When the author was twenty-two and fresh out of college, she found her way to a Buddhist monastery in Japan and was ordained as a Buddhist nun. Greenwood was attracted to Zen's all-encompassing approach to life and how to live it, the way it did not shy away from the big questions about life's meaning, and the radically simple yet profound way it suggests one view the moment, reality, the now. At the monastery, she also discovered a particular affinity for working in the kitchen, especially the practice of using what was at hand to create delicious, satisfying meals even when what was at hand was bamboo. The result of her years working in monastery kitchens, this book is based on the philosophy of oryoki, or "just enough." From perfect rice, potatoes, and broths; to hearty stews, colorful stir-fry dishes, hot and cold noodles, and delicate sorbets, Greenwood shows food to be a direct, daily way to understand Zen practice. With eloquent prose, she takes readers into monasteries and markets, messy kitchens and four a.m. meditation rooms and offers food for thought that nourishes and delights body, mind, and spirit.