Temple Food
The famous French chef of Le Bernadin, Eric Ripert, first met Jeong Kwan, the Buddhist nun, in her hermitage above the Baekyangsa temple in 2014, when he was in South Korea making an episode of Avec Eric, a food-travel show that ran for three seasons. Ripert, a Buddhist himself, had come to South Korea to learn about temple food. Kwan and Ripert cooked together, and he was immediately impressed with her and her amazing, simple plant based cooking and realized he had a lot to learn from her.
Ripert returned again to South Korea a couple years later with a film crew, culminating in a feature on Jeong Kwan on Chef’s Table (Netflix), my favorite cooking show of all time. Eater did a review of the episode.
Jeong Kwan
Photo courtesy Nigel Parry and The Guardian
Ripert’s fascination with temple food was not short-lived. It has now manifested it in his latest cookbook entitled Mindful Cooking, the cuisine introduced to him by this South Korean nun. According to her, Temple food awakens the mind. It is connected to spiritual energy and parallels the Buddhist philosophy: be present, respect the ingredients and the planet, put good energy into the food, make people happy and be happy in the process. Can’t wait to have a look. In the meantime, here is a recipe from it that looks delicious.
SALAD PANCAKE Recipe from Eric Ripert
COURTESY Pete Wells and the New York Times
Ingredients: dipping sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Ingredients: pancakes
1 large head oak leaf lettuce
2 cups all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups water
4 tbsp perilla or sesame oil or canola or vegetable oil
MAKE THE DIPPING SAUCE:
For the dippimg sauce: Combine first five ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Step 2
Slice the lettuce in half through the stem and wash well. Using a rolling pin or small pan, gently smash the stem end of the lettuce halves to flatten them. Set aside.
Step 3
Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Slowly add the water, mixing to form a thick batter (some lumps are OK). Gently dip one of the lettuce halves in the batter and massage to fully coat the leaves.
Step 4
Set a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the perilla oil* is shimmering, remove the lettuce from the batter, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Add it to the pan and press down gently with a spatula to flatten the top, making it as thin as possible.
Step 5
Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, adjusting the heat if needed, until golden brown. Carefully flip the pancake and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the second lettuce half and the remaining batter and perilla oil.
Step 6
Slice the pancakes into sixths or eighths, depending on how many people you’re serving, and serve warm with the dipping sauce.
*note on perilla oil and substitutes: available in Korean markets—a neutral cooking oil like canola or vegetable can be substituted. To approximate the flavor of perilla oil, add 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil to the pan along with the 2 tablespoons of neutral oil in Step 4.
Hope
--Mahatma Gandhi
“The greatest danger to our planet is that we lose hope – especially if our youth loses hope. Because, if we have no hope, we give up and stop trying to do our bit to make a difference.”
--Jane Goodall
More Words of Wisdom from Heather Cox Richardson
Pleae consider sharing this post including her talk with your friends, especially those you know that are on the fence. And if you know anyone that might like to hear some testimonials from Maga people who have defected, direct them to this website:leavingmaga.org
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Fall is arriving. Edgecomb, Maine, October 2, 2026
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About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.