Lunch with a Friend

Whenever friends come to visit me at the New York temple, I take them to Govinda's Restaurant.

"This is very tasty," one old high-school friend told me recently. "What is it?"

"It's a sweet-and-sour preparation, made with pineapple, plantains, eggplant, tamarind water, and spices."

"Is it Indian?"

"You would probably find similar dishes in India."

"I suppose if the food tastes this good, it isn't hard to be a vegetarian. But how do you compensate for the missing proteins?"

"There are great quantities of protein in cheese, milk, nuts, and that split-bean soup [I pointed to the dahl]-even more protein than in meat. But equally important is the proper blend of spices. Because the cooks prepare everything for Krsna's pleasure, they must learn how to select and properly balance spices. In that proper balance are many minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients needed for good health."

My friend appreciated the care and thoughtfulness with which Krsna's devotees prepare food.

"What do you mean by 'spiritual food'?" he asked.

"The Bhagavad-gita explains the difference between proper and improper foods. According to our conditioning by material nature, we are attracted to food characterized by the quality of goodness, passion, or ignorance. We can offer to Krsna only foods having the quality of goodness. These are fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy products (excluding eggs), which are conducive to long life, health, strength, and happiness."

"What about people who don't live in the temple? Do they have to get their prasada from the temple, or can they make it themselves?"

"Many people prepare prasada at home. In fact, there are thousands of people around the country who have altars in their homes and offer their food to Lord Krsna every day. If you write to the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust [please see coupon on inside back cover], they'll send you a Radha-Krsna altar kit and a Hare Krsna Cookbook. The idea is that every day when you cook, you cook for Krsna and offer the food to Him. Before long, your home will start to feel like a temple-and you'll be well on your way back to Godhead."

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/9dd/back-to-godhead-magazine-12-11-1977/discovering-the-transcendental/lunch-with-a-friend