January 16, 2026
Cooking as Practice: A Tenzo and a Volunteer Reflect on Life in the City Center Kitchen

Kate Skinner. Photo by Claire de Chivré.

 

by Tova Green

The Role of Tenzo: Cooking as Practice

Myosen Claire de Chivre, who began serving as City Center Tenzo (kitchen manager) in January 2025, explains her approach to the role: “In the kitchen, I try to give each crew member the opportunity to express their creativity while working as a team. We cook together for others. When everyone is working in the same direction, without saying a word, it’s so beautiful.”

“I feel very honored by this role as Tenzo—and it’s also a big challenge,” said Myosen. I appreciate the process of transforming a daily activity, common to all humanity, into a profound spiritual activity. Every week, we read the Tenzo Kyokun, which reminds us that the art of cooking combines a joyful mind of gratitude, a nurturing mind of compassion for all, and a magnanimous mind of impartiality, to serve the heart and spirit of the entire community.”

“Like many people who arrive in the monastery kitchen with professional experience, I had to learn to work differently,” she continued. “I am particularly committed to cooking simple, raw ingredients to create nourishing food that brings people together. I want to create menus that allow every person to eat the same dish despite their individual dietary restrictions. I am also committed to avoiding animal suffering.”

Welcoming Volunteers Into the Kitchen

From experienced cooks to complete beginners, many volunteers work alongside Myosen to prepare meals for the sangha.

“Volunteers are always welcome in the kitchen. They often provide a big helping hand, but also new recipes and particular techniques. [For example], Kate Skinner, a volunteer, sharpens the knives and is always happy to teach us how to do it. When we don’t see Kate for several days, I check in on her. She is part of the team. Cooking together creates bonds.”

Kate’s Path to Volunteering

Kate Skinner, a retired geriatrician, volunteers in the kitchen several days a week. Her journey began unexpectedly.

“I didn’t start in the kitchen,” Kate explained. She recounted an incident near City Hall where she encountered a medical emergency: a woman screaming, “Someone’s overdosing! Does anyone have Narcan?” Kate retrieved Narcan [a drug used to reverse opioid overdoses] from a nearby clinic, and the person survived. Soon afterward, she saw an email about a Narcan workshop offered by San Francisco Zen Center, which she attended. She then began volunteering in the City Center garden and eventually, in the kitchen.

“I like cooking, and love knives,” Kate noted. “I sharpen the knives in the kitchen and give short classes to the kitchen crew on how to care for them.” Kate says she enjoys all the tasks she’s asked to do in the kitchen—washing pots and dishes, chopping vegetables, baking cookies. “I was grateful to be welcomed.”

Lessons in the Kitchen

Kitchen practice has offered Kate unexpected teachings.

“I learned an important lesson while washing dishes,” Kate said. She described trying to keep the sink spotless while washing dishes one by one. But in the rush before meal times, her careful approach slowed things down. “One day the Tenzo said, ‘I’ll take over the dishes.’ She was very fast. I learned to do what the Tenzo or staff members said they needed or wanted, rather than doing things my own way.”

Kate shared that she learned to cook from her mother, who taught her simple skills as a child—starting with basic salad dressing, then adding garlic and salt as “advanced technique.” She later cooked for a family and for a commune in Oregon.

“You’re lucky if you find work where you can share your skills and people are willing to teach you new things,” Kate said about her City Center kitchen experience. “I’ve landed here where people are patient with me and tolerate some of my eccentricities. I’m still on a learning curve.”

The Need for Volunteers

Myosen, the Tenzo, noted, “We recently re-introduced Saturday lunch for the wider community, with a volunteer Tenzo and a crew of volunteers. Saturday meals have become a great opportunity for people who want to come and cook. We need volunteers to help us!”

How to Get Involved

For more information about how to volunteer in the City Center kitchen, please fill out the form on the SFZC volunteer page.

 

Features, For Mary Watson

Remembering Mary Watson

I want to invite us to be with Mary's spirit, because she really embodied compassion. When Blanche gave her the precepts, she gave her the name, Eyes of Compassion, Nurturing Teacher, and that's what Mary was.