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Lily Chou is one of the many diligent and dedicated volunteers who work in the kitchen at Buddha gate Monastery. These volunteers perform a vital function in the daily life at the monastery. Lily is a grandmother who traveled an interesting road to her work here at Buddha Gate .
1. How long have you been at Buddha Gate and how did you start volunteering in the kitchen?
I came here in 2001 when Buddha Gate opened. Of course, I love food and was interested in cooking, so that is why I started helping Shifu in the kitchen. At that time I didn't know much about working in a large kitchen and cooking for so many people. At first I washed dishes and cleaned vegetables.
My childhood was spent in a traditional Buddhist environment in Taiwan, but I became a Christian when I married. My husband and I raised our four children in San Francisco. Now I have six grandchildren. After my husband passed away, I felt that my elderly parents needed me so I quit my job in San Francisco and returned to Taiwan to take care of them. I cared for them for seven years until my mother passed away; then three weeks later my father died. It was in the early part of 2000. I went to my parents’ gravesite and chanted the Sutra on Impermanence (Wu Tsang Ching) every Sunday. Studying and chanting this sutra was the beginning of my awareness of the truths in Buddhism.
After my parents passed away, my belief in Buddhism became stronger. In the year 2000, I also learned about the Chung Tai Monastery in Taiwan. My sister has been a member of the Dharma Support Society at Chung Tai. She told me about the Dharma talks given by the Grand Master and invited me to attend. I attended the lectures and was impressed by the depth of thinking and focus on the mind. This fresh perspective was very different from the traditional Buddhism of my early childhood. That summer I participated in the seven-day retreat. About that time the Grand Master went into a six-month secluded retreat, so Master Jian Hu, now Abbot of the Zen Center in Sunnyvale, was in charge of that summer retreat. When I heard Master Jian Hu's lectures, many aspects of Buddhism were clarified for me.
I felt deeply grateful to the Grand Master and members of Chung Tai for their assistance to my parents and for their support that comforted me during the time of my parents' passing. In 2001, when I returned to the U.S., I immediately came to Buddha Gate determined to join and offer my assistance.
2. The general public and members are always invited by the Dharma Masters to partake in the meals prepared at the monastery. Why is it important to eat together?
When the public comes to Buddha Gate to learn about Buddhism, most are not vegetarian. The Abbess prefers that those who do come to the monastery at least partake in a vegetarian meal rather than go home and eat whatever is around. Here everyone can learn that vegetarian meals are nutritious and healthy. In Buddhism we are taught to revere life and not to kill. Naturally, Dharma study and vegetarianism go together.
3. Has there always been an expert chef here at Buddha Gate? What happens when the Dharma Chef is away for any period of time?
We've always been lucky to have a Dharma Master Chef at Buddha Gate. We've had several chefs over the years. When the Dharma Master Chef is away, volunteer helpers must take over.
When the Abbess asked me to take over while the Shifu was away, I was shaky and scared. The Abbess reassured me, "No matter. You've been with us for so many years. The Dharma Masters are not picky. Whatever you make will be fine. You will not disappoint us. "
Normally I'm here from Thursday night through Sunday afternoon; on Thursdays I do the shopping for Shifu. I have been cooking here this past month and will continue to do so while Master Chef Jian Zhou is in Taiwan.
4. What skills and techniques must one master in vegetarian cooking?
You can cook almost any combination of vegetables. The first thing is to look closely at the color and how it will look when it's served. What colors do you want? Start with the color you like and work around that. For example, bell peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower is one good combination. You can have carrots or different kinds of squashes, not just green leaves. Tofu comes in many forms and can be served in many ways. For flavoring, I use white vinegar, black vinegar, lao tso, the darker soy sauce. We use mushroom flavoring, salt and white pepper a lot. I also use rock sugar which is melted and stored in jars; we make that ourselves. It's really handy and more convenient to use than using regular sugar. It doesn't make things so sweet.
The cleaver is so easy to use compared to the American knife which is long and pointed. With a cleaver you can slice, dice, julienne, and chop, then pick up the chopped items all with one tool. Most of the cleavers in our kitchen come from Taiwan. I like them because they are thin and light-weight.
We can all learn from observing Master Chef Jian Zhou. Have you ever seen Shifu cutting vegetables? She is amazing. She can slice something very thin uniformly and effortlessly. At first, she always looks at the whole vegetable then determines the size and total number of pieces she will get from each vegetable. She always says to me, "You must be mindful." I know I must determine what shape -- long, thin, square, round, or triangular - goes best with the ingredients I am combining and what the presentation will look like. There is definitely an art to cooking. It is obvious I am still learning. The other day, I had to look up how many pieces of tofu I would get from one block.
5. What are monastic rules for working in the kitchen?
Most important are safety and hygiene. Everything must be kept clean and organized for health and safety reasons. Vegetables must be washed three times to remove dirt and insects. The work area must be clean and all kitchen tools should be returned to their proper places.
Don't waste food. Cooking demands planning and foresight. We can't just go in and come out with something quickly. Just this morning I was thinking, what should I do with these leftovers and how shall I combine ingredients? You can't just leave something there and expect to use it tomorrow or the next day. You can't discard it either. We must remember that all food comes from the disciples. You cannot waste it. That is a rule.
6. What duties might a volunteer leader have in assisting the Dharma Master Chef? How do you organize people so they work harmoniously?
One of my tasks is to assign duties to the volunteers who come to help Shifu. People love to come here. Many have been here for years. They might show up every Sunday or Saturday, once or twice during the week or even once a month. There is a definite schedule for the regular volunteers. For larger events, as long as I put all the vegetables on the table and divide them according to each dish, I can always ask one volunteer who comes regularly to take charge of a group of people. Of course, things happen, even after I provide a sample of the size or shape for a vegetable in a particular dish. As it happens someone may show up and start cutting the daikon unevenly or something. Well, I've learned that regardless of its size and the fact that pieces don't cook evenly, they all go into the stomach so in the end it really doesn't matter. Before I used to get upset and yell, "How come this one is so big and this one so small!" Then I'd get a response like "Well, that wasn't me, that was her." Getting upset or blaming others doesn't solve any problems. I've learned that in order to work harmoniously with others, it is important to remain calm.
7. How many volunteers do you have now?
Right now there are two or three volunteers a day and on some days there may be one or none. During the summer, kids are at home so volunteers cannot come. During those times I'm here for a longer period of time. It would be ideal to have five or six volunteers in the kitchen.
8. How can members help with kitchen duties aside from the specifics of cooking?
Clean the floor, wash dishes, put away pots and pans and leave the kitchen very clean. We always need and appreciate help in the kitchen. As I mentioned before, working in the kitchen is the best place to start your Buddhist practice.
9. What is a typical day in the kitchen like?
Normally I leave 1.5 hours for preparation. Then I start cooking at 10:30 a.m. because the meal needs to be completed by 11:30 a.m. This preparation time is always a tense time for me. I need to know how many people to feed to determine what I should prepare.
If there are any leftovers from the lunchtime meal, the Dharma Masters will have it for supper. But not everyday are there leftovers, like today, there wasn't enough, so I will cook some other dish. Usually we have leftovers with noodles. For breakfast, we prepare porridge or soy milk with bread or buns. The Dharma Masters’ diet is very simple. No juice, no coffee. But I drink coffee.
10. How often do you go shopping for supplies? How does the monastery pay for the supplies and food?
The major shopping is done once a week. I also pick up some items in San Francisco near my home. I go shopping and give Shifu the receipt and am reimbursed. We are so blessed that as far as I know there is at least one disciple who makes a donation to take care of the groceries.
11. How are Buddhist beliefs strengthened by cooking in the kitchen? Is it different from cooking in the home or in a business outside the monastery?
The Grand Master asks, "Have you changed yourself?" My problem was I was bad tempered, got nervous easily, and didn't want to work hard. Working in the kitchen has allowed me to look inside and think deeply about my actions.
Shifu says work hard, work harmoniously and be calm. In the kitchen, if I want to tell volunteers to do something, I must understand they are not my employees. I have to appreciate them.
Of course, working in the kitchen is very different from working at home. One thing is when people are not doing things "your way," it is easy to get panicky and yell. When I have gotten mad at someone, I knew I would have to change.
I have observed Shifu and I'm constantly learning from her. Shifu is so calm and focused. For instance, on a particularly busy day, someone came into the kitchen and announced loudly, "No more rice!" Shifu will get the point and not panic as I would; she'd say calmly, "How many people?" A couple of Sundays ago the monastery estimated 150 people, but there were 200. Fortunately, I know I am not Shifu and to avoid panic that day, I cooked a little more rice in a tiny cooker ahead of time and set it aside just in case. I also cooked two or three extra dishes and put them in the refrigerator. We cannot say to someone, "It's your fault, you didn't tell me how many people, or you didn't cut the vegetables right and they didn't cook evenly." It is so easy to blame others and say it's not my fault; it's so easy to get mad. So when I am angry I say to myself, "It's not other people, it's me! Who's bothering me? Nobody is bothering me. It's me."
The best compliment to any cook is when people finish all the food and not having the problem of too much left over and what to do with it.
12. Is there a place for compassion in the kitchen?
Yes. We need to have compassion for the food we are preparing, compassion towards all the people working with you in the kitchen, and also for yourself.
13. What are your personal goals when cooking for the monastery?
Shifu says it is necessary to make a great vow. If we vow to move along the path of a Bodhisattva, the aim is to help others. I want to help people see the value in eating a vegetarian diet, and inspire them to cook vegetarian food like this. I am learning from Shifu step by step how to help others with calmness, diligence, and resolve.
14. What advice can you offer for members who are beginning to cook vegetarian food in their homes?
First, you must love being in the kitchen and enjoy it. Nowadays, most kids don't eat at home. Mother doesn't have time to cook either. It's so convenient now you can buy lunch boxes, but not every day because they are too salty or too oily. Cooking at home can be very rewarding.
When starting to cook vegetarian, identify your favorite ingredient. Let's take tofu. It can be cooked so many ways: steamed, stir-fried, deep-fried, stewed, or baked. Steaming is easy. Here's an easy recipe that anyone can follow and it doesn't take a lot of time.
Steamed Tofu:
Use one block of regular tofu. Smash the tofu and squeeze the water out. Add some cornstarch. Mix in some frozen vegetables, salt and pepper. (Because tofu is basically tasteless, chop and add Szechuan pickles for more flavor.) Place tofu mixture into a square pan or bowl and steam it for 30 minutes.
That's it! Enjoy!
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