My Current Favorites – [October 2024]: cookbooks, Yi Ching, Iodine

We’re in Sofia and I have a lot more free time to update my blog (yayyy, all the travel journals are online!!!) and to get back into reading. This month, my favorites are only books because I haven’t bought anything else. The “my current favorites” posts get little readership when I’m not shopping, but it’s a way to share deeper, lesser-known knowledge.

Mind Your Manners by Sara Jane Ho

Mind Your Manners is probably the show that has had the most impact on me in recent years. It’s a Netflix show about etiquette, where Sara Jane Ho, a Hong Kong native who studied in the US and Switzerland, teaches the art of etiquette. Since she’s from Hong Kong, she uses a lot of traditional Chinese methods for her students’ well-being. It’s thanks to her that I got seriously interested in feng shui, then Yi King, which completely changed my life. Following this show, I bought her book, released in early 2024 (Amazon link).

When I was still an employee, in the company, there was a woman the others didn’t like much. While everyone had net salaries not exceeding 2000 euros/month, she came to work with ridiculously expensive luxury bags every day and a luxury watch. For a long time, I didn’t understand where this animosity toward her came from; it’s her money after all, we knew she wasn’t paid better than the rest of us, good for her if her family is rich… And it was only by reading Sara Jane’s book that I understood it was more of an etiquette issue. Modern etiquette, according to Sara Jane, is about social fluidity : (1) being able to read people and situations accurately and quickly, and (2) being able to interact with others smoothly, effectively, and confidently. Of course, in an ideal world, everyone can carry the luxury bag they want, but in that specific social context, by flaunting all those luxury items, the message this colleague was unintentionally sending was “you’re all losers.” In the book, Sara Jane advises to “not have a watch more expensive than your boss’s. If he/she is not well-dressed, adopt a discreet look. You don’t want to be in a meeting where the client mistakes you for your boss“; if you break a plate at someone’s house, even if the person says it’s not a big deal, you must send a gift to apologize; Sara gives practical tips too, e.g., how to use the napkin at a restaurant so it appears clean throughout the meal.

Sara Jane’s book made me relive many moments when I was awkward and should have been more attentive to others’ emotions. It also helps me understand why two geishas we spent a little time with in Japanmanaged to relax the atmosphere of an entire room. By following Sara Jane’s advice, you’ll be able to host more than memorable dinners at home. This book is full of anecdotes, full of examples, and even if a few tips seem a bit Machiavellian and insincere (notably how to build your network), you have a good time and close the book with a smile. It’s entertaining, just like her show. If you don’t read English, at least watch her show on Netflix; it’s subtitled in French.

P/s 1: Sara Jane comes from a high social class, though a bit less rich than the Singaporeans in “Crazy Rich Asians.” She studied at Harvard Business School. This book also gives insight into her background, her education, and the world of the Chinese elite.

P/s 2: by following Sara Jane on Instagram, I learned that a bidding system is used in publishing. Authors with influence like Sara Jane put the publication rights of their books up for auction, and publishers fight to get them. The amount isn’t publicly disclosed, but it allows both sides to get a satisfactory contract. In Sara Jane’s case, Hachette bought the rights.

Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat

It’s a bestseller on the culinary arts, translated into several languages. The book is available in French and will likely be an excellent Christmas gift (Amazon link)

The author is an American chef who, after working for the biggest names (Chez Panisse, for example), formalized her secret into 4 simple words: Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat. That’s the secret to a successful recipe. And when you know and understand these principles, you’ll be able to create recipes yourself and fix dishes coming out of the kitchen.

• Salt is the most important ingredient and has the most impact on a dish’s success. It not only enhances other flavors but also makes meat tenderer (leaving meat in salt overnight will add more flavor to the next day’s cooking, and the meat will be more tender). 
• Fat adds texture and helps carry flavors. The author explores different types of fats (oils, butter, etc.) and their role in cooking, explaining how to choose and use the right fat for each dish. There’s a long description of how to put together your homemade mayonnaise and how to make pie dough.
• Acid balances flavors and brings freshness. Samin Nosrat discusses acidic ingredients like citrus, vinegar, and fermented dairy, and how they can transform a dish by giving it balance. It’s kind of my secret too. Vietnamese cuisine uses a lot of fish sauce, and when I add too much, I can always correct my dish by adding a bit of rice vinegar or lime.
• Heat controls the cooking of food and can bring the desired texture. She explains how to keep maximum nutritional value and vitamins with appropriate cooking heat. The right heat will also keep tender flesh like chicken soft, and make tough meat more tender (like beef). All this process is explained chemically, and once you understand the principle, you’ll know how to choose the right heat for each dish.

The book was adapted into a cooking show on Netflix (with the same name: Salt Fat Acid Heat). The contents of the book and the show are different; you can enjoy one or the other, or both. It’s a book I particularly like because 

1. I hate recipe books. I don’t like it when they don’t explain why you have to marinate beef overnight and fish for 20 minutes, etc. When I wrote the spring roll sauce recipe for Chef Jérémie in Koh Phangan, my mother told me to prepare it in a specific order ” because it’s chemistry “, but it was only after reading the book that I understood why in that specific order. The book does contain some basic recipes and a few menu suggestions, but that represents a very small part of the book. Moreover, it is beautifully illustrated (the illustrations are very funny, especially the one on ” how to fix a failed mayonnaise “).
2. I’m picky, and now and then I dine in a gourmet restaurant and don’t know why such and such a dish doesn’t please me. Now, with this book, at least I’ll know how to fix it within the limits of possibility: a little more salt, oil, or vinegar/lime.
3. I find no pleasure in cooking, preferring to eat, but now it makes me want to cook because I feel like I hold THE magic recipe.
4. we talk a lot about no-cook cuisine these days, whereas originally it was cooking food that reduced digestion time and made us smarter. Cooking is not the enemy of food. By following Samin Nosrat’s principles, we’ll know how to properly salt the cooking water for vegetables so they cook faster without losing their vitamins, and keep the maximum good things in meat, without systematically eating it as tartare.

You have to train your palate, as Chef Jérémie, my favorite chef in Koh Phangan, told me. He’s the one who made me picky by serving me his delicious dishes and showing me why they’re delicious. He’s the one who showed me the difference between a dish made with mediocre ingredients and one with fresh, organic ingredients. Talking with him, I see how cooking can become a passion. It’s as meticulous as jewelry making, as creative as painting, as precise as chemistry, but it can also be simple. Thanks to his advice, and now this book, I’ll know how to make simple, precise, and delicious dishes.

I Ching the Oracle – Benebell Wen

It was after watching an episode of The Astrology Podcast where Chris interviews Benebell Wen about her new book “I Ching the Oracle” that I wondered “who is this woman? where did he find such a perfectionist as her?”. Benebell Wen is a lawyer (that’s her main job) but has a very pronounced interest in esotericism. She specialized in tarot, even drew her own tarot cards, wrote a book on tarot, and then released a book on esoteric Taoism before tackling the I Ching. I’ve been studying the Yi Jing/I Ching for a while now, and you can learn more about the why and how here. I’ve always been missing a book that covers esoteric concepts from around the world and their relations to the Yi Jing. This book finally exists and is called I Ching the Oracle (Amazon link). It only exists in English for now, and at best, it will be translated only into Spanish.

Benebell has studied the Yi Jing since she was young, and since she speaks Chinese and English fluently, she can offer us an interesting and modern translation, while pointing out the translation difficulties of a word. Furthermore, she steps away from the moralizing Confucian translations to give us insights more oriented towards “Taoism” in both an exoteric and esoteric sense, without forgetting the historical context.

The book is aimed at Yi Jing experts because there is a very long beginning section that explains the different schools of thought, which question the origin/creator of the Bagua system, link the Yi Jing to certain mathematical concepts, to Kabbalah, to the Emerald Tablet, to alchemists, to astrology, to tarot, etc. The Yi Jing encompasses all that, being an extremely ancient and universal philosophical system. Understanding the Yi Jing is understanding the universe, the author adds:

What is intrinsic to the I Ching is the encouragement to overcome any negative circumstance you are faced with. When you read the text as literature, you deepen your knowledge of the world. When you consult the text, you discover knowledge of yourself and feel empowered. When you study the text with discipline and reason, you become the sage.

Once you become the sage, the esoteric meaning of the Book will be revealed to you. Reflecting the depths of Taoist alchemy, the Oracle is a master key to accessing the realm of immortals.

I still haven’t finished reading it. This book is meant to be read in small doses because you have to take a lot of notes each time. Its bibliography is almost as long as the book itself; every idea, every word is backed by a bibliographic reference. I’ve never read a book with such perfection. Plus, there are numerous illustrations! We thought the book was already great, until the author published corrections, color illustrations, and the layout she wished we had on her official website… all to further enhance our reading experience.

There’s another book on the I Ching that outshines the rest, but it’s in Vietnamese (Kinh Dịch – Cấu Hình Tư Tưởng Trung Quốc), so I wanted to offer you this one instead. It’s in English, sure, but English is more accessible than Vietnamese, isn’t it?

I quickly flipped through the other book: Tao of Craft by Benebell Wen on amulets and stumbled upon this passage full of common sense, which I’m eager to share with you:

I remember listening to a talk by Venerable Sheng-Yen (YouTube link), a Buddhist monk, teacher, and scholar, who spoke about magic and sorcery, or as I prefer to call it, energy practices beyond the physical realm. He warned against relying on energy practices, such as magic, to help oneself or even with the benevolent intention of helping others. Those who have the ability to work with these energies and also possess divine wisdom rarely use their abilities, and for a specific reason. They understand that there’s no lasting benefit.

He gave the example of unrequited love. Say you want someone to marry you, but that person isn’t ready to accept such a proposal. If you use energy practices, like a magic spell, to make that person marry you, then you’re engaging in an act of deception. Beyond having acted deceitfully, the bigger issue is the debt you’ve incurred. In energy practices like magic, you borrow something that isn’t yours. At some point, you’ll have to pay it back, with compound interest, energy interest on energy interest. You have to ask yourself: in the end, is it worth borrowing this small amount of energy?

The intention of using energy practices beyond the physical realm to help others is commendable, but good intentions can quickly derail. The laws of cause and effect always apply. Figuratively speaking, using such practices to fill a void for someone means you have to obtain the filling elsewhere. In obtaining that filling, all you’ve done is create another void elsewhere, a void you might not see, to fill the one you currently have. Where’s the sense in that?

Moreover, there might be a greater karmic explanation behind why that person had such a void in the first place. You shouldn’t interfere with that karma, at least not without a complete understanding of that path, your own path, and what might result from the interference. Using something like magic violates people’s karmic paths. While trapped in the moment of suffering, people forget the necessity of pain. Pain is part of the hero’s journey to greatness, and both pain and greatness could be part of someone’s karma. Not allowing that person to suffer the necessary pain could divert them from the hero’s path. So one must always be cautious in how one proceeds with energy practices.

Yet, there’s a curious principle of “holding ground” among many esoteric Taoist practitioners. Today, in the way the art is practiced, there seems to be a tacit agreement that energy practices for protection and self-defense are allowed, and that taking revenge against those who hurt or threaten us, or assisting others in that regard, is part of the practitioner’s work.

This significantly opposes exoteric Taoist philosophy, which teaches wu wei, that is, acting in response to opposing forces by not acting at all. So while Venerable Sheng-Yen spoke from a Chan Buddhist viewpoint, what the monk had to say about magic aligns with the Taoist principle of wu wei. Taoist philosophy teaches to defend against the harshness of others. Wu wei is about cultivating the practitioner’s mind and being like water, absorbing offenses without being affected by them.

The highest elements of the art of defense concern achieving such a level of intuition, mutability of mind and body, that any offensive attack is like a tickle at the tip of your toe, and you don’t react against it because you show compassion and unconditional love for all. At the most advanced stage of training, a practitioner of esoteric Taoism will attain the state of wu wei advocated in exoteric Taoism.

This passage is a reminder for me “mind my own business” because in 2024, I keep learning lesson after lesson: following requests from a few people, I help them with their business, but some of them don’t deserve it (they don’t try to improve and just expect me to take over their problems). In exchange, I lose energy and get sick – because I go against their karmic path. This is a lesson I learned painfully in 2024 and I won’t do it again. I’ve also seen energy healing sessions go wrong when the practitioner borrowed energy from who-knows-where, and the patient had to pay very expensive energy interest later on. It’s a wake up call for those who abuse the power of attraction without to take action. In short, everyone must put in their own effort and avoid shortcuts – for lasting results (cf. the power of giving).

Other interesting info

Different readings have led me to take more interest in the decline of IQ, attention span, and skills. I was led to look into the following sources:

• The movie Idiocracy : which projects a concerning future where smart people don’t have or have fewer children, but those with low IQs have many, and 500 years later, the average intelligence level is close to 70. It’s a very funny movie but could unfortunately become reality
• The documentary on Amazon Prime: Tomorrow, All Dumb? which points out the decline in IQ linked to endocrine disruptors. If they have some impact on adults, their impact on fetuses is catastrophic because you can’t correct this IQ decline after birth. According to this documentary, we’re lacking iodine, and other substances take its place and prevent it from functioning properly. Pregnant women with iodine deficiency give birth to less intelligent children.
• The Damaged Brain by Barbara Demeneix (Fnac link, Amazon link). As the previous documentary clearly highlights the research of this CNRS scientist, I read her book. It’s a popular science book, at the same level as “Science et Vie”, but it spans 400 pages, so it might not interest many people. But she explains in more detail, with figures and research results (200 pages of bibliography) the role of the thyroid, why iodine deficiency caused by chemical pollution (including in developed countries like France) makes our children increasingly stupid, and is responsible for the rise in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
  • A 5-point IQ drop in one person isn’t noticeable, but on a global scale, a loss of 5 IQ points would mean the disappearance of 288 million gifted people (IQ above 130), replaced by 272 million intellectually disabled people (IQ below 70). Aka: the huge loss of an active population, and the increase in a dependent population, and that represents a huge cost to the economy.
  • Her solution is easy: on one hand, individuals should ensure they consume enough iodine (e.g., iodized salt in salads – and sea salt in other dishes for minerals, seafood like shrimp and lobster), especially during pregnancy; on the other hand, governments need to get off their asses. She sadly concludes that now we still have smart enough people to fix things, but later our children will be too dumb and won’t know how to do it (exactly like the movie Idiocracy).
    • following this reading, I immediately looked at my blood test to check my thyroid levels. Since we started our round-the-world trip, we get a full blood test once a year, and I highly recommend you do it for prevention alone.
• Screens and social media are also pointed out. In The Tyranny of Entertainment (Fnac link, Amazon link), the author lists 3 types of entertainment, and unfortunately, the third type (pure leisure, providing instant satisfaction), which doesn’t add skills, is the one we spend the most time on. And it dulls us. I talked about this here too