Aphrodite, Soul Food and Aikido

So many of our experiences in life, through Aikido, our family and friends, revolve around a meal and "breaking bread." Aikido trips I've taken have provided wonderful memories of our training or talking in-depth of our lives.

From having a classic egg and toast breakfast with Kancho and Fred Haynes sensei in Georgetown, to eating dim sum and sushi at small crazy loud rock-n-roll spots in southern California with Geordan Reynolds sensei, Chino sensei and Sensei Bob and the Lincoln Continental, hitting the late night spots in San Francisco's Tenderloin area and the weekly Saturday breakfast with the Shuharikan Crew at The Downtowner in St. Paul, having a Cajun with Black and Tan toast, all are memories I treasure!

These two quotes are so descriptive and capture in such detail, the enjoyment of experiencing a fantastic meal while spending time with great friends.

"Little by little, I worked up a list of everything that according to my own experience and the knowledge accumulated through centuries in different cultures enhances passionate life, or just life in general. As is only natural, food headed the list." Isabel Allende, Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses

“To cook soul food you must use all of your senses. You cook by instinct but you also use smell, taste, touch, sight, and, particularly, sound. You learn to hear by the crackling sound when it’s time to turn over the fried chicken, to smell when a pan of biscuits is just about to finish baking, and to feel when a pastry’s just right to the touch. You taste, rather than measure, the seasonings you treasure; and you use your eyes, not a clock, to judge when that cherry pie has bubbled sweet and nice. These skills are hard to teach quickly. They must be felt, loving, and come straight from the heart and soul.” Sheila Ferguson, Soul Food: Classic Cuisine from the Deep South