Q. How were you introduced to macrobiotics?

A. My sister had a big crush on a guy who was practicing macrobiotics. I was just a teenager at the time and thought that the whole thing was weird and disgusting. Later, when I faced the prospect of cooking for myself, and real­ized that there was more to life than TV din­ners, I looked at one of the books my sister had purchased in order to impress Graham, and I found it intriguing. Luckily, at the time I was living in New York and there was a macrobiotic center downtown, so I checked out a class there. It took a while, but eventu­ally, I got hooked.

Q. What differentiates macrobiotic diets from other popular diets?

A. I would say the philosophy, which is based on thousands of years of wisdom. Macro­biotics is not about losing weight, or even recovering health—although those things occur. Macrobiotics is about harmonizing with nature, from which freedom, happiness and those other goodies spring forth. So it's more than a diet—it's a way of approaching life, and there is macrobiotic thinking and perceiving as much as there is macrobiotic eating.

What I like about it is that it's also very respectful of the individual; life is considered a great adventure, and we must learn through our own bodies, experiences, and failings. We learn balance only through imbalance. For instance, I learned, through many experi­ences, that sugar really doesn't work for me. I also learned that barley makes me feel differ­ent from how rice does, or millet. There is no

end point in macrobiotic practice—just more and more refinement in harmonizing with what's going on in your life and in the world. It's cool

Q. What advice do you have for someone who is just getting interested in macrobiotics?

A. Give yourself a break. There is no perfect practice. Just yours. Do your best to eat macro­biotic foods consistently, but whenever you waver, accept it as an opportunity to learn— about your body, about the laws of the uni­verse and about compassion for your human-ness. Life is much bigger than food.

Q. How important is it to stay on track with macrobiotics? Can you stray and have fast food every now and then?

A. Fast food is pretty extreme, and when I eat it, I feel physically yucky the next day. But do I get french fries from joints on the New York State Thruway every once in a while? Sure

With macrobiotics, the cleaner you eat, the more sensitive you become, and there is a huge amount of clarity and learning and spir­itual awakening that comes with that sensi­tivity; I recommend it to anyone. But there is also a place in life for just letting go and not being so careful, and that produces a different type of learning. Most people go through stages with their practice, being quite strict for a while, widening out later, and becoming strict again when they feel the need to clean up. Back and forth. Yin and yang.

Q. All the recipes look delicious. Do you have any favorites?

A. I am a total sucker for the Crispy Rice Treats. I also love the Lasagna, the Tofu "Egg" Salad, and the Mediterranean Barley Salad. Mmmm. And let's not forget the Black-Eyed Pea Croquettes with Mustard Barley Malt Sauce and . . . who can resist good ole Tempura! Yum. Don't get me started! -

Click here for CyberMacro's own review of Jessica's new book and to purchase.

The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics
Jessica Porter
ISBN 1-58333-205-7 • $16.95/$25.00 can
Trade paperback
Interview courtesy of Putnam Penguin Publishing