Why would we leave Manhatten (Times Square is too crazy…), the epicenter of the gastronomical (after Tokyo) world to the burbs? For authentic Bretagne “Buckwheat” crepes found by M. What a discovery… Thank you M. Never been to Bretagne but Buckwheat is something us Japanese appreciate… soba, crepes… comfort foods in Japan and in Bretagne, France, respectively? It’s all connected:) It’s about humble, simple, soul food… we all miss in America. We miss the comfort foods from our old country.
Tiny little hole in the world with paintings I loved… convinced owner must be an artist as much as he’s a chef. A whimsical decor, tiny tiny place in a very mixed neighborhood we would not have ventured into if it were not for this discovery. It’s serendipity…
Cafe Triskell
33-04 36th Avenue, Astoria, New York, 11105
No I am not paid to advertise this… in fact, it would be sad if that cozy tiny quirky place got too popular at which point the local regulars will suffer…as their kind of food cannot be made instantly (take their onion soup for example… very time consuming to prepare slooooowww food) My late-father used to say, the precious places are secret places … (as far as restaurants) because once it gets too popular, their quality goes down… Really? Maybe so. We hope to re-create the buckwheat crepes at home during the holiday season…
Was reading the meaning of the word “Triskell” and surprised how this word is so connected to the idea of elements in Japan as well. I have to appreciate such unexpected parallels:
The Triskell is a druid/celtic symbol and for the celts symbolizes (good luck). The triskell symbolizes the elements of fire, water, air and earth in the middle. If you ever go to Bretagne you will see this symbol everywhere. Although crepes are seen as street food in most other areas in France. Crepes are a big deal in Bretagne. People make reservations, get dressed up and head out to their favorite creperie for dinner. A family of 6 or 7 will patiently wait and be served hot 1 at a time as each crepe is spread at that moment 1 at a time. In Brittany, people will eat their crepes as served before they get cold. They do not expect or wait until all 7 have their plates as it would be impossible to have all 6 spread at once. I try to explain that to customers all the time.
***and yes, we do have to wait patiently here and no need to be polite – just eat if you are served first; no need to wait for all to get theirs as that might take forever. Have lots to talk about so you forget that you are waiting – remember, the kitchen is making ONE crepe at a time… (get it?) Kind of heartwarming to see this beautiful couple at the window where the girl was eating their signature salad and her date had …nothing – he just watched her eat. With a lot of love – just admiring as she ate… tender moments. Felt like we witnessed a special courtship – My heart just melts at such sightings – So romantic!
Master Classes and Party Celebrating National Release of “simple Recipes for Joy” in San Francisco last weekend.
The menu for the book signing party was:
Spicy Tempeh
Asian Noodles
Maharini Dal
Saffron Rice
Insteada Tuna Salad
Simple Sauteed Collard Greens
Kanten dessert
& choice of herbal teas…
There were about 100+ students packing the studio room that afternoon … kudos to the chef, Phillip Gelb of In the Mood for Food Catering, as there were enough food, so much that many were going back for seconds – all dishes from Sharon’s book, nicely served on, of course, recycled paper plates… It was delicious! The best part is not only is it tasty while eating it, afterwards, you feel good about eating – really felt that you were eating not only, the nutritious, the right foods, but they were Kind foods – good for our Karma.
Yes, my plate was cleaned up like his in the photo and I would have gone back for a second had it not been for the fact that, I had just broken a 3-days near-fast diet with this meal so… needless to say, I was stuffed from just one plate. Kanten is very Japanese and have always loved Kanten dessert so that made me very happy that many of her dishes are Japanese ingredient inspired, such as Nori, hijiki, Miso, glass noodles, she introduces – & Onigiri (rice ball – Japanese comfort food) are in there! It made me very happy that she is fond of them. Actually, being vegetarian is probably not that difficult for most Japanese as it is reported in the 1920s, the Japanese society was 90% vegetarian… Vegan is a step beyond in the realm of shōjin-ryōri, a vegetarian cuisine developed by Buddhist monks. What I loved about what she said is that her recipes are “simple” as the book’s title describes. Japanese shojin ryori is yes, wonderful – an art form and often symbolic – but unless you have a lot of time and hands, its not that easy to create at home all by yourself without years of training – so this book is mindful of how we live in this modern world where labor and time are resources that are precious and scarce.(especially when you are trying to schedule in a 90 minutes yoga class on regular basis!) I really loved what she said in respect to cooking and eating. Her words reflected her understanding of how we live in this highly demanding modern world:
“Not everybody can do head-stands everyday but everybody can and do eat everyday.”
“These recipes are simple and if you have to spend more than one hour cooking any of my recipes, I’d feel I have failed.”
Love the cover of this book (and of course the content:)! It’s a take from Alice in Wonderland, one of my favorite children’s books… This book has beautiful photos and would make a great gift (Christmas, birthdays, couples tie a knot, it’s a beautiful day, get well, etc.) for any body who eats; whether they cook or not, whether Vegan or not. It’s really geared for anyone and everyone because as she puts it, the recipes are simple – its accessible to all …and transformative no doubt. Just look and feel the beauty she radiates that transcends time and space.
A teacher is many things to many people. One of those things that teachers do is that they either show you or lead you to the light from darkness. (Friends do that too:) And they will contribute in some ways to make you want to make a positive change – think and act in a different way…see another perspective… SO… this morning, I unconsciously poured milk in my cup of coffee and then… was hearing “her” impassioned voice … dumped the coffee out to the sink; then poured myself another cup – this time with almond milk and here I am… to enjoy my first and only hot cup of coffee this morning.
NO, as much as I admire them for their conviction backed up by their will and action, I am not Vegan. I will have Vegan days or weeks but it’s not a permanent lifestyle choice …yet. Perhaps some day – today, I do what I can and experiment. I am sure people would agree, there are certain foods you grew up with that holds a special emotional significance – a connection whether it be nostalgia or sweet remembrance… My late father used to take me out to rather fancy sushi place on my birthdays so invariably, whenever I sit at a sushi bar (with sake!:), I feel as though I am making a tribute to the memories I hold for the times we shared together, a pocket of time in the past, where he taught me so much. So with such attachments, I am not enlightened by any stretch of the imagination…I just make the small modest changes…I seldom eat meat but I love seafood, especially in sushi…even then, only on occasion of course as it is a delicacy as it should be. But in every bite I take, as directed by Dr. Michio Kushi’s teachings, I try to really savor the flavors; engage in mindful eating with gratitude for what is to nourish me. I do think about where these foods enticing me to eat, in front of me, came from – I question where they were sourced from as most curious diners would. As much as I am selective, if the food is prepared with a lot of care, effort and love, I also would not be so heartless as to reject it – I shall eat with gratitude whatever is served – No radical changes now – just making small steps rather than giant strides. Without judgement of others- just open mind for understanding why people do what they do as any “Empath” would.
The take-away …to quote her – as I did not record the talk, not confident if this is word for word – so some of these quotes may not be exactly but nearly so:
“The choice is yours: which do you choose to be, a victim? Or enlightened?”
“To become an enlightened being, your karma, kindness and goodness has to come into alignment.”
” Do you choose to be kind or… cruel?”
“Don’t try to change the world; Change yourself – Change yourself first, and the world will follow to transform.”
Sharon Gannon (quoted here at age 58; today at 63…She looked great on Saturday – She could have looked to be in her 40’s except that she spoke with so much wisdom and history, that is what gave away her age – the erudite words – not her voice nor poise with which she carries herself. The grace of an enlightened being, who walks the talk with purpose. Her faith and devotion is unmistakable.
David Life and Sharon Gannon were performers and artists in New York City who discovered yoga and became deeply committed to practice. They created the Jivamukti Yoga method in 1984.
My teacher, Sri Brahmananda Sarasvati, said, “Yoga is that state where you are missing nothing.” I like the sound of that. Yoga practices should help you to get over otherness and become more connected to life. I have come to realize that I am more than my physical body and mind. I have come to realize my eternalness, and that, I suppose, is related to youth or agelessness. This has occurred for me, more or less, because the yoga practices have helped me to realize what my body and mind are actually made of. They are made of unresolved issues that I have had with others.
When you get an understanding of how karmas have shaped your body, you begin to act in a new way toward others and yourself. Your daily life becomes exciting, and like a child, you can hardly wait for the next opportunity to encounter an aspect of your past that needs to be resolved back into the emptiness of your own heart. I feel like this. The nature of a body is to change. All bodies start out young and then get older as the years pass.
I am committed to the practices that Patanjali outlines as the ashtanga system, which includes the five yamas. The fourth yama is brahmacharya, and it is the most important aspect of my daily yoga practice in regards to health and aging. The practice of brahmacharya means to respect the creative power of sex and not abuse it by manipulating others sexually.
I have been a vegan for 26 years now (add 5 years!), and so have not been involved with the sexual abuse of animals as practiced in the breeding of animals by the industrial livestock industry. That seems to have accelerated the benefits of being established in the practice of brahmacharya for me.
According to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, when you practice brahmacharya, you obtain enduring vitality, resulting in good health. I am in pretty good health, and I am blessed with lots of energy and vitality, so something is working.”
– excerpt from Diane Anderson’s article in Yoga Journal Nov. 2009
entitled “How to Stay Young”.
These first generation of American yoga teachers, learning directly from their source in the East, then re-integrating what they learned into their life experience here, have found American students hungry for their wisdom – their teachings, their interpretations; Sharon comes from the Ashtanga-style; the vigorous vinyasa style with lovely sounds; but what she is saying is connected to Judith Lasater’s devotion to yoga as well – Judith, also a first generation of American yoga teacher, coming from the Iyengar tradition, learning directly from late Master Iyengar himself. Their styles are seemingly far-apart on the surface coming from different lineages – Sharon, the creative, artistic, “Poetic Priestess”; Judith, the literary, erudite and “Profound Professor”…(with the 2x capital P’s) both with incredible presence -aura – the charisma & essentially, they are saying the same thing about yoga. Sharon finding yoga to serve as a platform for activism; Judith finding the sparkles of yoga in the everyday – that’s why yoga is so fascinating. Yoga serving the needs of so many different kinds of teachers/students with their own unique essence, approaches…service.
Beginning students cling to the teacher, more experienced students cling to the teaching, but the wise student sees the clinging and lets go.
– Judith Hanson Lasater
