Eric Ripert Finds Zen in the Kitchen, and Shares the Recipe

On a brisk Wednesday morning in Midtown, Eric Ripert presides over the quiet hum of Le Bernardin’s kitchen—one of the city’s most storied sanctuaries of seafood. But lately, the three-Michelin-star chef isn’t just focused on poaching lobster or plating caviar. He’s thinking about mindfulness. This week, Ripert released his latest cookbook, a project shaped by Buddhist philosophies he absorbed during time spent with a South Korean nun. The book doesn’t just offer recipes; it’s a gentle manifesto on gratitude, intentionality, and the art of being present—even when the ticket machine won’t stop printing.

Ripert’s message lands at a moment when New Yorkers are returning to their own kitchens, swapping summer’s cold salads for simmering broths and roasted squash. The city’s relentless pace doesn’t leave much room for reflection, but Ripert insists that even a Tuesday night dinner can become a meditation. “The act of chopping vegetables, the fragrance of herbs—these are opportunities to center yourself,” he told a packed signing at Rizzoli Bookstore on West 26th Street last night.

The chef’s immersion in Buddhist practice is more than a personal journey; it’s a quiet rebuke to restaurant culture’s famed chaos. “We’ve all seen the shouting kitchens,” Ripert said. “But cooking with calm—being grateful for the ingredients, for the hands that picked them—makes a better meal.” His approach resonates with line cooks and home chefs alike, especially as autumn’s abundance rolls into city greenmarkets.

For Ripert, the kitchen is both workplace and temple. He credits much of his outlook to Jeong Kwan, a Buddhist nun he met during a visit to South Korea. Their conversations, he says, shaped not just his recipes but his entire relationship with food. “It’s about respect,” he explains, “and about learning to let go of ego—the greatest challenge in any New York kitchen.”

As election season’s noise swells and school routines settle in, Ripert’s call for mindful cooking offers a rare pause. His new book, already climbing bestseller lists this week, invites New Yorkers to slow down, taste deeply, and find a little peace amid the city’s daily rush.