| Sesshin Food After sesshin, people will often ask the cook for a recipe. One Tenzo’s
recipes always begin: “First sit for several days.” While it is true that
after lots of sitting we are sensitive to even the subtlest tastes, many
of us eat these good, simple foods on a regular basis. Here are a couple
of favorites
Baked Tofu. Even those who are somewhat apprehensive about tofu
find this firm, long-cooked tofu really tasty. We serve it with lightly
seasoned steamed vegetables and brown rice. Gomasio (recipe below) and soy
sauce are used as condiments. Leftover are used in a miso based, vegetable
soup. The tofu may be cooked with far less oven time. However, the
texture, which comes from the slow cooking, is what makes this recipe
special. Try this simple recipe when you are planning to stay home on a
weekend afternoon.
One or two blocks of firm tofu (cook more than you need, the leftovers are
great in soup)
Garlic
Ginger
Olive Oil
Soy sauce
Drain tofu. If time allows, place between two baking sheets with a book
weighting the top sheet to further extract water. Prepare a marinade of
grated ginger, a pressed clove or two of garlic, a few tbsp. of olive oil
and 2 -4 tbsp. of soy sauce. Cut the tofu into small, bite-size cubes and
gently stir in marinade. Let sit for 30 min.
Preheat oven to 375o. Bake the tofu, uncovered in a rectangular baking
pan, for 45 minutes. Reduce heat to 250o and continue for 30 minutes.
Reduce heat to 150o and bake for 2 hours. During the entire cooking
period, stir occasionally and, if necessary, drain off liquid. The
resulting tofu should be firm, dry and browned. |
Page 2
Gamosio is a condiment made from toasted sesame seeds and a little
sea salt. A bit of it on rice and vegetables is amazingly good. Try to get
your raw sesame seeds from an Asian grocery store; they are too expensive
when bought in bulk at a “health food store.”
2 cups raw, unhulled sesame seeds
1-tablespoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 400o. Place raw seeds in an open casserole dish. Roast
seeds for about 40 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. When
seeds are a medium golden brown, remove from the oven. Grind 2/3 of the
seeds and all of the salt in a food processor or blender. Take care not to
create a tahini-like paste. Combine with the unground seeds. Store in an
airtight container. Freeze any that you won’t use in the near future.
Quotes
“When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really does appreciate
everything that one has.”
-
Stephen Hawking, when asked about how his life had changed after the onset
of Lou Gehrig’s disease
“Imagine you are dead. After many years of exile, you are permitted to
cast a single glance Earthward. You see a lamppost and an old dog lifting
his leg against it. You are so moved you cannot help sobbing.”
-
Paul Klee
Phone, Web & New E-mail Address
Phone - (217)355-8835
Web Site - http://www.prairiezen.org
E-Mail - pzc@prairiezen.org
Use the e-mail address above to request the newsletter electronically.
|
