Cooking as Therapy
A few years ago I was listening to a podcast and the guests talked about the importance of resetting our nervous systems at the end of each work day. As we labor through those 8-12 hours (or more sometimes), we get stressed. We get anxious. We get stretched to our limits. And our bodies hold all of that- keeping us in an unhealthy survival/flight mode- until we trigger a nervous system reset.
There's more science to it than that, of course, but you get it. The concept isn't new to most of us. We know our cortisol levels are high and we need to keep counteracting that so our bodies will rest and recover and heal. Not to mention, reduce our vulnerability to disease and chronic illness.
I used to love ending my work days with a huge glass of red wine, which inevitably always led to finishing the bottle over the course of a few hours. Turns out that, while I felt relaxed, it was actually much worse for my body than I realized. A few years ago, I started having an allergic reaction to red wine and had to give it up completely. I swapped it out for white, but my body kinda hates that also. So, now I have "diet wine" on the weekends when I'm at home. It's low calorie and low alcohol and basically tastes like sour water. But, it's helping me slowly break a three-decade habit and making me seek out other, healthier resets. If only I could lean more into better habits on the road!
My favorite resets these days are: water workouts with my dog (come November, I will need to find something else), 20-second hugs (look it up... science), writing (here we are), rereading classic literature, and cooking.
I've always loved to cook, but I've never loved the "chore" of cooking. My husband can basically "make" an Uncrustable. So nourishing our little family is up to me. I don't want to hate that responsibility- or hate cooking- so my hack is to make something new several nights a week. That way it feels like a challenge to me, an exercise in stretching my culinary muscles, a creative outlet, and a nervous system reset with the payoff of a delicious meal.
Every Sunday, I inventory my fridge and pantry and greenhouse to see what needs to be used. Then, I search recipes utilizing those ingredients. My favorite resources lately are the Albertsons/Kroger meals app (surprisingly creative recipes and I can add all the elements to my shopping cart), https://tacotuesday.com/, https://cocolarkincooks.substack.com/, @seattlehanddoc. There are others- and the list changes all the time- but this is what's inspiring me lately.
When the dog needs to eat at 6pm (her internal clock is insane), that's my cue to get into my apron and start creating. I put a hard stop on everything else at that time. I head out to the greenhouse and harvest whatever herbs I'm going to use (instant decompression, I tell you), come inside to the kitchen, blast whatever tunes I'm feeling that evening, and cook away. I love this ritual so much because my brain is focused on only one task, especially if it's a particularly challenging recipe.
By the time my husband gets home, I am generally less stressed (unless the recipe has gone terribly awry), I'm in home mode instead of work mode (not easy to achieve when you work at home), and I'm super excited to impress him with my latest creation. Seeing him happy sends me over the moon. We often agree when a recipe is a "keeper" and should be put on a more frequent rotation. That rarely happens, though. I'm always too excited to try something new.
At the end of a meal, there are usually leftovers for lunch the next day. I mean, who does not love a gourmet lunch that just needs a quick warm up? And my hubby does the dishes. Without complaint. Sometimes I use just about every damn pot, pan, strainer, utensil, and bowl to make a meal. He doesn't care. Cleaning up is his part of the work. And probably his way to sink fully into home mode with me. It's a beautiful thing.
Cooking elaborate meals at home has its drawbacks to be sure. As grocery prices have continued to rise and food safety is becoming increasingly questionable, I am more careful about my meal planning. I am also trying to learn to be a better gardener because I'd love to grow more citrus and vegetables, in addition to my bounty of herbs. It's a work in progress, for sure. Still, I find that our home-cooked meals are always less expensive than the restaurant versions and the quality is generally a lot better, too. When I'm watching my calories and protein, cooking at home also gives me more clarity and control. It makes a difference.
We are definitely well fed here. We are fortunate and blessed for that. Having witnessed a lot of food insecurity here in Las Vegas and around the world, I commit myself to creating as little food waste as possible and donating regularly to our local food pantry and World Central Kitchen. I've also been toying with the idea of launching a monthly neighborhood "Sunday Supper" where everyone is welcome to come and share time and dishes as we find ways to give back to our community. I'm still a bit shy about putting it out there- and my schedule has gotten a little bananas lately- but it's something I'm keeping in my heart until it's the right time.
I'll close with a few of my most recent favorite recipes. If you'd like to share one of yours, please do. Or, if you have a tip for decompressing after the work day, please add it in the comments.
Oh, and I do have a few subscriptions to Coco Larkin Cooks to give away. If you'd like one, please send me your email address.
Cheers to full bellies and full hearts.
Xoxo, B
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