It starts with the time you think about what you want to eat.
It's the beginning of a meal

This is a book edition of the articles of the same name, “A Walk of Materials,” serialized in [AROUND] magazine from 2013 to 2016.
We've selected seasonal ingredients, such as asparagus, basil, and tomatoes, and included easy-to-follow instructions for preparing ingredients, measuring them, and cooking them.
Jonah's candid essay, written like a diary, is also included, making it even more enjoyable to read.
『A Walk of Materials』 is a set of four volumes: ‘Spring Diary, Summer Diary, Fall Diary, and Winter Diary.’
To increase portability, each volume was designed to fit in one hand.

I suffered from an eating disorder for a long time when I was young.
The cooking I used to pursue to overcome the loneliness and fear I felt back then has now become a guide that shows me how to survive in the world.
Food is a part of me, it's my everything, and this is the same for all of us.
The recipes in this book don't really mean much.
The meal begins with the time you spend thinking about what you want to eat.
Here, I hope to spend some time simply looking at the materials and listening again to what season I am in, where I live, and what kind of mood I am in.
It's like taking a walk, with a light feeling.
--- From "Prologue, The Beginning of a Walk"

Perhaps the reason cooking is difficult is because we want to present the ingredients in a fancy way.
Let's relax.
The material itself is a gift that shines brightly enough.
--- From "Autumn Diary"

The meal begins with the time you spend thinking about what you want to eat.
--- From "Spring Diary"

Before thinking, 'I want to cook deliciously,' I first think, 'What do I want this ingredient to become?'
It may be a bit of a strange idea, but it definitely makes cooking easier.
All the materials are alive.
--- From "Winter Diary"

Cooking doesn't have to be hard work.
It has become easier to find ingredients that I can use to find out which farmer grew them, what soil they grew in, and what process they went through to get to me.
However, no matter how good the ingredients are, if we are exhausted from the long process of supporting, frying, and boiling them, what will be left for us?
It may be healthier to spend less time standing in the kitchen and more time reading, listening to music, and looking at trees.

--- From "Spring Diary"