The Satisfaction of Cooking

Friday, October 10, 2014

The other night I was at an event, and my friend Sara told me that a couple friend of ours might be in attendance later in the evening. They’re a couple who kind of rarely come out for weeknight functions. “They were talking about coming out after they make dinner.” She said. It was about 8 o’clock in the evening, midweek. She added, “You know, because they’re one of those adorable couples who cook at home together.” Despite the fact that I was out and about, having fun with friends, a surge of envy ran through me (coupled with a slight hunger pain – I hadn’t had dinner at all). What a beautiful thought, to fervently defend one-on-one time with someone, or even just to be alone, with a home cooked meal.

I thought about that conversation a lot the following weekend while I was making Chicken Thighs Simmered with Fennel, Apples and Cured Pork over Herbed Polenta from Garnish & Gather. How had my own nourishment – not just through sustenance, but of my heart too – slipped away so silently from my priorities? The polenta boiled in my orange Le Creuset sauce pot, a gift from my mother which in turn had been a gift from her own.

I was raised in the kitchen – still when we go home, it’s where the family rallies. Whether we’re rounding up for my mother’s classic rosemary roasted chicken, or a steaming bowl of bouillabaisse in the colder months, or piles on piles of Nana’s homemade spaghetti and meatballs, a recipe never written and generations deep – each meatball lovingly hand-rolled and seasoned. Now, 405 miles away from my family in Southern Indiana, an evening like this is much more of rarity than I would like to admit; a consequence of so rarely portioning out time for myself in life. Between a fast-paced job with odd hours, and a pretty socially motivated existence, I’ve long since lost sight of myself. Sadly, especially the food that I eat. This epitome struck me as I sliced and diced the fennel and apple, the polenta still simmering less than an arm’s length away.

This is an affliction that effects many of us, not just me. Talk to any single person in their late 20’s, early 30’s and assuredly eight out of ten times home cooked meals will not be on the table. In my own personal instance, it’s something that’s got to change. The wonder of Garnish & Gather, for me, is that it takes the stress out of concocting something but brings really original flavors to the kitchen. This, I know for sure, is the first time I’ve cooked polenta. And it’s been quite a while since fennel last entered my kitchen. If, on the rare occasion, I sojourn to the farmers market or grocery, intent on making a meal, I come home with either: A. piles of fresh produce with nary of notion of how I’ll combine them (evidenced by the wilting bouquet of once verdant arugula in my crisper) or B. the ingredients for a tried and true family recipe that I have made so frequently over my lifetime that no grocery list is necessary (last week’s carbonara, now petrified in tupperware).

The satisfaction that comes along with cooking is one that shouldn’t be overlooked though. It’s therapy. Plating the steaming chicken, pork and polenta, is accompanied by a rush of achievement. (Closely followed by a very full belly and overall sense of well-being.)