Choosing the ingredients was an inner journey. It was rooting out spirits in the food; they had their essence. When I approached the ingredients with my body, their spirits lit up in mine. They also revealed my spirit and my wish. They came together; the recipe was a dance that existed only in a moment.

You knew the essence of the ingredients. Then the meal could become a spirit meal. One made it light, another heavy. They contributed textures, temperatures, sours, salts, sweets, and bitters. Heavenly aromatics, sensual, savory.

-Joseph (3/16/2006)