surrounding them. These prescriptions and prohibitions are intricately detailed in the Torah; the system has been further developed and detailed over the centuries through rabbinical commentaries. One distinctive feature of the kosher laws is the definition of cleanly and humane meat slaughtering practices.

Most holidays and the weekly Sabbath have their own taboos and required menu items; such as unleavened bread and wine. The calendar of feasting and fasting holidays serve to bind together the larger community practicing together at a given synagogue; microcosmically, the weekly Seder, the ritually prepared and served dinner meal on the Sabbath, fulfills the same function within the family unit. Besides the well-known system of taboos, Jewish food culture includes a rich tradition of food blessings, including specific blessings for different types of food spoken before and after the consumption of meals including these food item categories.

Jewish Food Blessings :

The prayer Brachah Rishonah (preceding blessing) always begins with the same lines, but ends differently based upon the category of food being blessed. If the meal is eaten with bread, the blessing is said over the bread and wine and is considered to bless the entire meal. Otherwise, if the food to be eaten includes more than one category, there are extensive commentaries on how one figures out which Brachah to recite. Each should only be recited once over a given plate of food or meal. If more than one food item of a given category is present, a representative food item is selected as the one that actually “receives” the blessing for the lot. Typically, this is the one the speaker most desires to eat (again, with extensive commentary on proper selection). There is a complementary system of closing prayers spoken after the meal is eaten (not shown). Foods are blessed in the order appearing on the chart.

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The prayer begins:

“BA-RUCH A-TAH A-DO-NOI

ELO-HAI-NU ME-LECH HA-O-LAM…

(Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d,

King of the Universe…)

and continues in accordance with the following chart; information from the “Basic Blessing on Food Guide” (Reprinted with permission from Chabad.org):

Food Type

Completing Line

Translation

Breads made from wheat, barley, rye, oat or spelt

HA-MO-TZI LE-CHEM MIN HA-A-RETZ.

Who brings forth bread from the earth.

Cakes, cereals, cookies, doughnuts, and pasta

BO-RAI MI-NAI ME-ZO-NOT

Who creates various kinds of sustenance.

Wine, grape juice BO-RAI PRI HA-GA-FEN. Who creates the fruit of the vine.

Fruits from permanent trees, Grapes, Nuts

BO-RAI PRI HA-AITZ. Who creates the fruit of the tree.

Vegetables from the ground, legumes, and some fruits such as bananas, melons, and pineapples

BO-RAI PRI HA-A-DA-MAH.

Who creates the fruit of the earth

Candy, dairy, eggs, fish, liquids, meat, mushrooms and everything else

SHE-HA-KOL NI-H'YAH BI-D'VA-RO.

by Whose word all things came to be.

(There is a complementary system of closing blessings, not shown.)

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ChristianityIn Christian homes, one of the two most commonly observed daily rituals is prayer before

mealtimes, expressing gratitude to the Creator much the same as Jewish food blessings. At more formal or communal meals, a prayer to end the meal may also be spoken.

Christianity broke from its Jewish roots partially by dispensing with the system of food taboos in order to appeal to potential converts from other cultures. In the context of the Roman occupation of Jerusalem the Roman Empire was a vast power. People of many different cultures carried their traditions along the Roman trade routes. While Rome benefitted financially from taxation of annexed peoples the burden of this taxation left formerly subsistence populations impoverished and hungry.

Many events of the Gospels involved food, including the miracle of changing water to wine; feeding a multitude with the loaves and fishes; and the cursing the fig tree. Notably, prior to beginning his ministry Jesus wandered in the wilderness fasting for forty days, before Satan appeared to tempt him; the first thing he was tempted with was bread. At the very end of his ministry, we find him seated around a Passover table with his disciples, blessing the bread and wine: the Last Supper vignette, which inspired the Christian Sacrament.

Christians are encouraged to come together to break bread and to open their homes in hospitality, even to the wandering stranger. The early church held property in common and was directed to take care of the poor, widows and orphans in their midst. Today, churches regularly host communal meals, sometimes called “Love Feasts”. They also often host soup kitchens and food pantries to distribute food and kindness to those suffering from hunger and loneliness. In the Mormon church, any family in need may speak to the Relief Society president (the lady’s auxiliary) and order food free of charge through the church; as the church maintains its own full supply chain.

Taboos and feast days vary a great deal by denomination. Traditionally, Roman Catholics do not eat flesh of meats other than fish on Fridays. They have a vast liturgical calendar with most days of the year dedicated to one or more Saint. While Protestants observe no food taboos, fasting as a practice is encouraged especially during Lent or the forty days leading up to Pentecost. Some sects forbid the consumption of alcohol; and may serve grape juice in place of wine in the Sacrament. In their additional canonical text “The Word of Wisdom” Mormons are forbidden from consuming alcohol and “hot beverages”, usually interpreted as coffee and tea.

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Christian Food Blessings:

Opening:(Make the Sign of the Cross.)Bless us, oh Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Make the Sign of the Cross.)

Closing:(Make the Sign of the Cross.)We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all Thy benefits, and for the poor souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, may they rest in peace. Amen.(Make the Sign of the Cross.)

- Catholic Traditional

The Lord is good to meAnd so I thank the Lordfor giving me the things I need:the sun, the rain, and the apple seed.The Lord is good to me.

- Children’s Traditional

Opening:Come, Lord Jesus, be our Guest, and let Thy gifts to us be blessed. Amen.

Closing:O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever. Amen.

-Lutheran Traditional

God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen.- Traditional

Some hae meat and canna eat,And some wad eat that want it;But we hae meat, and we can eat,And sae let the Lord be thankit.

- “The Selkirk Grace”; Scottish Traditional

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IslamIslam observes similar food taboos to those found in Judaism, but the term for acceptable

foods is halal, while forbidden foods are haram. While very similar, the kosher laws are slightly more restrictive than halal; so that while all kosher food is halal (except that it hasn’t been examined where necessary by a Rabbi), not all halal food is kosher. Islam additionally prohibits the consumption of alcohol. The most restrictive interpretations prohibit the Muslim from sitting down to a table or eating in any establishment in which haram foods are served. Generically, Muslims are encouraged to eat in community.

What does Islam have to say about vegetarianism?“Having said all this, the Prophet said “the master of all foods is the meat” Meat

is a highly nutritious diet, as doctors testify. There is no prohibition to be vegetarian in Islam, but any practising Muslim will come across meat on many Islamic occasions when meat is provided. For example, the sacrifice of sheep and distribution to the poor at the end of Hajj (pilgrimage). It should also be noted that it is not obligatory to eat meat in Islam (Majid).” Observing fasting is the fourth Pillar of Islam, and is intended to remind the Practitioner

to be grateful to Allah for the good things in life; and to remind him of they that must endure in poverty- encouraging the virtue and practice of charity. Fasting may also be performed to expiate sins. Significant dates on the liturgical calendar are recommended for fasting; weekly, Mondays and Thursdays are recommended, while Fridays are inauspicious. During the holy month of Ramadan, observant Muslims do not eat until after the sun has set. Communities and/or families will typically gather in the evenings to eat collectively, as part of the sacred proceedings of the season. Ramadan represents a period of purification and refocusing on the spiritual life, and is completed with the feast Eid al-Fitr. Other celebrations vary by region and include Eid al-Udha, in celebration of the story of the sacrifice of Abraham; and Maulud n'Nabi (Mohammad's Birthday).

“Then eat of what Allah has provided for you which is lawful and good. And

be grateful for the favor of Allah, if it is indeed Him that you worship.”

- Sahih International Quran, 16:114

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Islamic Food Blessings:

Islamic food blessings are not spoken aloud; each individual recites the appropriate blessing in his mind.

Opening:Allahomma barik lana fima razaqtana waqina athaban-nar. Bismillah.(Oh Allah! Bless the food You have provided us and save us from the punishment of the hellfire. In the name of Allah.)

Bismillahi wa barakatillah. (In the name of Allah and with the blessings of Allah.)

Bismillah. (In the name of Allah.)

Closing:

Alhamdulillah il-lathi at'amana wasaqana waja'alana Muslimeen. (Praise be to Allah Who has fed us and given us drink, and made us Muslims.)

Alhamdulillah. (Praise be to Allah.)

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Hinduism“A love of nature and the importance of living a simple, natural life are the basis

of Hinduism... the Hindu faith encompasses a number of health beliefs and dietary practices arising from the idea of living in harmony with nature and having mercy and respect for all of God’s creations.”

-Gihan ElGindy, RN, MSN

Modern Hinduism is a synthesis of many specific religious traditions and practices, and describes a philosophy or point of view rather than any monolithic doctrines. In Vedic-era society, the caste system dominated the people’s way of life. Only male householders or those of the Brahmin caste were expected to devote any major portion of their lives to the quest for enlightenment, or moksha- freedom from the cycle of reincarnation. Right action in this life was determined by one’s dharma, or destiny dictated by karma- the energetic consequences of actions taken in past lives. One was presumed to have been born into one’s caste for this reason.

Right diet was tied directly to the activities in which one’s role caused him to partake, whether physical labor or the spiritual quest for moksha. Right diet was therefore a matter of svadharma (contextual duty) rather than Sanatana dharma (eternal spiritual truth). Most of the commentaries (written by brahmins and yogis) on right diet are assuming the quest for moksha (spiritual perfection) as the goal.

Generically, beef and pork are expressly prohibited in the Vedas; and a vegetarian diet is recommended and encouraged in light of compassion for the suffering of the animals. Cows are sacred as they produce substances used ritually, including milk. Dairy products allow humans to have full access to animal-based nutrients without requiring death or suffering. Vedic literature describes three categories of food: Tamasic (Spoiled or otherwise impure)- thought to produce vices; Rajasic (Meat & Eggs; Spicy, Pungent and Sour foods)- thought to produce agitation; and Sattvic (Whole Grains, Nuts, Fruits & Vegetables)- thought to produce spiritual harmony.

Hindus engage in food blessing by first offering the food ceremonially to a deity, some of which only accept Sattvic foods. Depending on region and personal practice, this may either be a silent pre-meal prayer; a communal sung mantra; through to quite elaborate spectacle, especially for celebrations of holidays and communal meals. In Hindu culture, shrines and altars are ubiquitous, and usually host the idol of the deity to which the family or establishment is devoted. Serving meals ritually to the idol is considered a form of Bhakti yoga, or devotional work. Food which has been offered in this way is thought to be transformed by the deity into prasad; or food with the power to nourish the soul as well as the body.

“By His immense transcendental energies, Krsna can actually convert matter into spirit. If we place an iron rod in a fire, before long the rod becomes red hot and acts just like fire. In the same way, food prepared for and offered to Lord Krsna with love and devotion becomes completely spiritualized. Such food is called Krsna-prasadam, which means “the mercy of Lord Krsna (Prabhupada 315).”

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Hindu Food Blessings :

May the Lord accept this, our offering, and bless our food that it may bring us strength in our body, vigor in our mind, and selfless devotion in our hearts for His service.

- Swami Paramananda

Above: The Hindu god Ganesha watches over an interfaith community kitchen.

Aum annapūrṇe sadāpūrṇe Śaṅkaraprāṇa vallabhe,

Jñānavairāgya siddhyarthaṁ bhikshāṁ dehi cha Pārvatī.

Mātā cha Pārvatī Devī pitā Devo Maheśvaraḥ,

Bāndhavāḥ Śiva bhaktāścha svadeśo bhuvanatrayam.

Aum pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṁ pūrṇātpūrṇam udachyate,

Pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇame vāva śishyate.

Aum śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ.

Aum Śivārpaṇamastu.

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(Aum, beloved Shakti of Siva, fullness everlasting and fully manifest as this food; O, Mother of the universe, nourish us with this gift of food so that we may attain knowledge, dispassion and spiritual perfection. Goddess Parvati is my mother. God Maheshvara is my father. All devotees of Siva are my family. All three worlds are my home. Aum, That is Fullness. Creation is fullness. From Divine Fullness flows this world’s fullness. This fullness issues from that Fullness, yet that Fullness remains full. Aum, peace, peace, peace. Aum, this I offer unto Siva.)

- A Bhojana Mantra

Brahmaarpanam Brahma HavirBrahmaagnau BrahmanaahutamBrahmaiva Tena GantavyamBrahma Karma Samaadhinaha.

Aham Vaishvaanaro BhutvaPraaninaam DehamaashrithaPraanaapaana Samaa YuktahaPachaamyannam Chatur Vidam.

(The whole creation being the gross projection of Brahman, the Cosmic Consciousness itself; the food too is Brahman, the process of offering it is Brahman; it is being offered in the fire of Brahman. He who thus sees that Brahman is action reaches Brahman alone.

I, the Supreme Spirit, abiding in the body of living beingsas the Fire (Vaiswanara) in their stomach I am associatedwith their Praana and Apaana, digest the four type of foods(solids, fluids, semi-fluid and liquid) which they eat.)

- Brahmarpanam Mantra; Bhagavad-gita IV:24, XV:14

BuddhismBuddhist food culture varies somewhat from region to region and between the Schools of

Buddhism. As with Christianity, food plays an important role in the story of Buddha’s enlightenment. Having been raised in a completely sheltered environment, Prince Siddhartha is nevertheless one day exposed to suffering, want and death. Fleeing the palace, he next devotes himself to a life of Vedic asceticism- constant fasting, yogic practices, chanting and breathwork. After seven years of this, a kind young woman offers Siddhartha a bowl of milk, which he accepts. The other ascetics are furious with him for breaking his vows, but Siddhartha receives his vision under the Bodhi tree of the “Middle Way”.

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Contrary to popular belief, there is no taboo against meat in general in early Buddhist literature. A few specific animals are declared off limits. However, the early Buddhists were wandering monks who were to accept with gratitude whatever alms, or gifts, were given to them. As Buddhists are to avoid causing suffering to other beings, dispute has arisen over the killing of animals for food. Unlike the Abrahamic religions, there is much diversity between schools and even individual monasteries as to which Sutras are treated as canonical. In some texts, monks in particular were instructed to not eat meat from an animal that was killed in order to feed monks. That is, they could accept alms of meat, but monasteries (a later development) could not keep animals for slaughter. As for the layman, it is oft left to the individual conscience of the practitioner.

Many Buddhists also practice the ceremonial offering of foods, as with the sect’s Hindu roots. This may be a regular part of meal blessing; or in the context of larger cultural feasts and festivals with attendant pomp and ceremony; or anything in between. One particular and common example of this is the practice of giving offerings of food to the “hungry ghosts”, that state of being into which a spirit may be born if he was in the previous incarnation consumed by greed. While these offerings are seen to actually feed these tortured spirits, the practice itself is meant to also appease the “hungry ghosts” within ones own person. Before a meal, each participants adds to the offering bowl from his or her own plate- replacing greed and attachment with the virtues of generosity and empathy. Festivals dedicated to the Hungry Ghosts are celebrated throughout Asia. Buddhist Food Blessings :

First, let us reflect on our own work and the effort of those who brought us this food.Second, let us be aware of the quality of our deeds as we receive this meal.Third, what is most essential is the practice of mindfulness, which helps us to transcend greed, anger and delusion.Fourth, we appreciate this food which sustains the good health of our body and mind.Fifth, in order to continue our practice for all beings we accept this offering

The first morsel is to cut all delusions.The second morsel is to maintain our clear mind.The third morsel is to save all sentient beings.May we awaken together with all beings.

- Gokan-no-ge (The Five Reflections); Zen Tradition

Wisely reflecting, I use this food not for fun, not for pleasure, not for fattening, not for beautification, but only for the maintenance and nourishment of this body, for keeping it healthy, for helping with the Spiritual Life;Thinking thus, I will allay hunger without overeating, so that I may continue to live blamelessly and at ease.

- Theravada Tradition

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The rays of the sun, moon and stars which nourish our bodies, and the five grains of the earth which nurture our spirits are all the gifts of the Eternal Buddha. Even a drop of water or a grain of rice is nothing but the result of meritorious work and hard labor. May this meal help us to maintain the health in body and mind, and to uphold the teachings of the Buddha to repay the Four Favors, and to perform the pure conduct of serving others. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Itadakimasu.

- Nichiren School

Indigenous PracticesIndigenous food cultures are more intrinsically tied to the geography and biomes in

which the people group lives. Observing in nature that which grows and thrives in the area, the group maximizes work efficiency and chances of survival by utilizing those sources which have proved most sustainable over time, through generations of trial and error. In the modern era, we call such practices permaculture. Particular rituals of an indigenous tribe will typically include reference to the staple food(s) of the group. For example, a tribe dependent on hunting may ritually enact the hunt prior, in order to encourage success.

In agricultural people groups, food rituals are typically tied to the harvest times of local crops. In America, modern earth-based practitioners have adopted the “Wheel of the Year”; a calendar using the Solstices, Equinoxes and cross-quarter days to approximate a complete harvest-based calendar; however, most localities only celebrated a handful of these festivals.

Moreover, these may have been more likely to occur when the harvest was ready (or the weather had changed, or “the wrens had returned to the trees”, et al.) rather than on a set date.

The process of colonization has made it flatly impossible for many indigenous peoples to practice their food cultures. Ecological devastation and the concept of land ownership itself have made it unlikely that tribes will ever again be allowed to live in accordance with their original ways of life. One tragic example is the fate of the bison, exterminated for the express purpose of starving the native peoples of the Great Plains. Once they could no longer follow the bison, their way of life was effectively erased- and the way was made to continue the process of forced assimilation.

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Nevertheless, indigenous practitioners continue with the core of their traditional beliefs. These generally include respect for the earth and the land which produces sustenance. Some honor particular divinities associated with the group specifically, particular foodstuffs or hearthkeeping in general. Some may instead or in addition recognize a “Great Spirit” by whatever name, a collective divinity who watches over all things. As with all cultures, significant days of the year or significant life events are associated with feasts, fasts, and traditional foods. In cities, communities will often organize to preserve the rites, customs, and food cultures of their ancestors.

Above: The Bull Run Reservoir, in a rare piece of untouched, pristine American wilderness. Portland, Oregon’s water supply.

“When folks – even strangers – would come to visit, our tutu (Hawaiian grandmothers) would always greet them as soon as they saw their visitors coming down the lane, with a big wave and warm, “Aloha!, “Mai!, Mai!, Hello! Come! Come!” In old Hawai`i, a dearly loved family member or friend would be greeted with a special

kāhea (chant of welcome). As soon as the visitors entered, our tutus would always offer them food and drink. Often there was too little to share, but they would always give what

little they had even if they had to go without. Taking care of guests first was very important. Our tutu wanted to make sure they were happy, comfortable, content and felt

welcome.”-Kahu Silva, Kahuna Practitioner

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Indigenous Food Blessings:

We return thanks to our mother, the earth, which sustains us.We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water.We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.We return thanks to the moon and stars, which have given to us their light when the sun was gone.We return thanks to the sun, that has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in Whom is embodied all goodness, and Who directs all things for the good of Her children. - Iroquois Prayer, adapted

Hail, hail, hail.May happiness come.May meat come.May corn come.Just as the farmers work,And look forward to the reaping,So may we sit again as we are sitting now.

-Gad people of Ghana

Syncretic Practices

"And forasmuch as meat and drink are transmuted in us daily into spiritual substance, I believe in the miracle of the Mass."

- Crowley, Creed of the E.G.C.

Syncretic traditions are those which have been comprised by taking parts of other traditions and blending them to create distinctive group or personal systems of practice. From one point of view, this describes nearly all spiritual traditions. For practical purposes, the term is used to describe such traditions that have developed recently enough that it is possible to “pick out” the origins of the various cultural components from contributing traditions. In some cases these conglomerate traditions occurred “naturally” as various people groups intermixed through relocation. In other cases, an individual or group formulated the system as a construct. Another form of syncretic practice occurs in blended families. All modern Hermetic practices, including Thelemic, Wiccan, New Age, and feminist spiritualities, are Syncretic in nature.

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Food culture within such traditions may be taken from a contributing tradition; may have components from multiple contributing traditions; or may be uniquely different from the food cultures contributed. For example, in New Orleans Voodoo (a particular localized synthesis of Haitian voodoo, Yoruban, Santeria/Catholic and Native American practices) food plays a very special role. Voodoo rests on a Spirit Model of magic, in which entities are evoked, invoked and/or banished as the circumstances of the moment require. Part of the ritual process of invoking an entity includes giving the entity the appropriate offerings, often of food and drink. As this tradition originated in the culture of the bayou these foods are often distinctly cajun fare, such as gumbo or red beans and rice.

Some spirits desire base ingredients, while others may require specific meals or intricate recipes. The preparation and consumption of these sacred meals often constitutes the bulk of the time spent in ritual action; for the preparation of the meal is part of the ritual. All ritual actions taken in service to an entity generate a quantity of ashe, the energetic “currency” of the spirit realm (Alvarado).”

As previously mentioned, American and British earth-based religious practitioners typically honor the “Wheel of the Year” liturgical calendar. Consisting of the astronomical Solstices, Equinoxes, and “cross-quarter” days, these solar festivals are marked by ritual which is often followed by or carried out as part of a feast. As these are agricultural festivals, the foods of the season are chosen for the meal. In British Traditional Wicca and other systems influenced by Gerald Gardner, an important ritual vignette is “Cakes and Wine” (alternatively, “Ale”); a sacrament made after the fashion of the Christian one; with its origins in

the Gnostic Mass of Aleister Crowley. The cakes represent the “body” of the earth, while the wine is the joy of life. The vignette is placed at the end of rituals and is thought to aid in Grounding (releasing the energy of the ritual). Fasting may be practiced before significant rituals in order to purify and prepare the self and increase ritual efficacy.

“Therefore, by seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit;

by life and love do we invoke thee to descend upon the body of this, thy servant & Priestess...”

- From the “Gnostic Mass” & “Drawing Down the Moon”

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Syncretic Food Blessings

For the beauty of the world, for the joyof human companionship in Home andLodge, for the grace and favour bestowedon our craft during this century, for foodand sustenance to strengthen us, we offerour thanks and praise to the Great Architectof the Universe.So mote it be.

- A Grace of the Freemasons

Marie Laveaux’s Hoppin’ John:

● 1 lb. Black-Eyed Peas● 8 slices Bacon, cut into fourths● 1 1/2 cups Onions, finely chopped● 1 cup celery, finely chopped● ½ cup bell pepper finely chopped● 2 1/2 quarts water● 2 cloves Garlic, minced● 1/8 teaspoon Thyme● 1 Bay Leaf● 1/8 teaspoon Rosemary● 1/2 teaspoon Salt● 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper● 2 cups Cooked Rice

Soak black-eyed peas overnight in water. Fry bacon in a heavy skillet until crisp. Add 1 1/2 cups onions, and cook until the onions are transparent. Add 2 1/2 quarts water, bring to boil. Add garlic cloves, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Drain peas and add the boiling mixture. Barely simmer mixture, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hour. Add 2 cups plain rice. Serve with crisp French bread. Enjoy!

-Traditional offering to Marie Laveaux (Alvarado, adapted)

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Cakes and Wine:High Priestess seated on Altar, God position.Magus, kneeling, kisses her feet, then knees, bows with head below her knees, extends arms along her thighs, and adores.Magus fills cup and offers it to High Priestess, who, holding Athame between palms, places point in cup.Magus says: "As the Athame is the male, so the cup is the female, and conjoined they bring blessedness."High Priestess lays Athame aside, and takes Cup and drinks, gives Cup to server, who puts a little in each glass.Magus presents Pentacle with cakes to High Priestess, saying, "Oh Queen most secret, bless this food unto our bodies, bestowing health, wealth, strength, joy and peace, and that fulfillment of love that is perpetual happiness".High Priestess blesses them with Athame, takes Cake and eats, while the Magus gives her the Cup again and kisses knees and adores.All sit as Witches, and invite High Priestess to join them.

- Gardnerian Book of Shadows, 1957 version

Saying Will:Leader: (knocks 3-5-3)All: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.Leader: What is thy will?All: It is my will to eat and to drink.Leader: To what end?All: That I may fortify my body thereby.Leader: To what end?All: That I may accomplish the Great Work.All: Love is the law, love under will.Leader: (knocks once) Fall to!- Aleister Crowley, first referenced in “Moonchild”

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Conclusions

Throughout the world, food plays an important role in spirituality and culture. While the particular details of the tradition in question and the types of food available vary dramatically, the core principles of a spiritually healthy diet vary little. Being in right relationship with food is treated as a devotional activity, an intrinsic part of the quest for spiritual attainment. The connection between overindulgence and ill-health is recognized, and therefore practitioners are encouraged to consume only what is needed for maintenance of the body.

Physically healthy, nutritious foods - including fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains- are emphasized. Where flesh is consumed, the ethical treatment of animals raised for meat is encouraged. The health and wellbeing of the body is prerequisite to the quest. Rituals remind the practitioner that his purpose in eating is ultimately toward divine ends, and encourage the virtues of gratitude and compassion. Eating in community is an opportunity to build strong and healthy relationships amongst the group. Special times are marked with feasting and/or fasting, dependent upon the solemnity or mirth of the occasion; or the rise and fall thereof.

By recognizing the similarities between our diverse food cultures, we can better construct meaningful and tolerant spiritual food practices; both systemically and for interfaith events and special occasions.

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Exercise:

Journal about any of the following questions:

● What food culture and traditions did you grow up with?● How does food culture play a part in your life now?● How does your spirituality affect your food choices?● What rituals related to food do you practice or have you practiced in the past?

References*Note: As the purpose of this document is to comment upon appropriate spiritual

practices as the diverse communities we serve currently conceive of them, modern commentators, autobiographers, and the websites of native professionals, cultural projects and non-profit organizations have been preferred as references in constructing these materials. It is our intention to allow minority voices to speak loudly and clearly for the cultures to which they belong.

Alvarado, Denise. "Favorite Food Offerings of the New Orleans Voodoo Saints and Spirits." Examiner.com. N.p., 27 Jan. 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. <http :// www . examiner . com / article / favorite - food - offerings - of - the - new - orleans - voodoo - saints - and - spirits >.

"Basic Blessings on Food Guide." Basic Blessings on Food Guide - The Brachot - Mitzvahs & Traditions. Chabad, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <http :// www . chabad . org / library / article _ cdo / aid /278538/ jewish / Basic - Blessings - on - Food - Guide . htm >.

"Brahmarpanam Brahma Havir." Prayer before Eating. International Sai Organization, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <http://www.sathyasai.org/devotion/prayers/brahmar.html>.

"Buddhism." Faith in Food. Faith in Food, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <http :// faithinfood . org / spirituality - food / buddhism / >.

ElGindy, Gihan, MSN, RN. "Hindu Dietary Practices: Feeding the Body, Mind and Soul." Minority Nurse. Minority Nurse, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <http :// www . minoritynurse . com / article / hindu - dietary - practices - feeding - body - mind - and - soul>.

Gardner, Gerald. "Cakes and Wine." Gardnerian Book of Shadows: Cakes and Wine. Internet Sacred Text Archive, 1957. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. <http://sacred-texts.com/pag/gbos/gbos27.htm>.

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"Grace for Use on Various Occasions." Grace for Use on Various Occasions. Museum of Freemasonry Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. <http :// www . masoniclibrary . org . au / index . php ? option = com _ content & view = article & id =87: grace - for - use - on - various - occasions & catid =23: lecture & Itemid =30 >.

"Hinduism." Faith in Food. Faith in Food, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <http :// faithinfood . org / spirituality - food / hinduism / >.

Katme, A. Majid, Dr. "Faith and Food." Faith and Food: The Way to Your Heart. Global Tolerance, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <http :// www . faithandfood . com / Islam . php >.

"Native American Prayers." Native American Prayers. Lost Souls Genealogy Project, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. <http :// nativeamerican . lostsoulsgenealogy . com / prayers . htm >.

Prabhupāda, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. The Science of Self Realization. New York: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1977. Print.

"Saying Will." Thelemapedia: The Encyclopedia of Thelema & Magick. Scarlet Woman Publishing, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. <http :// www . thelemapedia . org / index . php / Saying _ Will >.

Silva, Kahu, and Sharon Silva. "Aloha & Welcome!" Hawaiian Culture and Hawaii History. Hawaiian Cultural Services, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. <http :// kahunateachings . com / >.

"Throughout the World, the Spirit of Thanksgiving Is Found in the Words Used at the Table." Style News Wire. Houston Style Magazine, 24 Nov. 2009. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. <http :// stylemagazine . com / news /2009/ nov /24/ throughout - the - world - the - spirit - of - thanksgiving /? page =2 >.

Wu, Olivia. "Tradition: Mealtime Blessings." Hinduism Today Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <http :// www . hinduismtoday . com / modules / smartsection / item . php ? itemid =5370 >. Article Reprinted from The San Francisco Chronicle; June 4, 2003.

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Community Kitchen Planning

The success or failure of a community kitchen is dependent almost entirely on the quality of the pre-planning process used to prepare for the event. Of course, the more lengthy the event and the greater the number of people and dishes served, the more complex and demanding this process becomes. For events covering more than one meal, when planning tasks are shared amongst a group and/or when a completed budget form must be returned (as when working with a registered non-profit) it is necessary to develop complete and accurate planning documents.

In a professional kitchen, this work is generally handled by the menu developer in the initial stages of opening a restaurant; and up-kept and maintained on an ongoing basis by the kitchen manager. Similarly in catering situations, the employer selects from amongst pre-calculated menu options; with some catering companies allowing special requests which must be calculated for the occasion. Such documents may be crafted by anyone with a basic working knowledge of the use of spreadsheets. The free product Google Drive allows for controlled group access to these documents- highly useful in pre-event communications and for sharing planning tasks amongst organizers. Working in a spreadsheet form from the outset makes the creation of the budget documentation much quicker and more accurate later on.

The remainder of this section describes a process of how these documents may be generated from one another in order to yield clean, consistent and accurate final results.

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Meal PlanThis is the stage at which communication with event organizers is key. You will of course

need to know the basic parameters of the event. How many meals will be served and what are the service times? What kitchen facilities and equipment will be available? What is the projected & desired headcount? What is the budget, and when and from where will these funds be coming? (If necessary, convert a gross figure to dollars per head per meal to get a better idea of the level of menu that can be supported.) Will the kitchen be observing or accommodating any special dietary restrictions or requirements? Will you be serving full hot breakfast or continental? Will participants expect lunch or dinner to be the “biggest” meal of the day (a regional difference in the US)? Does this mean literally the largest or the most complex? Where will kitchen staff come from; and will they be volunteers or paid professionals?

On a more aesthetic level, what kinds of foods are participants likely to expect given the conventions of the type of event in question? You would no more serve spaghetti at a formal dance than pate at a rodeo than cheeseburgers at a bar mitzvah. This is a good time to clarify who precisely on the organizing committee will be a part of the consensus-making or approval process regarding the menu and kitchen activities. Ask about specific meals that people have enjoyed at prior similar events; or previous menus with reviews in the case of ongoing events.

Listen carefully to the ethical concerns and priorities of the organizers. For example, if you hear the term “local produce”, be prepared to research the fruits and vegetables that will be in season near the venue location. The role of kitchen manager or coordinator is a service-oriented role. Even if your personal ethics differ from those of the group, you act as an avatar of the group will for purposes of the event. If these are too divergent from your own for you to be comfortable doing this, do not accept the kitchen manager’s role for the event.

Meal Dish Designations

Lunch Hummus Wraps w/ Roasted Veggies (Cheese optional)

Vegetarian; Vegan/Gluten Free optional

Salad Greens Vegan; Gluten free

Dinner Loaded Home Fries Vegetarian; Vegan tray prepared

Salad Greens Vegan; Gluten Free

Set up a spreadsheet document identifying the meal and dishes to be served at that meal. If relevant, identify in another column whether dishes meet special dietary criterion (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, etc.). Get approval for this meal plan from the necessary parties before moving on to any further work. This may require changing the plan to accommodate everything from genuine concerns to frivolous personal preferences depending on the nature and maturity level of the consensus making group.

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Do whatever is necessary to your original menu ideas, including scratching entire meals, to forge a consensus. Once you have an approved meal plan, stick to it and do not waver! Consider a published Menu Plan to be a contract between the kitchen and the event participants.

Base Recipes ListNext you will need to collect or create the recipes you will use. Even very simple recipes

that do not have complex preparatory steps must be included in the tabulation of ingredients, equipment, and workers. Recipes for the same event should all be scaled to yield the same number of servings; and it should be a small enough number to be easily multiplied out to the final headcount. Usually, yields are set either to ten or to a dozen. This is a matter of preference, but in the Imperial system many foodstuffs are sold by the dozen or are otherwise in quantities divisible by 2, 4, or 6; making tabulation of ingredients slightly easier by the dozen in America. Under the metric system, yields of ten make more sense. For a very large event, yields can be set commensurately higher.

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Duplicate the Meal Plan document and rename it “Recipes List”. Leaving a spacer column, add the ingredients list for each recipe. Adding rows as needed, list the ingredients in the order in which they will be used in the recipe. In the next column to the right of the ingredients, list the quantity of each ingredient; and in the next column, the unit. The next column is for preparation steps.

Meal Dish Desig-nations

Ingred-ient

Qty Unit Preparation

Lunch Hummus Wraps w/ Roasted Veggies (Cheese optional)

Vege-tarian; Vegan/Gluten Free optional

Garbanzo beans, pre-cooked 6 cups

Olive oil 2 Tbsp

Tahini Paste 0.66 cup

Lemon Juice 4 oz

Roasted Garlic 1 head

Salt ttCombine and thoroughly mash

Red Bell Pepper, sliced 1 ea

Green Bell Pepper, sliced 1 ea

Beets, halved or quartered and sliced 2 lbs

Mustard Greens, chopped 0.5 bunch Combine

Olive Oil 0.25 cup

Salt 2 tsp

Black Pepper 1 tsp

Dill, Dry 1 tbspCoat, Cover, Roast

Salad Greens Vegan; Gluten free Greens 9 oz

Serve undressed.

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Remember that weighted measurements are preferable to volume measurements (“ounces” vs. “cups” or “tsps.”) for ease both in final purchasing calculations and in practice in the kitchen. A kitchen scale is a necessary tool in cooking for any event of size! If you do not have easy internet access, invest in a Book of Yields. Convert as many measurements as sensible to weight measurements, liquid ounces, or eaches. Use decimals rather than fractions, as in “Onion, minced; .5 ea.” rather than “Onion, minced; ½ ea.”.

Be specific! Others besides yourself may be reading and attempting to follow your recipes. “Garlic, 1 ea.” might be interpreted either as one clove of garlic or one head of garlic, yielding very different culinary results… especially if you then multiply the recipe by eight! Unit errors are cascading errors, but are easily avoided with clear and specific documentation. Likewise, “Lemon Zest, 1 ea.” might mean the zest of one lemon or one lemon with the zest. For this reason, if an ingredient is assumed to already be in a certain preparatory state not given elsewhere in the recipe this is noted in the ingredient name. In this case, we would see “Zest, Lemon, 1 ea.” clarifying that we add the zest only and not the rest of the lemon.

In your original menu plan, you may not have included all condiment items, such as salad dressings and toppings, pancake syrup, mustard and so forth. Beverages may also need consideration. Add these to the menu and ingredients lists along with quantity and unit with the appropriate meals. Remember that condiment items usually represent the addition of salt, sugar and/or fats to the meal, and consider if there are healthier alternatives available. Prepared dressings and condiments are also often more expensive and chemical-laden than housemade counterparts. (Look out for MSG, GMO corn additives & preservatives.) It may be worthwhile to consult with the consensus-making organizers regarding what participants are likely to expect and desire.

Equipment Inventory (Part 1)In a final column to the right in the

Base Recipes List, record all necessary equipment to perform the tasks listed in each recipe. This need not be meticulous, but all major necessary equipment must be listed in order to ensure that you do not accidently schedule workers to be using the same piece of equipment in two different stations or recipes at the same time. At least list pans & sizes (assume the desired projected headcount); measuring and holding bowls and special equipment such as food processors. Include consumable items such as foil and parchment paper. If additional service pieces are required, also note these.

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Confirm a plan before the event for how leftovers will be handled. For ethical reasons, good food should not be thrown in the garbage. However, it is important to ensure safety and cleanliness in food storage. This equipment may be listed separately at the end of the column, along with other general use kitchen utensils. (Example: 10 recycled yogurt containers; 1 large ladle; 2 spatulas; et al.). Add a similar section of cleaning supplies.

Provisions SheetCreate a new spreadsheet entitled “Provisions Sheet”. Copy and paste the columns from

the Base Recipes List containing the Ingredients, Quantities, and Units. Next, separate the sheet into horizontal sections: Shelf Goods; Produce; Bread; Eggs & Dairy; Meat. Carefully sort entries into their proper sections. These may be further organized as convenient: some prefer a categorical approach while others alphabetize or arrange by the amount required. Combine like entries, making sure to adjust units. (Example: Let’s say that in three different recipes you use butter. In one you use two sticks; in another six tablespoons and another two tablespoons. You would combine these entries to create three sticks of butter.) The Provision Sheet represents the amount of food that you would need to cover one dozen (or ten, or whatever your starting yield) participants with the Meal Plan.

Budget & ExpendituresOnly proceed with this step once you have a final headcount and confirmed cash-on-hand

to cover the food budget as planned. Duplicate the Provisions Sheet, renaming the document, “Budget”. Scale the amounts to yield an appropriate quantity of food based on the final headcount; leaving a little leeway. (Example: Let’s say that you have a count of 114 and you scaled your Base Recipes to yield 12. If you multiply everything by 10, you will have enough food to feed everyone comfortably.) It is always better to have a little extra than not enough. Resolve units into more useful measures, turning ounces into pounds or liters and so forth.

Leaving a spacer column, resolve actual quantities into purchasable amounts of the ingredient listed. For example, it is not sensible to buy 3.75 gallons of milk- one would purchase 4 gallons. Always round up and not down during this step.

Decide with the help of consensus-making organizers what suppliers the event will be using. Try to get wholesale discounts, citing NPO status if applicable. Your meat and dairy are likely to be your most expensive items; produce next most expensive. Shelf goods may often be purchased in bulk from discount grocery stores, major wholesalers, or local food service suppliers.

Create columns for each supplier you are considering using. Use order sheets from suppliers; phone consultations with personnel; and “pre-shopping” to develop cost estimations. At the end of each supplier column, create a “SUM cell”, which will add up all the numbers entered into that column on a running basis. (Consult your specific program’s “Help” menu if you aren’t sure how to add equation cells.) Enter item estimates into their proper columns and price compare. Go with the least expensive item where quality is not dissimilar.

Duplicate the Budget, renaming the document “Expenditures.” As decisions are made and orders for produce and dairy are filed, delete entries such that each item is only purchased

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one time from the appropriate supplier. While shelf stable goods may be purchased at any time before the event and stored, this should be left until actual orders have been placed. Once you receive invoices, which may come before or after the event, these are substituted for the estimates to reflect actual expenditures.

The Shelf Goods section is the part of the budget in which there is the most leeway to use superior or lesser quality products as the remaining funds demand. Use pre-shopping- that is, actually walking the stores and entering best available prices- to develop estimates. After you have actually shopped for and purchased these items, go through the receipts and replace estimates with actual expenditures in the appropriate cells. Add any equipment or other kitchen costs (such as fuel and cleaning supplies) to this document in appropriately labeled columns. If you are working with a formal NPO, this is the documentation that they will need for their records, along with all invoices and receipts.

What if my estimates show I’m over budget?

As kitchen manager, you do not have the authority to go over budget. If cost estimates show that you cannot make the proposed Menu Plan with available funds, re-examine your Recipes List and compare to the Budget. Can the same essential dish be made with fewer or less expensive ingredients? For example, substituting kidney beans for olives in a pasta salad would reduce the food cost dramatically. Can bottled or prepared foodstuffs (often costly compared to component ingredients) be made in-house instead, such as sauces and salad dressings? Can some canned goods be made up from dry (such as prepared beans, vegetable broth, etc.)? Can some very similar ingredients with similar use and preparation be unified in order to potentially receive a greater bulk discount (Example: red onions and green onions)?

You may find that you have to compromise on some preferred ethical standards- such as “organic”, “local”, “free range”, “Fair Trade”- in order to meet budgetary limitations. This is where the rubber really meets the road on issues of ethics in a Community Kitchen. Reconfirm with consensus-making organizers what their standards and priorities are, and follow this to the best of your ability.

Look carefully at the most expensive items on the list and ask if they are truly necessary to the menu or an extravagance the event cannot afford. “Kill Your Darlings,” so to speak; don’t stubbornly hold on to your personal favorites.

Only change the Meal Plan itself as a last resort. This should not be necessary unless there were serious miscommunications in the initial stage. Altering the Meal Plan after it has been released to the public may disappoint attendees; or worse, feel like a “Bait and Switch”. If you must make such changes, try to at least keep the same “feeling” of quality about the meal.

Example: The Salmon Chowder was an over-promise; you can’t afford ethically sound salmon. Don’t replace it with sloppy joes or spaghetti; choose something which, like the original meal idea, is off-beat and tends to be served in more formal dining establishments. Something like “Quiche Florentine” or “Spinach Waldorf Lasagna” will be less likely to feel like a downgrade to participants, while containing dramatically fewer expensive ingredients. Feel free to get as fanciful as you like in naming your creations!

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Below: The Kitchen Manager is like an Alchemist: the kitchen is his laboratory. Each dish is a grand experiment; coordinating a whole event, when it comes off well, may be a

Grand Masterpiece.

Order of WorkThe Order of Work document takes the steps of the recipes which must be accomplished

and assigns them temporally to workers in the kitchen. Unlike in a home kitchen, a large scale kitchen will often take preparatory steps with ingredients hours or days before they are to be used in final recipes in order to maximize efficiency and minimize costs.

Example: Instead of using canned prepared beans, the kitchen manager arrives on site the night before the event and begins soaking all the beans. In the morning, after setting up the kitchen, the soaked beans are prepared, cooled and stored in the refrigerator. No meals will be served until dinner, so the kitchen is freely available for further preparatory steps. Dips, dressings and sauces, which improve with age, are manufactured and properly stored while other workers begin chopping vegetables for dinner.

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Create a new spreadsheet and entitle it “Order of Work”. Set it up as a schedule with days and times, beginning from when you will first have access to the kitchen. Divide cells into 5, 10, or 15 minute increments depending on the intricacy of the tasks to be coordinated. For a multi-day event, start each day with the time you will have access to, or “open”, the kitchen. Remember that in outdoor settings, sunrise and sunset times may impose limitations. Note the times that you are scheduled to begin and end meal service; these are your deadlines.

Duplicate the Base Recipes List and rename the document “Full Recipes List”. Scale the recipes using the same multiplier you selected previously to create the Budget and Expenditures documents. Begin assigning time estimates to preparatory tasks in a new column. If you aren’t sure, think about how long it would take you personally to complete a given specific task, such as “Peel and rough chop 5 lbs onions;” then add a little extra time to be on the safe side. Volunteers may have any level of kitchen experience. If you are uncertain of cooking times, research similar recipes or perform test runs in your own kitchen and time them- whatever you need to do to assign each task a specific time count in minutes.

Remember that some recipes may have called for partially prepared ingredients, such as shredded carrots or boiled, shocked pasta. Ensuring that ingredients are in whatever state they need to be in when called for in final recipes is called “mise en place”- everything in its place. Separate these out as steps now. Just how early you can or should pre-prepare a food item is dependent on the precise foodstuff; but following are tips for a few commonly occurring Community Kitchen ingredients and situations.

Mise en Place Tips

Vegetables and fruits for fresh service should be served as soon as possible after being cut as they begin to decay more rapidly thereafter, losing nutritional value and crispness. Vegetables may be cut earlier if they will be cooked than if they will be served fresh; if they will be boiled to a paste for stew it does not matter as much if they are a little wilted. (This is an excellent way to use up leftovers from fresh service trays.) “Hard” vegetables (like carrots, onions, garlic or broccoli) keep better once cut than soft (like tomatoes and cucumber).

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Any fruit cooked into a syrup or chutney will keep for a week or more in refrigeration. Pickling, brining and marinating may similarly preserve vegetables, and should be started at least a day in advance of intended use. Salsas, dips, marinara sauce, smooth soups, curries, chilies and stews are usually better the second day, as the flavors of the spices will have had a chance to incorporate. Certain fruits and vegetables will oxidize if cut by a metal knife and not treated with an acid or fat, including potatoes, eggplant, apples and lettuce. A plastic lettuce knife is an invaluable

kitchen tool for this reason. Coating potatoes in oil (as for roasting) will prevent visible oxidization, as will holding submerged. If you are going to cook and hold potatoes, never shock them; allow them to cool naturally at room temperature before storing in refrigeration. If they are to be made into a salad, it is far better to prepare and store the salad than to try to hold the potatoes.

Pasta may be pre-cooked and held, but only if it is shocked and well-oiled to prevent “gumminess”. It may be reheated by quickly sauteing in oil; this technique is usually used for individual pasta service. If the pasta is going in a salad, it would be better to make up the salad itself early and hold it than to try to hold the pasta. Pasta to be served hot should be used as soon as possible after cooking, whether served out or used in a recipe. This also applies to rice and other grains.

Soaked beans and lentils will hold up to a week in refrigeration without degrading. Pre-cooked beans hold better if left in their cooking liquid, and should be refrigerated. Brick cheese should be grated as close to the time of use as possible; unless it will be going into a cream sauce. If this is the case, shake to coat it with either flour or cornstarch to aid in incorporation and prevent it from re-aggregating. For best results, hold in a sealed hard container in refrigeration (as opposed to a storage bag). When purchased in commercial quantities, choosing pre-shredded cheese may make more sense in some Meal Plans.

Crafting the Order of WorkLooking at your Full Recipes List with the time estimates in place, calculate backward

from the serve out time how long it will take to prepare each recipe. Input the recipe information in additional columns, including equipment used. If you are absolutely certain that you will have a given number of workers in the kitchen either at all times or at given times, you may slate some preparation tasks to be occurring at the same time. You may use colored row cells to assign tasks to Worker #1, Worker #2, etc. Where you have more workers than tasks for a given meal, schedule them to begin preparatory steps for future meals. Pre-preparatory or mise en place steps must be carried out before ingredients are used in final recipes.

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It may become apparent in this process that you do not have enough workers to carry out all tasks. Do whatever it takes to resolve the situation. If the math doesn’t work out on paper, then the complex reality of the operating kitchen (which the schedule is attempting to model) certainly will not be a stress-free, joyful environment. Get more volunteers; or a hired hand if you must; as kitchen manager, you are responsible for ensuring that your crew is well supported. That responsibility includes recruiting enough workers to carry out all tasks at a reasonable pace to ensure the quality of the food and the safety and well being of everyone in the kitchen. Remember to include cleaning tasks and closing and opening procedures in the schedule. Give your workers breaks between tasks to clean their stations; and at least one fifteen minute break every two hours.

Equipment Inventory (Part 2)Just like a props list in theatre, someone will have to ensure that all of these items are

present at the event and returned to their proper owners; therefore it is useful to assign this task to a single organizer, which need not be the kitchen coordinator. You may personally own some items; the House (that is, the venue) will likely have some equipment available for use. Make sure to get this list and check it against your own. Any missing equipment will have to be purchased out of the food budget or borrowed from amongst the community.

It is highly recommended that borrowing be limited to as few loanees as possible. If something should happen and the equipment become lost or damaged, the event or kitchen manager personally will have to replace the item. The fewer the people from whom equipment was borrowed the more likely everyone will be to receive back his proper equipment. If you are bringing any outside equipment, you will need a way to separate it from that provided by the House. You will have to develop an Equipment Inventory sheet. Create a spreadsheet by this name; copy and paste the Equipment List section of the Base Recipes List.

Referring to the Order of Work, take note of how many of each item type on the list will be needed at the same time. If you only ever use three cutting boards at once, you will only need three cutting boards. You can bring four for safe measure. Reduce duplicate entries in the list by considering these facts; create a new column noting how many of each item will be needed for the event. If some items are not duplicated, enter a “1” in the quantity column. The list of general kitchen equipment and storage containers (previously described in Equipment Inventory [Part 1]) may simply be tabulated in.

Create section headings indicative of from whom your equipment will be coming. (Example: House; Self; Suzie Smith; the Cultural Centre [event partner].) Move equipment listings into their proper sections, splitting entries as necessary. Example: the House has 2 cutting boards and so do you. You split the entry “Cutting Boards 4” in half, listing “Cutting Boards 2” in both the sections “House” and “Self”. (Pay special attention to serving utensils such as ladles and pie servers, as these are often forgotten in the process.)

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Create two columns to the left of the inventory sheet, labeling them “Item In” and “Item Out”. When the equipment is accepted from the loanee, it is gone through item by item and checked off. When it is returned to the loanee, the process is repeated. This is the only way to be certain that every person gets back the equipment he loaned to the event. Community Kitchens are responsible to maintain positive relationships within the communities served by their events by being trustworthy and representing the organization well.

ConclusionsThe role of kitchen manager entails a great deal of responsibility. Work for the event may

start anywhere from two to six months before the actual date(s), depending on its length. The kitchen manager must have strong skills in mathematics, especially fractions, ratios, converting units and dealing with time and money. The kitchen manager must also have strong social skills and present “grace under fire”; as the emotional state of the manager sets the tone for the whole kitchen staff. He or she will also likely be working with volunteers and festival attendees, and must act in this capacity as the face of the organization in the kitchen. The first duty of the community kitchen manager is to the safety of his crew; second, the wholesomeness of the food; third, proper service on time; fourth, representing the values of the served organization(s).

Exercise

For practice, plan a single meal out using the information contained in this section. Give yourself an imaginary headcount and budget, and stick to it! You may use estimates of food prices if you will not be actually shopping for and preparing the meal. The point is to practice setting up the documents and using them in the right order to generate accurate and complete final documents.

OR

Journal on any of the following questions:● How do service kitchens differ from the home kitchen?● Have you served as a kitchen manager in the past? What was your experience?● Do you “have what it takes” to be a community kitchen manager? Why or why not?

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Fundamentals of Nutrition

IntroductionIt must be clearly understood that nutrition is a developing science, a specialized subset in the

field of human biology. The more we learn about the way the body works, the more complex the system reveals itself to be. The study of nutrition is nothing less than the study of the body as a machine for transmutation: how does something that is separate from us become, temporarily, a part of us? What does it do while it is in there, and how does the substance leave the body when we have exhausted its virtue?

While science has advanced a great deal in this area along with our instruments of observation, it is important to keep in mind that the collection of descriptive knowledge is still only a model. The data is far from conclusive on many questions, allowing for a wide variety of reasonable interpretation. A whole industry is made from the back and forth of experts on pet dietary topics. It doesn’t help that much research is funded by those with a vested interest in the results.

If we consider the human being as not an individual creature but as one “cell” in the greater body of Gaia, still more layers of complexity emerge. A holistic understanding of nutrition must then consider not only the microcosmic scale of an apple broken down into component molecules; but also the macrocosmic scale of the health of the grove in which it was grown; the effect of trade on the community in which it was produced; the effect on the planet of the fossil fuels burned in moving the produce to market. Just as a nutrient cannot be healthy for a cell while being poison to the body of a whole organism, so cannot the apple be healthy for the body the production of which was poison to the planet.

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Concerning Diet*[*This section is taken from the Handbook of the Church of Divine Creativity, Harkey & Mooney; Publication Pending]

“The body has often been referred to as “the temple of the soul.” Food is one of the body’s sacraments. As such, regardless of whether the student is a strict vegetarian, an omnivore, or anything in between, it is of absolute importance to give the body good food (Wasserman 29).”

A full consideration of the subject of the diet is outside the scope of this work, but the topic cannot be excluded entirely. Food choices are a very personal matter and there is no intention here to impose particular selections or taboos on anyone. Every body is different, and what would be healthful for one might invite disaster for another; depending upon such diverse factors as metabolism, level of activity, family medical history, sensitivities and allergies, and ethical and social mores.

You should never make dramatic changes to your diet without first consulting your personal physician. If available to you, the services of a nutritionist are highly recommended.

The above notwithstanding, along with exercise the diet is one of the greatest determining factors as to the overall health and wellness of the body. Ritual practices are often demanding, requiring stamina of the Practitioner. Perhaps for this reason, clerics and devotees the world over have eaten in accordance with customary prescriptions and prohibitions. While these have varied widely (and it would be improper to recommend a specific diet in any case) some foods that we know we should not eat we consume anyway-- and to excess, besides!

It is questionable whether some things sold in packages at the grocery store ought to be labeled “food” at all. Even our produce has become suspect, with GMOs and pesticides lurking behind every label not bearing the pricey tag “organic”. Affordable meat has been raised in deplorable conditions on the wrong kind of foodstuffs; artificially stimulated and kept alive on a cocktail of hormones and antibiotics; so that the end product is nutritionally deficient compared to its traditionally-raised cousin. All ethical and environmental considerations aside, are these really the components that we want to use as building blocks in the “temple of the soul”?

Often we even know that these foods are destructive to our systems, so why do we consume them? In our ever more demanding and hectic world, with most or all adults in a household having to maintain work outside the home, where in the system is there time or energy to invest in the preparation of wholesome, delicious foods? It requires a great deal of vigilance, discipline and no small amount of creativity to eat healthy in a world conspiring to fill you with empty calories that leave you dissatisfied, so that you will purchase ever more product.

As observed in “Diet for a Small Planet”:“A change in diet is not an answer. A change in diet is a way of experiencing more of the

real world, instead of living in the illusory world created by our current economic system, where our food resources are actively reduced and where food is treated as just another commodity on which to make a profit-- a profit on life itself. A change in diet is a way of saying simply: I have a choice (Lappe 55).”And you do have a choice- but only once you have cultivated awareness. One way to ensure that

you know what you are actually eating is to keep a food diary. (You may certainly keep it within your magical diary, but you may wish to use a separate notebook if you mean to show it to your physician or nutritionist.) While this exercise is lengthy and will take considerable effort to see through to the end, it serves the secondary purpose of developing important skills of the alchemist or scientist: data collection, calculation, analysis and application.

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However, a final word of caution: According to the National Eating Disorders Association, in the United States at present 20 million women and 10 million men will suffer from a clinical eating disorder at some time in their life, and these numbers have been steadily rising for fifty years. Attitudes and behaviors of obsessive concern for diet generally precede the transition from “subclinical” to “clinical” levels. Do not read or perform this exercise if you have or suspect you may have an eating disorder-- you will already have an excess of diet awareness. You are not alone. Seek the care of a qualified health professional; if it encourages you to do so, consider it your substitute exercise.

Exercise 2: Keeping and Analyzing a Food Diary Keep your food diary with you at all times. For a designated period of time, usually one

week, commit to write down everything that you eat and drink. Take special care to note all beverages, including water, coffee and alcohol; as well as snacks eaten between meals as these are the most easily overlooked. Make sure to include amounts; a kitchen scale will make later calculations easier, but if you are eating out, just do your best.

Include as much detail as possible. For example, if you ate a hamburger, make sure to note whether it had cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, etc. Do your best to eat as you normally would during this time period, as there is subtle temptation to “cheat” and eat healthier so that the record looks good. If you allow yourself to do this, you are only cheating yourself out of valuable time and knowledge. Make sure to note the times that you ate; where and under what conditions. Note whether you ate alone or with others. Note how the food made you feel emotionally and any gastrointestinal disturbances that occur.

At the end of the week, analyze your consumption habits. Begin by noticing basic information, such as how many times a day you usually eat and when. If you engaged in unplanned eating when did this occur and why? Did you sometimes eat for purely emotional reasons, such as stress or boredom? How many times did you skip meals? Did you make them up later? Where did you do most of your eating; at home or elsewhere? What “food group” did the majority of your food come from?

How do you feel now, as you analyze your eating habits? Record your observations in your magical diary.

The next step is a nutritional analysis. Use an online or print guide to find the basic nutrition facts of the foods that you ate. This may take significant time and some basic math, but there are a multitude of helpful programs and websites available. If you are doing it longhand, make sure to take into consideration the serving sizes listed and scale your values accordingly. The most basic figures to consider are calories, which come from carbohydrates, fats and proteins. (All calories in food come from one of these latter three; and also, alcohol, not typically considered nutritionally.)

Proteins should make up 12-15% of the calories consumed in a day; or between 60 and 75 grams in the normative 2000 calorie diet. Proteins are the “building blocks” of tissue for growth and repair. Excess protein calories are readily converted into storable fat by the body. Aside from the “complete” proteins found in meat, dairy and eggs, these may be constructed from the amino acids found in legumes, whole grains, nuts and vegetables. Contrary to popular belief, these need not be eaten in the same meal, but merely the same day (Armentrout 12-13).

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Carbohydrates should make up 55-60% of the calories consumed in a day; or between 275-300 grams in the normative 2000 calorie diet. This is the body’s basic “fuel”, the energy you use to move. They are primarily found in grain products, fruit and fruit products and sugars. They come in two types: simple and complex. The longer it takes the body to break down the sugar into a usable form, the more nutritionally supportive the carbohydrate. Simple carbohydrates come from refined sugars and processed grains, and are transformed very quickly; more complex carbohydrates are found in whole grains, legumes and vegetables; and are preferable (Armentrout 6-7).

Fats are either saturated or unsaturated, with the former being related to animal products and the latter to plant products. It is recommended that consumption of saturated fat be particularly limited. Total fat intake should be no more than 30% of the calories consumed in a day, while saturated fats should represent only 10% or less; or 67 grams total and 22 grams, respectively. Dietary fat does not make you fat, though it is a calorie dense food. Fats are a necessary nutrient used to protect the organs and process vitamins (Armentrout 9-10).

Our bodies have been evolving all along to “transmute” different substances into usable forms, but very recently in our history we have developed the technology to chemically alter ingredients in such a way as to create essentially new compounds that do not occur in nature, or occur very rarely. Our bodies do not always know what to do with these new system inputs. On the subject of fats, take “trans fats” as a case in point. These are unsaturated fats that have been chemically altered to produce the “mouth feel” of saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature. Recent studies show that the body has great difficulty processing these substances and that they may cause long-term health complications, leading the World Health Organization to recommend against their inclusion in the food supply at all (Uauy, et al. 68-70).

As regulators are still struggling with how to deal with the situation it is not always easy to identify these potentially hazardous substances if one wishes to avoid them. In the case of trans fats, one must look for the term “hydrogenated” in ingredient lists- you will find that many prepackaged foods (and especially snack foods and pastries) in America contain them. Furthermore, hydrogenated oils fuel the deep-fryers of most eating establishments and especially fast food chains, replacing more expensive animal fats while producing the same “crispness” on the finished product.

As you learn more about the particular details and debates of nutrition, you will be able to ask more specific questions of your data. You may take your analysis as far as you like, considering such questions as whether you are intaking enough vitamins and minerals; where your sodium is at; whether your plant oils are mono- or polyunsaturated; how many ways MSG is hidden in the ingredients lists; but at a certain point: stop. Ask yourself how much of this information you will actually be able to use in your day to day life. Return to the questions addressed in the first paragraph. How does your diet make you feel? Are you making the best choices for a healthy you? What might you do differently over the next week; month; year?

Take your food journal with you and consult your physician; set modest goals; and record these and your experiences in your magical diary.

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Bibliography

Armentrout, Jennifer S., ed. The Professional Chef's Techniques of Healthy Cooking. New York: Wiley, 2000. Print.

Lappe, Frances M[oore]. Diet for a Small Planet. New York: Ballantine, 1975. Print.

NEDA. "Prevalence vs. Funding." Get The Facts On Eating Disorders. National Eating Disorders Association, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.

Uauy, R., A. Aro, R. Clarke, R. Ghafoorunissa, M. L’Abbe, D. Mozaffarian, M. Skeaff, S. Stender, and M. Tavella. "WHO Scientific Update on Trans Fatty Acids: Summary and Conclusions." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 63.Sup 2 (2009): 68-75. Macmillan Publishers Limited. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.

Wasserman, Nancy, and James Wasserman. Yoga for Magick. San Francisco: Weiser, 2007. Print.

MicronutrientsMicronutrients are substances required in small amounts on a daily or regular basis. They are

used by the body to perform a wide variety of necessary functions at the cellular level. The most common types of micronutrients are vitamins and minerals. The recommended daily consumption varies widely by nutrient. In the diet these should come predominantly from vegetables and fruits. Generically speaking, organ meats are richer sources of vitamins and minerals than flesh meats. A deficiency of certain vitamins or minerals may lead to overall poor health as well as specific deleterious symptoms. Few of us eat an ideal diet, and this is recognized as a common source of malaise and un-wellness.

You may supplement your intake of vitamins and minerals; however, their bioavailability- just how much of the nutrients found in supplements are actually up-taken and used by the body’s systems- is in dispute. We did not develop to cope with large concentrations of micronutrients all at once.

There are other substances that help your body operate in various ways, mostly at the cellular level, but that have not or not yet been classified as vitamins or minerals for the purposes of Nutrition Facts labeling. The science of biology is a constantly developing and advancing field, and as new understandings develop, so too do labeling requirements evolve.

Content of vitamins and minerals may be altered by cooking method. Generally speaking with vegetables, they should be selected for ripeness and vibrancy of color. The longer they are cooked the more nutritional value they lose. Peeling potatoes and other root vegetables dramatically reduces nutritional value. Water soluble vitamins are easily lost in cooking liquids and boiling methods. In contrast, lactic fermentation methods (such as that which is used to produce traditional kraut and kimchi) make nutrients more bio-available than heat cooking and encourage healthy gut flora, which aid in digestion.

The following tables give a brief summary of the internationally-recognized vitamins and minerals; the U.S. government’s recommended daily allowance of each; and food sources rich in each. Vegetarian sources (including eggs and dairy) appear in one column, while meat sources have been separated. Nutritional rankings were researched using the extensive searchable database found at NutritionFacts.Self.com.

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Vitamins

Vitamin Name

Sol-ubil-ity

RichVegetarian Sources

RichMeat Sources

RDA

A Fat Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Peppers, Green Leafy Vegetables, Pumpkin, Butter, Cheddar Cheese

Cod Liver Oil, Liver

900 µg/day

B1 Water Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Potatoes, Eggs

Pork, Liver1.2/mg/day

B2 Water Wheat Bran, Nutritional Yeast, Bananas, Popcorn, Dairy Products

Organ Meats 1.3 mg/day

B3 Water Green Leafy Vegetables, Peanuts, Mushrooms, Nutritional Yeast, Almonds

Liver, Kidneys 16 mg/day

B5 Water Whole Grain Cereals, Avocados, Yogurt, Eggs, Royal Jelly

Flesh Meats 5 mg/day

B6 Water Wheat Bran, Wheat Germ, Nutritional Yeast, Blackstrap Molasses, Eggs, Milk

Organ Meats, Beef

1.5 mg/day

B7 Water *This Vitamin is usually produced in the stomach by bacteria, part of one’s natural “gut flora”

30.0 µg

B9 Water Wheat Bran, Peanuts, Sunflower Seeds, Nutritional Yeast, Beans, Lentils, Seaweed, Green Leafy Vegetables, Orange Juice, Eggs

Poultry Liver, Organ Meats 400 µg

B12 Water Whole Grains, Nutritional Yeast, Eggs, Milk, Cheese

Organ Meats, Octopus, Oyster, Mackerel, Herring

2.4 µg

C Water Peppers, Cilantro, Parsley, Green Leafy Vegetables, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Guava, Citrus Fruits

Beef & Lamb Organ Meats; Frankfurters and other sausages

90.0 mg

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D Fat Mushrooms, Eggs, Fortified Milk and Dairy products

(*This nutrient is manufactured by the skin with exposure to the sun.)

Cod liver oil, Salmon, Trout, Herring, Tuna, Luncheon Sausages, Frankfurters

10 µg

E Fat Sunflower oil, Safflower oil, Nuts & Seeds (& their Oils & Nut butters), Avocados, Quinoa

Various Shell & Fin Fish, Escargot, Eel

15.0 mg

K Fat Green Leafy Vegetables, Avocado, Kiwi, Grape, Fermented Foods, Cheese, Fish Roe

*Produced by the body in the intestine.

Poultry Liver, Flesh meats 120 µg

Minerals

Mineral Name

Type Rich Vegetarian Sources Rich Meat Sources

RDA

Potassium Quantity Beans, Potatoes, Yams, Spinach, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Nut-butters, Tomatoes, Bananas, Lychee, Raisins, Prunes, Whole Grains, Sunflower Seeds, Pepitas, Beet Greens

Fish, Octopus, Shellfish

4700 mg/day

Chlorine Quantity Table Salt Cured Meats 2300 mg/day

Sodium Quantity Table Salt, Seaweed, Spinach, Dairy Products

*Sodium is generally over-consumed in the American diet.

Cured Meats 1500 mg/day

Calcium Quantity Green Leafy Vegetables, Cilantro, Nuts & Seeds, Tahini, Soy, Grape Leaves, Cheese, Milk, Yogurt, Eggs

Cuttlefish 1300 mg/day

Phosphorous Quantity Seeds, Soy, Whole Grains, Quinoa, Lentils, Peanuts, Cheese, Roe

Fish, Organ Meats, Cured Meats

700 mg/day

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Magnesium QuantityNuts & Seeds, Peanuts, Whole Grains, Spinach, Chard, Seaweed, Dark Chocolate, Tomatoes, Beans

Mollusks, Fish, Crab

420 mg/day

Zinc TraceSeeds, Beans, Peanut Butter, Rye, Oats, Popcorn, Shiitake, Miso, Yogurt, Some Cheeses

Oysters, Crab, Lobster, Red Meat, Turkey, Ostrich, Emu

11 mg/day

Iron Trace Green Leafy Vegetables, Parsley, Whole Grains, Beans, Lentils, Seeds, Peppers, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Leeks, Asparagus

Organ Meats, Clams, Oysters, Octopus

18 mg/day

Manganese TraceWhole Grains, Beans, Soy, Pineapple, Raspberries, Strawberries, Garlic

Some Shell and Freshwater Fish

2.3 mg/day

Copper TraceShiitake, Green Leafy Vegetables, Grape Leaves, Seeds & Nuts, Tempeh, Whole Grains

Liver, Oysters, Squid, Lobster

.9 mg/day

Iodine TraceSeaweed, Iodized Salt, Dairy Products, Eggs

Fish, Shellfish .15 mg/day

Selenium TraceBrazil nuts, Mustard, Seeds, Mushrooms, Barley, Cheese

Cod, Halibut, Salmon, Tuna, Lamb, Turkey

.055 mg/day

Molybdenum TraceTomatoes, Onions, Carrots

.045 mg/day

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Exercise

Considering the nutritional information covered in this section, construct a healthy meal plan for one full day- including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks- that you would be likely to eat yourself.

OR

Thinking about the way you usually eat, journal on improvements you might wish to make to your diet based on what you have learned in this section.

Food Ethics & the Community Kitchen

For those seeking to live in harmony with the earth, the question of food ethics is a highly significant and hotly debated subject. This is not surprising, given that food is one of the core defining features of any given culture. As we seek to build culture for a sustainable future, the choices we make on a daily basis regarding nutrition become a deep part of our identities. We may or may not additionally attach spiritual significance to the choices we make. In either case, this commitment to right relationship with food is something that all progressive practitioners share.

Yet, the question of what precisely constitutes an ethically sound diet is still a matter of debate. Given the global nature of our food supply, particulars shift regularly and dramatically in comparison with our subsistence ancestors. For example, citing the suffering of animals under factory farming, many have shifted to a soy protein based diet. The increase in demand for soy has outstripped existing supply, and now massive clear-cutting of rainforests is occurring in order to make room for new soy farms. Which diet is more ethically sound?

Products and product categories do exist which ensure certain practices have been followed, such as organic, Fair Trade, non-GMO, et al. Unfortunately, these options are far more expensive, and often come packaged in

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commensurately smaller portions. This means increased packaging waste and fuel inefficiency. Furthermore, the expense of these items puts them out of reach of those already struggling to feed their families, creating a stratification in the healthfulness and purity of the food supply.

Also, just because a product is organic doesn’t mean the company that produced it follows good labor practices: consider that Odwalla is owned by Coca-Cola. As demand for organic products increases, major brand labels have begun quietly buying up many of your favorite natural food brands. In some geographic regions, these may be the only organic options on the shelf. Would it be more ethical to purchase the organic orange juice; or a local off-brand produced by industry standard means? How might the cost to your health and that of your family figure in?

Food ethics in American culture are dicey. While we have greater access to food types than ever before, our time in which to prepare them is as limited as it has ever been. Unless we are lucky enough to be able to support a community hearthkeeper to care for the kitchen and prepare meals for the household, we must fend for ourselves. In the hurry of everyday life (unless we are willing to adopt a very simple diet) we will likely resort to eating out in local establishments or consuming prepackaged foods. It is possible to survive on red beans and rice, but if such a diet makes us personally unhappy and unwell, can it truly be ethical?

It is not possible to recommend the “one, true, right diet for everybody”, as the questions involved are personal and contextual. However, if we are to come together in diverse community spaces in order to break bread it is important that we discuss these issues. The manner in which ethical priorities are applied in the kitchen should reflect the consensus of the group in these matters. We must be generous with one another and willing to make room for the needs and beliefs of others. We must be prepared to ease our standards if necessary, or to accept tighter restrictions than we commonly employ at home. Most of all, we must not let disagreements over the fine points of food ethics interfere with that special magic that eating in community has- which serves to weave us together in unity and love.

Exercise

Take notes during the ethics panel. Include any questions you found interesting and any points you would like to remember for future research. If any of the topics brought up caused you to have an emotional response, note this down as well. Later, it may be helpful to journal or speak with a friend about the subject, the response it caused, and why you think it caused the reaction in you that it did.

OR

Journal about the topics in food ethics that matter most to you. Think about times when you have been conflicted, and had to make a choice amongst varying priorities. How did you decide? Have your choices been consistent?

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Closing Thoughts

A Community Kitchen is no less a sacred space than the grandest of cathedrals or the most ancient of groves. Within it, the stuff of the earth is transmuted into substances capable of nourishing our bodies and souls. As hearthkeepers, we are priests engaged in the spiritual activity of providing health and joy to the community. It is therefore imperative to operate efficiently, that we may work together to these ends in a spirit of joy- lest we contaminate the food by our distress.

Food is core and key to culture. It has been oft said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. When we choose ethical, healthy and nutritious foods, the stomach may also be the means of reaching a man’s spirit. When we break bread together in love we strengthen our community ties and relationships as well. This is the goal and purpose of every Community Kitchen. May we all strive together for excellence in service toward these ends.

In Peace and Unity,K.S. Harkey & J. Mooney

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