The Dragon's Head Blog: The Kitchen Perspective from the International Center Florida Program

Cultivating stillness was the theme of the workshop, and the sense of stillness permeated through the kitchen, settling into the cook team and work groups. Kitchen tai chi is not only about using the principles of the moves into the work of chopping, stirring, and mixing. Like tai chi, cooking should be relaxed and from the heart and nurtured in stillness. Stillness allows the creativity to bubble up so that the food served is nutritious and pleasing to the tastebuds and the eyes. It fosters focus and clarity so that cooking is on time and the team members stay in task. It allows time for thoughtful reflection while going about the kitchen work. And it fosters harmony among the team members.

— Kitchen Lead, Dena Hurst

In keeping with the theme, the kitchen prepared a lovely lunch of black rice and white beans, white and green asparagus and grilled chicken.

The evening dinner was grits and grunts, a Southern tradition. Grunts are a local fish that makes a grunting sound when taken out of the water.