Recommended Reading / 48.

Every Monday, words to start the week. 

Photos by Jackie Nickerson.

This week, from T: a glimpse into the mind and meals of Jeong Kwan, a Buddhist nun living in Seoul. Kwan's cooking, which she does at the Baekyangsa temple, has been praised by such noted chefs as Le Bernardin's Eric Ripert – it's thoughtful, exquisite, and very, very beautiful. Writes author Jeff Gordinier: "Kwan believes that the ultimate cooking — the cooking that is best for our bodies and most delicious on our palates — comes from [an] intimate connection with fruits and vegetables, herbs and beans, mushrooms and grains. In her mind, there should be no distance between a cook and her ingredients. ‘That is how I make the best use of a cucumber,’ she explains through a translator. 'Cucumber becomes me. I become cucumber.'"

Click here to read the rest. I won't spoil it, but the ending is spectacular.

A few more, just because: 
-Banned book mugshots.
-When celebrities paint.
-Roald Dahl's invented words and Cher's favorite things.
-A Zen master responds to hate mail: "These are wonderful words that you have given me, and I thank you very much. If you attain enlightenment, I will give them back to you."
               
More recommended reading, here. Have a wonderful Monday.