As we searched for warmer clothes in the back of the cupboard to keep the winter cold at bay, so must we also search for those winter recipes. The hearty soups and casseroles. Listening to the rain outside and enjoying the warmth of the kitchen delicacies being cooked inside. The house is full of cooking smells from legumes and vegetables that have been cooking in the saucepan for hours. The oven is on and the baking tray is full.

It is time to see the salt flavor dominating our taste buds. The salt flavor is a part of the winter season as it is related to the kidney and bladder energy. In macrobiotics this is the time where legumes of black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, and adzuki beans are present in the weekly diet.

The main grains are short grain brown rice and buckwheat also known as Kasha. The energy packed into the short grain will aid in holding energy in our bodies.

Winter is a beautiful time to see the changes that surround us. It is at this time of the year that we pull back from the fast pace of life and slow down and become more reflective. This is the time of year for storing our food energy and resources. This is achieved by cooking our food longer and slower, more oil sautéing and baking.

Winter is a time to ensure that more of the ground root vegetables are in our diet. Root vegetables will assist in thickening the blood keeping our immune system warm. White onions, cabbage, turnips, celery and cauliflower are but a few vegetables that will be seen on food store shelves in the season of winter.

Sea vegetables are included often in the meal as they relate to the water element of Winter. Chestnuts are now abundant and can be used in a variety of ways. From soups to main course and desserts.

When eating harmoniously the Winter season of reflection and rest will increase our kidney and bladder energy and prepare us for exciting challenges that lay ahead in the coming seasons.