Entering the Kitchen
Excerpt from: Cooking for the Love of the World
Awakening Our Spirituality through Cooking
by Anne-Marie Fryer Wiboltt
I enter my kitchen with deep silence. It is not a silence that is absent of outer noise, but an inner silence and calmness centered in the heart. This silence makes everything a whole and holy oneness pregnant with potentials.
As I begin to cook I am warmed by quiet enthusiasm. 
Reverence and wonder fill my heart as I look at each of the ingredients I choose to work with. I see the creations of nature; her beauty, colors and expressions. Gratitude wells up as I think of the bounty she provides humanity with. Endlessly producing, endlessly giving, selflessly.
This inner silence prepares me for being fully attentive and present to creative inspiration. Cooking is a process of listening and co-creating.
If I feel tired, irritated or in a rush, I either take some time for myself to reconnect, pull something out of the freezer or make quick sandwiches. I know too well that cooking with these emotions is not wise. If I cook when I feel distracted or exhausted I add those feelings to the dish. When I feel this lack of focus or negativity, I also close off any creative imagination, inspiration or intuition as I work. Those are the days where I use too much fire, burn food to the pot and overcook the soup. Cooking then feels more like a chore that I need to hurry and get over with.
A friend of mine told me that when she was young living in India with her family and grandparents, her grandmother would sit down to cook. She had a clearly marked small area as her kitchen and a stove made of clay to work on. It was a sacred place where no one was to enter except her. She kept it clean and painted the stovetop every other day. Before she began to cook she took a bath and cleared her thoughts and emotions. In many cultures the activity of cooking used to take place in a special revered space and cooking itself was regarded as a sacred act.
Rosemary Stuffed Mushrooms
The stuffed mushrooms can be made in advance, but need to be baked right before serving. They make tasty and attractive appetizers.
12 large mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon finely cut fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter
1/6 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a cookie sheet.
Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a clean towel. Gently separate stems from caps.
Mince stems, garlic and rosemary.
Heat a small frying pan. Add oil, and sauté garlic and stems for 2 minutes. Add rosemary, salt and breadcrumbs. Simmer while stirring lightly for 3 minutes.
Fill each mushroom cap with 1-2 teaspoons of the mixture. Tap it down firmly. Place as much filling as will comfortably sit on the mushroom cap.
Bake for 6-8 minutes or until lightly golden and serve immediately.
Excerpt from:
Cooking for the Love of the World:
Awakening our Spirituality through Cooking
by Anne-Marie Fryer Wiboltt
A heart-centered, warmth-filled guide to the nurturing art of cooking.
"Cooking delicious nourishing meals - with heart and soul - is easy, fast, and fun with this great guide. Everything you need to know is right here - along with exercises and experiences that will help you love cooking, love yourself,
and love the earth."
-Susun S. Weed, Author, Healing Wise
Order Cooking For the Love of the World in our Bookshop
Online Courses by ANNE-MARIE FRYER
Cooking for the Love of Children
taught by Mentor: Anne-Marie Fryer
Learn about the nutritional needs of your growing child and receive delicious, seasonal, wholesome nutritious menus and recipes on affordable budget so as to encourage children to eat and live healthy.
Learn about the nutritional needs of your growing child and receive delicious, seasonal, wholesome nutritious menus and recipes on affordable budget so as to encourage children to eat and live healthy. During this four weeks course we will explore the nutritious needs for your growing child.
We will discover how rhythm, simplicity and nourishing activities support a healthy child development. You will find new ways to encourage our child to develop a taste for natural, wholesome foods as well as receive and create delicious, seasonal nutritious menus and recipes that stay within the limits of an affordable budget.
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Culturing from the Heart
This course will explore some of the many benefits of fermented and cultured foods, and why it is important to include them regularly with every meal. You will be guided through the steps of making sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled vegetables, kefir, soft cheese, and yogurt, as well as get a chance to discover new fermented drinks such as kvass, wines, and beers. I will aim at answering personal questions around your culturing and fermenting experiences.
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About the Mentor: My name is Anne-Marie. I am a Waldorf class and kindergarten teacher, biodynamic farmer, author, and nutritional counselor. I have taught nutritional cooking and counseled for 25 years in my homeland Denmark, Europe, and the United States. I am the author of “Cooking for the Love of the World, Awakening Our Relationship to Spirituality Through Cooking.”
