Finding Yourself in the Kitchen: Kitchen Meditations and Inspired Recipes from a Mindful Cook

by Dana Velden

Many books teach the mechanics of cooking and even inspire us to cook; not many dwell on the kitchen's ability to be a place of awakening and joy. In Finding Yourself in the Kitchen , Dana Velden asks you to seek deeper meaning in this space and explores what cooking can teach about intimacy, failure, curiosity, and beauty.

Finding Yourself in the Kitchen is a book of essays, each focused on a cooking theme that explores how to practice mindfulness in the kitchen--and beyond--to discover a more deeply experienced life. It also offers meditation techniques and practical kitchen tips, including 15 of Velden's own favorite recipes.

What happens when we find ourselves in the kitchen? What vitalizes, challenges, and delights us there? An extension of her popular "Weekend Meditation" column on TheKitchn.com, this book offers you the chance to step back and examine your life in a more inspired way. The result is a reading experience that satisfies, nourishes and inspires.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction, Cooking, Spirituality, Self Help, Meditation

272 pages, Hardcover

First published September 8, 2015

About the author

Dana Velden is a writer living in Oakland, California. Before Oakland, she lived at the San Francisco Zen Center for 15 years. Before that, she was born in Chicago and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Clearly she is a very lucky person.

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of meditation is comforting but daunting for many people. How about meditating in the kitchen? Dana Velden proposes that, for many of us, that is what happens when we cook, and that, for many of us, meditation in the kitchen is something we can easily do better. I love how Velden offers extremely simple ways to move more of your eating habits away from restaurant eating and into home cooking. I also love how she takes away the stresses that we often impose upon ourselves as we cook, and proposes simplifying cooking to focus on enjoying the process rather than criticizing our end product.

[Courtney Denker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost restarted at chapter one before closing the cover. This beautiful ode to the kitchen was exactly what I needed! It’s written for both the avid chefs and the only-when-necessary cooks. She writes of the joy of food, its healing properties, its life-giving abilities, its social aspect, its traditions. The running list I had while reading of ideas, recipes to try, kitchen tools I need, rituals I want to begin…it is endless. Even for someone like me who finds preparing food for my loved ones energy-giving, I can get into cooking ruts. Dana Velden has just spoken straight to my heart and reinvigorated me! She challenges us to try cooking in a way we don’t usually; so for me, since I’m a cook with my gut gal, I’ve been challenged to follow a recipe line by line. Can’t wait! Will be rereading this regularly with the season changes.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a part of my new morning routine (coffee, morning jazz, and sitting by the window). This book has such an interesting and new perspective on how cooking is interwoven with the other parts of our lives and who we are. Food and cooking is about so much more than just... food and cooking. This book has reminded me of that, and of how important food is - not only to stay alive but also to handle and meet life appropriately. Who knew there were so many things to bring from the kitchen into other parts of our lives? And vice versa?

Anyone who knows me would be shocked to see me read a book that's even the slightest bit "self help -y" (I can't stand clichés), but this is honestly such a good read. Now I'm going to re-read the parts I've highlighted!

[Nat D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being in the kitchen as a form of meditation and intimacy - with food, ourselves, and others. This beautiful book has inspired me to revel in each moment and to treat the mundane as sacred. An invitation, a delicious, beautiful book.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is just not a better word to describe this book than lovely. As a person who loves cooking, it is so refreshing to read the musings of another cook. It really does just make you want to knock on Dana's back door and pop in for tea. I'm sure she'd be super creeped out by a bunch of strangers doing that, but you know what I mean. Her writing style is casual and easy to read. It flows as if you're chatting with a best friend. There are yummy looking recipes sprinkled throughout with variations to make them vegetarian/vegan. The drawings are darling. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who gets a sense of peace from chopping veggies or smelling cinnamon wafting from their oven. There are so many tips that I'll incorporate into my kitchen/cooking style moving forward and as a hard-core recipe follower, it has made me trust myself a little more and work on weaning myself from being chained to a recipe as much. Absolutely loved it!

[Kathleen Garber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up from the book store because I love learning more about cooking but this seemed different from a cookbook and that’s because it is. It’s more about being at home in your kitchen, presence of mind and adding meditations into your kitchen use.

If you are picturing yourself sitting in the middle of your kitchen in a typical meditation pose saying om, you have the wrong idea. Kitchen meditations have more to do with going into a meditative state while doing everyday tasks in the kitchen such as chopping vegetables or stirring soups or stews. It’s about having a zen kitchen.

The book includes a few recipes too such as a Simple Weeknight Curry, Lemon Curd, Yogurt, Sautéed Tiny Turnips with Their Greens and Salsa Verde.

It was a nice read but nothing over the top amazing. If you want to bring more Zen or meditation into your kitchen and cooking, you’ll enjoy this book.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely little book to pick up for the new year. I found it at a coffee shop and will release it in a similar place. Composed of little essays, I took away a few things to bring into the new year: learn from others in the kitchen, taste and check in with food since everything is in a state of change, take time to include children in cooking, create zen moments out of morning tea or dish washing or chopping vegetables. Nice reminders.

[John’aLee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 star.

[Nick Klagge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough for me to rate this book. On the one hand, I love Dana Velden--one of my favorite food writers--and I think almost everything she wrote in the book is great. On the other hand, I'm not sure how well it works as a book.

Probably like most other readers, I got to know Velden's writing through her "Weekend Meditation" blog posts. These are nice, fairly short, thoughtful sketches of ideas related to food and cooking--mostly the emotional or personal aspects, how these things fit into the broader setting of a life. Velden is a former Buddhist contemplative and it shows through in her writing, in the best way.

FYK is basically a series of Weekend Meditations. I don't think any of them are actually recycled; I'm pretty sure it's all new material. There are some recipes scattered through the book, but they're really not the main focus. Velden makes a game attempt at imposing some structure on the book by organizing it into three sections on different types of intimacy, and I think that works OK. But in the end, these are still the Zen-like fragments that the Weekend Meditation was, and they seem more suited to being delivered in an unstructured way. I read the book cover-to-cover, but after I finished, that felt like the wrong way to read it, and I wished that DV had just published the contents as regular Weekend Meditation posts instead of as a book!

Four stars for the content, but three stars for the book-as-book. Go check out her blog posts if you are interested.

[Jenna (Falling Letters) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book from my library's selection of 'new addition' ebooks. I was not familiar with Velden's online presence prior to stumbling upon this book. I really enjoyed the mindfulness perspective on cooking and the experiences that surround that. Velden brings two of my favourite interests together. I hope I can remember her words when I work in my kitchen. The bite size pieces that make up this book would make it a nice book to have handy in the kitchen, to pull out and read a few pages when you need a moment to focus. I skimmed over most of the recipes but noted down the any fruit tart.

[Mira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this book started the year out perfectly with its kitchen meditations and information that really makes you think.

Let’s not forget about all of the delicious and good-for-you recipes to choose from!

And believe me there were some really terrific recipes in this book. I have even gone back and made some of them, including the simple weeknight curry, which was explosive in flavor and so easy to make!

Another thing that I really enjoyed about this book was that it was a quick and easy read which made it perfect to kick off the year. I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for ways to incorporate more mindfulness into their daily living as well as a few delicious recipes.

[Dawn Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This kitchen book (NOT cookbook, even though there are a few recipes) was an experience. At times it brought me so much self-reflection I had emotional responses. I learned to make an amazing curry and shared it with my husband, who also loved it. If you feel lonely, lost, or just in need of inspiration check this out. I really enjoyed it and it made me think about why the kitchen is so important to our lives.

[Anne Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed this book right now with all the social distancing, lockdown, stay-at-home edicts. I just about ate the book up (pun intended.) I borrowed the book from the library but think I may need my own copy of it. The recipes, most of them, sound easy and delicious with a few ingredients. I want to make some of them but right now isn't soup weather so I will wait for the Fall. Many of Velden's meditations spoke straight to my heart. I highly recommend it.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Peace in the Kitchen

This was an easy to read book that explains how to center yourself in the kitchen. There were several recipes that I wrote down as I would love to try them especially carrot soup and a small bowl of yogurt.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice book about finding yourself and becoming aware of many aspects of life from the point of view of feeling comfortable in the kitchen.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. It was intimate, like a conversation with another cook in the kitchen.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read with recipes

[Rose Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book about cherishing the time spent in the kitchen.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book I'll go back to for the recipes and for words of wisdom.

If you love cooking and spending time I. The kitchen, this is for you.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway. An honest review was requested in exchange for winning the giveaway, but was not required.

This book combines the musings and insights of the author as she contemplated the intersection of being Mindful and going about her daily life. Much of daily life involves preparing food for oneself or others, and it's in this sphere of daily life that the book is focused on exploring mindfulness.

Some recipes are included but it id's not a cookbook. As a lover and some what collector of cookbooks, this philosophical journey through the kind of another kitchen & cooking lover was a journey into the hidden parts myself that I haven't been all that mindful of ...on the surface. Many things resonated with me, some things didn't but were thought inspiring as I read.

Only four stars but as a reflection of the style of book just not being my most favored genre, but definitely a lovely relaxing and delightful journey into the stillness of the mind and heart of the kitchen experience of daily life.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful collection of essays, about two of my favorite topics: cooking, and finding yourself. I really liked the way the book was set out, into three main sections, each full of wonderful essays. I've always belived in the idea that learning something, such as meditaiton, doesn't help you unless you can bring it into all aspects of your life - in other words, if the only time you are benefiting from meditation is when you are actually mediatating, well, that's now how I think it should be; I think the meditation should seep into all areas of your life, so that you are actually living it. What is great about this book is that it does just that - brings mediation, awareness, and more, into the kitchen.

I also really appreciate her writing style - it's warm, and intimate. It's like she's sitting down in my kitchen, chatting to me, lingering over a cup of tea.

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zen in the kitchen – this book was written for me! I really loved the reflections, delivered in short bites, that slowly explored just about every aspect of what goes on in the preparation, enjoyment, sharing and cleaning up after eating and how we can do it more mindfully – not because we should but because the heightened awareness is a meditation that can mine the pleasure inherent in any activity done with presence.

I look forward to baking my first tart in the pan left to me by a friend from one of the recipes, most of which I bookmarked. I also highlighted tons of passages in this book to come back to. Wisdom distilled from countless chopped veggies, cups of tea - solo or with company, bright yellow lemons brightening up the room. What a wonderful quietly reverent but practically grounded approach to the most mundane and the most sublime of acts – feeding our bellies.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely beautiful collection of exactly what the title says: kitchen meditations and recipes. I loved the author's careful examination of the kitchen and the practice (like meditation) of preparing food. Rather than regulating cooking to the following of instructions or the perfecting of techniques, Dana Velden contemplates the heart of cooking and the movement towards greater intimacy with the physical world, with our mind and with other people. I loved sinking into the carefully curated reflections which lent both a feeling of calmness and the inspiration to get into the kitchen to put her words into practice. I recommend this book for anyone who loves cooking (or wants to love it!).

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, easy to read mediations on living in and out of the kitchen. That TOTALLY should have been the blurb on this book. It's ok. I tried two of the recipes and, yes I substituted a bunch of stuff in them (because that is what people do), they were pretty good. She writes for Kitchn.com so the chapters feel like short blog posts. Did it change my life, no, but this is one of those books that maybe you need to hear her say it to make a difference in your life. Honestly, I'm just jealous that I didn't write it and I think she is probably a really nice person.

Note: My reviews are not book reports. Instead they are how I would tell a friend about a book while having coffee. I stopped writing book reports in 7th grade.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTE: I RECEIVED A HARDBACK COPY OF THIS BOOK IN A GOODREADS GIVEAWAY.

This book delighted me! So many times during my reading, I wanted to get up and go into the kitchen and make something -- and I can't cook. I loved the thoughtfulness espoused throughout this book, and I found it inspiring in terms of cooking and bringing mindfulness to the rituals of daily life. I plan to read it again after I've had time to, ahem, digest this time. Thumb's up!

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Not really a cookbook....more of meditative reading related to the kitchen. This is a book I will reread over and over to remind myself to slow down and enjoy the gifts of daily living. Highly recommend! I have said this before but it is worth repeating...I love the County Library system! I find the best books when I stop in and pickup what I have ordered online and browse the new additions shelf. I find things I might never have heard of. Great resource for all!

[Rachel Blakeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author wrote weekly essays for The Kitchn, which is one of my favorite food blogs. I always looked forward to them on Sundays so I was delighted when she wrote a book. I did not spend enough time with this one as I read it to reflect on what she had to say, but it had a strong zen, meditative quality. I didn't make any of the recipes (they weren't that interesting to me), but I enjoyed this quick read.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

For as much time as I spend working in the kitchen this was a great read. I've already incorporated different ideas in this book into my own life. I constantly have lemons on hand, and when in the middle of making a large dinner with Alyce, we make sure we stop for 30 seconds, hold each other, close our eyes and take in the moment with all the smells, and sounds.

[Rebecca Irving · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this author's perspective.
Her suggestions and priorities were refreshing, relatable and encouraging
The writing was sometimes uninteresting but not enough to stop reading
It reminded me of, "The Japanese Art of Tidying", for food!