Cooking for Solace
Phew, it has been a week! The country’s presidential election was on Tuesday, but ballots are still being counted and the winner isn’t yet known. Like a lot of people, I’ve felt a rollercoaster of emotions—from despair to hope, anger to joy, frustration to excitement.
This morning I woke up feeling better than I have all week. I made buckwheat crepes for breakfast, spooning thick Greek yogurt and apricot jam on top of them. And after eating a plate of those, I felt an unfamiliar but most welcome sense that things were going to be okay. The numbers are looking good in Nevada and Pennsylvania. Thanks in no small part of Stacey Abrams, Georgia might save us all.
The work continues. In Abrams’ own words: “Justice has no timetable. Justice just has a destination and that is the future.” Onward we go.
I don’t really believe in the theory that cooking can solve the important problems that our country faces, but I do know that, at certain times, cooking and good food can nourish not just our bodies but also our spirits, giving us the comfort, encouragement, or simple fuel to keep moving.
When I was in high school and weighing difficult decisions about playing volleyball in college, I kneaded so much bread. Many nights, I stayed up late turning and pulling dough on the kitchen countertop. The process of making the bread actually did more for me than the bread itself. These days, I find a great deal of comfort in cooking food for others.
If you think spending time in the kitchen might offer solace right now, here are a few recipes to consider:
Stovetop Mac ‘n’ Cheese (from The Newlywed Table)
Roasted Chicken (from The Newlywed Table)
Chile Sauce (from This is Camino)
Any recipe from The Self-Care Cookbook
5-ingredient Midnight Pasta (pictured above!)
Caramel Apple Pie (from The Newlywed Table)
