私は小さい時からお料理とお料理を食べることに関心が強く、おそらく育ちざかりの子供を３人抱える母が、安全と節約の両方の理由でお菓子を手作りしてくれていたこともあって、特にお菓子を作ることは好きでした。
もともと敏感な体質なのかもしれませんが、自分で料理を始めると、より『作られた』人工的な味に反応してしまい、どうしても美味しいと感じられず、主観でしかありませんが自分が心地よく感じる味を探し続けているような気がします。
食べることって、考え始めるとキリがないです。
この世界には様々な食養法がありますが、私は絶対的にこれと決めて信望しているものは無く、ただ旬のものを頂くこと、そして今住んでいる場所にできるだけ近いところで採れたものを選ぶ（身土不二）、そしてお腹が空いてなければ無理に3食食べないの3つを心がけています。
当然3つ目は一番難しいのですが…。
私はアートを生きることすべての中に見出し、身体と魂のコントロールという哲学に惹かれてピラティスを学び、現在はアーティスト兼ピラティス指導者でありますが、ホリスティックな観点で運動指導をしたいという思いから、東洋医学、アーユルヴェーダと勉強を続けています。
実は、薬膳には昔から興味がありました。
茶道の教室を持つ大伯母が精進料理を作ることもあり、何冊か本も読んだことがあるのですが、その当時は今ほど健康志向の世の中でもなく、インターネットも普及しておらず、頼りになるのは本だけ。生薬なども手に入りにくく、また薬膳を理解する私自身の知識の基盤も脆弱でありました。
そして名前からは形も味も想像がつかない生薬たちは、やたらに高いし、それらを揃えたところで使いこなせる自信も無く、薬膳という大海の中に、一歩を踏み込めずにいました。
今は健康志向の世の中で、美容業界でも漢方薬でスキンケアをすることを勧めたり、韓国や台湾の薬膳ツアーも人気。そんな折に、良く通りかかる道にさりげなくオープンしたお店。茶道の教室を持つ大伯母が精進料理を作ることもあり、何冊か本も読んだことがあるのですが、その当時は今ほど健康志向の世の中でもなく、インターネットも普及しておらず、頼りになるのは本だけ。生薬なども手に入りにくく、また薬膳を理解する私自身の知識の基盤も脆弱でありました。
そして名前からは形も味も想像がつかない生薬たちは、やたらに高いし、それらを揃えたところで使いこなせる自信も無く、薬膳という大海の中に、一歩を踏み込めずにいました。
それが、Naokoさんのお店 昌朋（しょうほう）でした。
ちょうど時間があった午後、お茶だけでもと思って入ってみました。
日の光が優しく差し込む店内は明るくてきれいで、生薬や薬膳酒が所狭しと並んでいて、私の心を鷲掴みでした。
たくさんあるケーキの中から、真っ先に気になっていた薔薇のシフォンケーキを選び、漢方茶は桂皮と生姜にしました。
Naokoさんに一言お声を掛けてから店内の写真を撮ったり、テーブルの上に置いてある東洋医学や薬膳の面白そうな本を手に取ってみたり、興奮する心を抑えるのに必死でした。
 |
| Rose chiffon with rose gelee sauce |
しばらくすると、ケーキとお茶が運ばれてきました。
まず薔薇のシフォンケーキの美味しいこと。ふわっとしていますがしっとりで、薔薇の花弁がきちんと香ります。そしてジュレのソースもまた程よい甘味があって、食べるごとに幸せな気分に満たされていきました。
桂皮と生姜のお茶には、素焚糖というサトウキビから作られたお砂糖を少し入れて下さっているとのことで、こちらもしっかりとスパイス（生薬とお呼びするべきでしょうか？）の味を感じられながらも苦みや変なエグ味も無く、身体がほかほかとあたたまる美味しいお茶でした。
 |
| Naoko, helping one of the customers to choose tea. |
Naokoさんは、お肌のきめが細かく光り輝くような艶をお持ちの美人さん。
普段は人見知りの私ですが、興味のあることにはどんどん向かう性分なので、初対面のNaokoさんを質問攻めにしてしまいました。
Naokoさんが、『それが身体に良いと言われたからといって、食べすぎないことを必ずお客様には伝えています。』と仰っていましたが、とても共感しました。
私もピラティス・トレーナーという仕事上、食事のことをお客様に訊かれることが多いです。
トレーナーという仕事を始めようと決めたと同時に、私がもともと興味のあった食のことをホリスティックな観点からきちんと学ぼうと思ったのも、自分の興味だけで終わらせずに仕事に活かせるからだというのも理由の一つでした。
私のピラティスセッションでは、お客様の顔や身体の色、呼吸や不調を見て、その時に合ったレッスンを提供しています。お客様の身体と心の状態に応じて、何をするかは、その時々で変わるのです。
ピラティスをしたら、『○○が治りますか？』とか『痩せますか？』とか、よく訊かれます。NOとは言いませんが、結果の出る速さには個人差があるものであり、それらはあくまで結果でしかないということです。プロセスにはもっと多くの恵みがあるのですが、お客様というのはそこにあまり興味が無い方がほとんどです。それを否定しているというわけではなく、ただそういう方が多いのです。
Naokoさんのお店に来るお客様は『漢方茶、薬膳＝くすり』だと思っておられる方がほとんどのようで、メニューの中から注文をする際に、『こういう症状が出ているんですが、何を食べたら治りますか？』とNaokoさんに相談をされるそうです。
運動も、薬膳も、『これさえやれば治る！』という絶対の治療薬ではないし、ピラティス・トレーナーも薬膳シェフも、医者ではないのです。
ただ、自分に合ったものを見つけて、それをコツコツと続ければいい。
身体は少しずつしか変わらないから、長い目で見てあげなくてはいけない。
そのためには、まずはほんの些細な変化を自分で感じて判断すること。
他人の意見は大切ですが、それを第一の判断基準にしないこと。
Naokoさんには初めてお会いしたのに、身体やマインドに対する意見が同じで、とても嬉しくなりました。
ピラティスにも興味を持たれているNaokoさん。
ご一緒に何か面白いことができたらなぁ、なんて私一人でちょっと妄想したりしています。
I went to a medical cooking place I'd been wanted to go.
 |
| 菊花の薬膳酒（chrysanthemum liquor） |
Probably I'm constitutionally sensitive on chemical additive and artificial seasoning, but more I cook by myself, less I can't cope with those manipulated tastes. So I've been trying to find the taste my body and soul feel fine on. It's totally my personal opinion and I never wish to be critical on the artificially processed food.
There is no answer for a thought on eating.
So many diets in this world today, but I have nothing I believe in or religiously stick to. I just try to eat food in season as much as possible, and choose ingredients brought from the place as closest as I live now. And I try not to eat when I'm not hungry. Those three things are the rules I try to follow.
Of course the third one is the most difficult I know...
I find art in everyday life and I was attracted by a philosophy of Pilates, a control of body and mind, so I learnt Pilates and became a Pilates instructor. As I wish to teach how to find a balance between our body and mind by using a holistic point of view, I've been studying Oriental medicine and Ayurveda.
I've been interested in medical cooking for a long time.
My great-aunt who has her own tea ceremony class does Shojin ryori (a vegetarian dish served in Japanese Zen temples), so I read few books about medical cooking, but the time wasn't so health conscious compare to today and there was no internet. I was only relying on books I could find. The herbal medicines are so hard to get and also my basic knowledge to understand the methods of medical cooking was so weak at that time.
The herbal medicines, I couldn't imagine how they look nor taste from the names and also they were very expensive. And of course even if I collected all those medicines, I had no confident to make the most of them. So I was hesitated to put myself into the huge ocean of medical cooking.
Now the time is heavily health-conscious and even beauty industry has started to recommend herbal medicines as one of the skincare methods. Japanese ladies love going to Korea and Taiwan to try medical cooking dishes.
It was a total coincidence I passed by the place Naoko runs with her mom, SHOUHOU.
 |
| 陳皮茶（Chenpi tea） |
I had few hours I could spent for tea, so I went in.
The place was blight with sunlight and clean. Windowsills and walls were filled with bottles of medical herbs and liquors. I was instantly attracted by the place.
Cakes were all tempting, but I chose rose chiffon which I was curious the most, and cinnamon and ginger tea.
I asked Naoko if I could take photos, and she smiled and said it's totally fine. I took few photos and flicked through the books of Oriental medicine and medical cooking on the table. I was so excited.
The place was blight with sunlight and clean. Windowsills and walls were filled with bottles of medical herbs and liquors. I was instantly attracted by the place.
Cakes were all tempting, but I chose rose chiffon which I was curious the most, and cinnamon and ginger tea.
I asked Naoko if I could take photos, and she smiled and said it's totally fine. I took few photos and flicked through the books of Oriental medicine and medical cooking on the table. I was so excited.
 |
| Morning rice porridge with medical herbs. |
The rose chiffon was beautiful. It was fluffy and soft, but the rose scents properly filled me up. Gelee sauce wasn't too sweet. A bite after bite, my soul was filled up with happiness.
Cinnamon and ginger tea was rightly sweetened with Sudakitou, which is a type of cane sugar. So I could taste spiciness of the spices (or should I be saying medical herbs?), but no bitterness at all and the tea warmed up my body.
Naoko is a beautiful girl with fair and fine porcelain skin.
Normally I'm afraid of talking to a stranger, but when I'm interested in something, I can. So even though we met for the first time, I made so many questions to her.
I completely agreed with Naoko's idea that even if the herbal medicine is good for your health, you shouldn't take more than you need.
As I'm a Pilates trainer, many customers ask me about diet. As soon as I decided to become a trainer, I started to learn about food and diet, which I'd been always interested in, from a holistic point of view. So I could know more about diet and nutrition not only as my interest, but also as a part of my skills for my work.
In my Pilates personal session, I see my customer's complexion （both face and body）, breathing and condition and decide what is the best for him/her to do during the session. What I suggest changes each time based on my customer's body and mind condition.
I'm often asked by my customers if they can fix certain parts of their body pains or if they could loose weights by doing Pilates. I won't say NO, but those things are mare results and there are far more great things during the process to get that results. However, most of the customers don't care about the process. I'm not denying this fact, but I'm just saying they are like that.
The customers who come to Naoko's cafe, most of them believe that Chinese herb medicine are "medicine". So they ask Naoko what to drink when they make their orders. "I have this pain or symptom at the moment, so tell me which herbal medicine will cure my condition?"
Neither exercise nor food are absolute cure, and neither a Pilates trainer nor a medical cooking chef are doctors at all.
The best way to solve your pain-in-the-neck is to find what agrees with your life style and carry on with it.
Our body changes very slowly...little by little, so we have to be patient.
We have to feel a tiny change and decide by ourselves.
Other people's opinions are important evaluation criteria, but never the principal.
I was so happy as Naoko and I share the same opinion about body and mind even though we met for each other for the first time.
She is also interested in Pilates.
I'd love to do something with her in future...
Cinnamon and ginger tea was rightly sweetened with Sudakitou, which is a type of cane sugar. So I could taste spiciness of the spices (or should I be saying medical herbs?), but no bitterness at all and the tea warmed up my body.
Naoko is a beautiful girl with fair and fine porcelain skin.
Normally I'm afraid of talking to a stranger, but when I'm interested in something, I can. So even though we met for the first time, I made so many questions to her.
I completely agreed with Naoko's idea that even if the herbal medicine is good for your health, you shouldn't take more than you need.
As I'm a Pilates trainer, many customers ask me about diet. As soon as I decided to become a trainer, I started to learn about food and diet, which I'd been always interested in, from a holistic point of view. So I could know more about diet and nutrition not only as my interest, but also as a part of my skills for my work.
In my Pilates personal session, I see my customer's complexion （both face and body）, breathing and condition and decide what is the best for him/her to do during the session. What I suggest changes each time based on my customer's body and mind condition.
I'm often asked by my customers if they can fix certain parts of their body pains or if they could loose weights by doing Pilates. I won't say NO, but those things are mare results and there are far more great things during the process to get that results. However, most of the customers don't care about the process. I'm not denying this fact, but I'm just saying they are like that.
 |
| Medical cooking method pound cake. |
The customers who come to Naoko's cafe, most of them believe that Chinese herb medicine are "medicine". So they ask Naoko what to drink when they make their orders. "I have this pain or symptom at the moment, so tell me which herbal medicine will cure my condition?"
Neither exercise nor food are absolute cure, and neither a Pilates trainer nor a medical cooking chef are doctors at all.
The best way to solve your pain-in-the-neck is to find what agrees with your life style and carry on with it.
Our body changes very slowly...little by little, so we have to be patient.
We have to feel a tiny change and decide by ourselves.
Other people's opinions are important evaluation criteria, but never the principal.
I was so happy as Naoko and I share the same opinion about body and mind even though we met for each other for the first time.
She is also interested in Pilates.
I'd love to do something with her in future...
 |
| I'm enjoying Chenpi tea at home. |
No comments:
Post a Comment