Zen River Cookbook: Recipes from a Western Zen Temple

In a Zen Community, the Tenzo (cook) holds a very special place, and Tamara Myoho Gabrysch Roshi has spent decades becoming a true In a Zen Community, the Tenzo (head cook) holds a very special place, and Tamara Myoho Gabrysch Roshi has spent decades becoming a true master. Her strong and beautiful practice is expressed in her kitchen, her love of food, and the blending of flavours and colours in precise instructions for delicious, delightful and healthy dishes whether you are cooking for two or fifty. Her mastery goes far beyond cooking; it is actually how she, like masters of old, transmits the teachings of Zen.—D. Genpo Merzel Roshi, Founder of Kanzeon International Sangha, author of Big Mind / Big Heart and Spitting Out the Bones.These delicious recipes have been created, tested, and compiled by a Zen cook with decades of experience. The colour photos are beautiful and make you want to head to the kitchen and start chopping. It is rare to find a book that helps you cook healthy, tasty food for large groups. An unexpected treat is a discovery that the recipes are interwoven with inspiring Zen teachings.—Jan Chozen Bays, MD, abbot of Great Vow Zen Monastery, Oregon, author of Mindful Eating: Free Yourself from Overeating and Other Unhealthy Relationships with Food (Shambhala 2009)The Zen River Cookbook is the work of a Zen Master. It is filled with flavourful recipes, thoughtful instruction, and beautiful images. This book captures the simplicity and dynamic range of a true Zen kitchen with variety, clarity, and nourishment for the body, mind, and spirit.—Diane Musho Hamilton, co-founder of Two Arrows Zen and Integral Spirituality, author of Everything is Workable: A Zen Approach to Conflict Resolution, (Shambhala, 2013).The Zen River Cookbook is a wonderful collection of practical, accessible, creative, and delicious recipes. They lend themselves to the preparation of simple or substantial meals for the family,‑ for a dinner party, or a large function. This is good food – that it is vegetarian is not an issue. The recipes are well developed, tested over many years in the most demanding conditions, and they are reliable. They also represent the author’s Zen sensibility and illustrate a concern for good nutrition, the environment, minimum waste, and a delight in the delicious! —David Scott, founder and leading teacher at Stonewater Zen Sangha in the UK. Author of The Three Bowl Cookbook, Explorer Japan (Fodor and the AA), and Simply Zen, Designs for Harmonious Living. Tamara Myoho Gabrysch is a master Tenzo who generously and joyfully shares her cooking knowledge and love of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha in The Zen River Cookbook. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience the elegance of a Zen kitchen in every meal. There are clear, delicious, and flavourful recipes for every part of the day and every occasion. Beautiful photographs, along with useful instruction and thoughtful reflections, enhance this comprehensive introduction to the principles and practice of mindful cooking. Retreat cooks will appreciate The Zen River Cookbook as an essential kitchen resource, while home cooks will enjoy Myoho Sensei’s skilled guidance for making delicious meals to delight friends and family.—Julia Kanro Sati, Tenzo, Two Arrows Zen.
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