The subject of food carries us far afield. We start with the preparation of the dishes, often using recipes. Then there is the art of cooking itself, following by another art – eating! We've matched aspects of the food experience with the spiritual practices in the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy.

Attention
Cooking food well requires careful attention to a variety of factors plus the ability to focus on one thing at a time.

Beauty
We savor the beauty of a meal through the sight, the touch, and the taste of it.

Being Present
Focusing on just on the present moment while we are eating enables us to discover satisfaction with the nourishment and contentment in the experience.

Compassion
As we eat, we are encouraged to remember those who are hungry.

Connections
Our food reflects our connections to plants, animals, other human beings, and the good Earth.

Devotion
Creating rituals around cooking and saying thoughtful graces before meals make good everyday devotional practices.

Enthusiasm
Cooking and eating are always enhanced when approached with enthusiasm.

Faith
Food reminds us of our relationship to our generous Sustainer.

Forgiveness
Sometimes meal preparation does not go well, and we find ourselves apologizing to our companions and the ingredients that have been wasted.

Grace
We may experience moments of grace (a.k.a. the gifts of God) while cooking, and we also learn that we cannot always be in control.

Gratitude
Most likely, food is at the top of your gratitude list!

Hope
Meals cooked with optimism lift our spirits and empower us.

Hospitality
We are fortunate to have an amazing variety of foods from around the world available to us.

Imagination
There is no end to ways to express creativity and our imagination in the kitchen.

Joy
One of joys of cooking is learning from our mistakes.

Justice
We can help to counter injustices in the food supply by contributing to or volunteering in a soup kitchen or food pantry.

Kindness
A great gift for family and friends is a collection of your favorite recipes.

Listening
Food sends subtle messages to and about our bodies, and it is important to listen to them.

Love
We cherish those moments when we can sit around a table with family and friends, times when our love for each other is expressed.

Meaning
Look closely at any dish, reflect upon other times you have eaten it, and you likely will discover its special meaning to you.

Nurturing
Shopping for food, bringing it home, and then preparing it are ways in which we nurture ourselves and others.

Openness
A kitchen is a great training ground for developing openness to new experiences.

Peace
By cooking a variety of ethnic cuisines, you help to break down walls of separation.

Play
Food is an important part of most playful events, and eating can itself become play.

Questing
Part of the adventure of cooking is searching for different ingredients, herbs, flavors, and spices.

Reverence
Every good cook has respect for what goes into a dish and where it came from, whether an animal or a plant.

Shadow
How we treat the sources of our food may reveal our shadow side. A habit of wasting food exposes our selfishness and carelessness.

Silence
Every once in a while it soothes the soul to eat in silence.

Teachers
The best cooks are lifelong learners.

Transformation
Eating well brings health to our minds, bodies, and souls.

Unity
Food brings people together in a shared need and experience.

Vision
A surprising meal can change your view of what's good and what's possible.

Wonder
All kinds of delights and epiphanies can happen in the kitchen as your senses are flooded with impressions.

X-The Mystery
No matter how confident you are in what you are doing, some things about cooking are unpredictable and even mysterious.

Yearning
Appetite is desire molded by experience and culture.

Zeal
This spiritual practice means being fully aroused by life – and eating is required!