I love a good food discussion! As I made my "Healing Soup" yesterday, I thought a lot about food's connection with comfort and love. Our house is fighting the flu, and though this soup was a total "wing-it" situation, it reminded me of some of the lemongrass-turmeric-ginger soups that I was so lucky to taste and relish during our time of living in NYC. Moreover, I do believe there is a healing magic passed from one's hands to the mouths of those who eat the creations of one's laborious work. I do find it to be one of the most extraordinary things that we are so lucky to experience in this life. Your children are fortunate to have parents such as you two. I hope you all pass a lovely birthday celebration together.
That soup sounds amazing. So sorry to hear your house is fighting the flu. I have been struggling to feel 100% from something I came down with too. Here's to better health for the both of us!
Wait a second... why wouldn't you intend your voice and expression to be political right now? who said you needed to be some expert? standing up for what is right and for those who are truly oppressed is always necessary and important. So please get political. Musk and his comrades sure aren't "experts" but are they holding back? No.
This common idea that we shouldn't "get political" is dangerous and part of why we are where we are. Enough is enough.
So thank you for getting a little political. Nows the time.
Hi Jessica, I don't think you fully understood my footnote (or I wasn't clear), which is basically what you're saying—that everything is political right now. I've always been as political in my newsletters as I want and need to be. My point was, I'm not a journalist and I don't intend to just regurgitate the news, especially without factchecking, but I've always included links and resources and voiced my opinions.
That said, we all need to find that elusive balance of staying informed and protecting our mental health—and that is going to be different for everyone. I think my intention with that note was more of a heads up that future newsletters would probably always get political since fighting this administration is a long haul.
Gasp. What a sublime essay. Thank you. I could taste each flavor as you described them. I'm our family's (sometimes a bit above mediocre) cook. I don't generally mind, for the very reasons you describe, but this level? I'm not quite there, ha. Your appreciation comes through loud and clear, but, oh my, it's just beyond. I would buy a ticket to fly from Oregon to NYC for just a slice of one of his cakes.
I'm on the same wavelength here. I made a surprisingly easy black sesame mochi cake last night that tasted heavenly after a night of chilling in the fridge. I am savoring sweet moments like these that are still within my control. Take care, Jenna!
I feel like this post was in tune with the note I posted about food last night. (Probably should have been an article) I stated that food should be a love language because it definitely is for me. But I love the way you expounded on the subject. I even was talking recently about the dopamine hit we get from food. It’s has most certainly been a comforting friend in these last five years. Too comforting if I’m being honest my waistline can attest. As always another great newsletter and thank you for sharing.
Let's hear it for food being a comfort! I'm ok in the kitchen and a lot of my culinary skills consist of throwing together whatever I have around to make a meal. It's a holdover from needing to make quick, inexpensive meals for myself when I was younger. The habit of taking time and working from recipes never really took hold. I'm good with some soups and basic vegetarian meals, not so much with more complexly flavored meals. My girlfriend, on the other hand, is the true cook in the house.
Anyway, food really is a sanctuary and a love language, as RichAnt mentioned below. There's that sense of caring that goes into making and sharing food with others. It's like, "I care enough about you to want to make something that will give you sensory pleasures and hopefully nourish you or just makes you smile, at the least".
It's a real skill to be able to make a meal with whatever you have in the house! As you may know (or maybe not?) I don't cook at all except on rare occasions because Mark does all the cooking. A true blessing, but also a crutch. I just don't enjoy it as much as he does. I always thought I would learn how to cook Korean food when I retire, but he started learning how to cook that himself and is getting pretty good at it 😄
I'm like Mark, cooking from scratch, eschewing the food processor and chopping everything by hand to ease my anxiety & anger. Boy, have my knife skills have improved during this hateful, destructive administration!
Food is indeed an incredible binding agent across generations and even cultures. I'm reminded of it again as I celebrate Chinese New Year at home after many years away. You've also reminded me not to forget its importance amidst our busy lives.
Cookies and baguettes. (There’s a longer story about “why cookies?” “why baguettes?” but another day) I baked and perfected and gave away cookie kits in boxes and bread wrapped in brown paper bags to my neighbors. I even made labels, The Brookwood Drive Cookie Baking Company … eggs were also a lot cheaper back then… I also love doing food prep work; relaxing, Zen state… a lot of people find it tedious, but I guess I’m odd. I’m ok with it.
I love that you made labels for your cookie kits. I think you know that we had a cookie company for 12 years? Shut it down at the beginning of Covid. We still had so much baking supplies like baking chocolate, flour, bulk nuts and things etc. that we used up for years and gave away when supplies like that were scarce. Also, why are the comfort things so bad for you as we get old? 😖
Had to make the labels! It’s how they know it’s legit 😉
Ah, now I remember you had a bakery 🤦♂️ My passion for perfecting my cookie recipes is getting rejected for a marketing job with Levain because they were apparently serious about knowing everything about cookies… so, Covid, I had time so I learned. So many cookie failures that were still good enough to give away… but I can now bake perfect cookies and know what fails and why!
I don’t know why these are bad for you when you get older but it’s not only what they are but how much. I should be able to eat a dozen 3oz cookies in one sitting!!!! I could when I was in my 20s! Oh, well… 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪 emojis have no calories… or taste…
A pot of soup or slow cooking beans is my comfort place. Also, I’m a notoriously bad cook but soup I can do. 😄 Also, Kpop is a bright light shining in the darkest days for me. It’s so important to remember our joy and not succumb to despair. It fires me up to make those &$@#%! 5 calls.
1) Where can I get that black and white apron? 2) Mandy Patinkin shared a video of someone talking about 3 upcoming elections to fill vacant house seats. 2 in FL, 1 in MI. If we win these, we can take back the House in 60 days. I don’t want to fill your comments with political feed so I’m not going to put the link here, but it’s one way we can focus our energies.
Hi Susan! That apron was a comped gift from a brand that no longer is around. It's well over 12 years old, I think. And yes, local elections matter a great deal and we also have midterms in 2 years. There is still work to do!
I love a good food discussion! As I made my "Healing Soup" yesterday, I thought a lot about food's connection with comfort and love. Our house is fighting the flu, and though this soup was a total "wing-it" situation, it reminded me of some of the lemongrass-turmeric-ginger soups that I was so lucky to taste and relish during our time of living in NYC. Moreover, I do believe there is a healing magic passed from one's hands to the mouths of those who eat the creations of one's laborious work. I do find it to be one of the most extraordinary things that we are so lucky to experience in this life. Your children are fortunate to have parents such as you two. I hope you all pass a lovely birthday celebration together.
If you're curious about the "recipe" for my soup, you can find it here: https://open.substack.com/pub/katrinadonhamwrites/p/mind-body-soul-4?r=3cnvg1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
That soup sounds amazing. So sorry to hear your house is fighting the flu. I have been struggling to feel 100% from something I came down with too. Here's to better health for the both of us!
Wait a second... why wouldn't you intend your voice and expression to be political right now? who said you needed to be some expert? standing up for what is right and for those who are truly oppressed is always necessary and important. So please get political. Musk and his comrades sure aren't "experts" but are they holding back? No.
This common idea that we shouldn't "get political" is dangerous and part of why we are where we are. Enough is enough.
So thank you for getting a little political. Nows the time.
Cheers.
Hi Jessica, I don't think you fully understood my footnote (or I wasn't clear), which is basically what you're saying—that everything is political right now. I've always been as political in my newsletters as I want and need to be. My point was, I'm not a journalist and I don't intend to just regurgitate the news, especially without factchecking, but I've always included links and resources and voiced my opinions.
That said, we all need to find that elusive balance of staying informed and protecting our mental health—and that is going to be different for everyone. I think my intention with that note was more of a heads up that future newsletters would probably always get political since fighting this administration is a long haul.
This is so bizarre: I'm busy watching Schmitt's Creek now too. I feel like we keep having parallel watching patterns in oppositie continents!
☺️ That show is soooo relaxing.
Gasp. What a sublime essay. Thank you. I could taste each flavor as you described them. I'm our family's (sometimes a bit above mediocre) cook. I don't generally mind, for the very reasons you describe, but this level? I'm not quite there, ha. Your appreciation comes through loud and clear, but, oh my, it's just beyond. I would buy a ticket to fly from Oregon to NYC for just a slice of one of his cakes.
Thank you! Well, we did have a bakery for 12 years ☺️
I'm on the same wavelength here. I made a surprisingly easy black sesame mochi cake last night that tasted heavenly after a night of chilling in the fridge. I am savoring sweet moments like these that are still within my control. Take care, Jenna!
🫶 Sounds delicious!
I feel like this post was in tune with the note I posted about food last night. (Probably should have been an article) I stated that food should be a love language because it definitely is for me. But I love the way you expounded on the subject. I even was talking recently about the dopamine hit we get from food. It’s has most certainly been a comforting friend in these last five years. Too comforting if I’m being honest my waistline can attest. As always another great newsletter and thank you for sharing.
Oh, it's definitely a love language. A language that sometimes can step in when words are hard to express.
Let's hear it for food being a comfort! I'm ok in the kitchen and a lot of my culinary skills consist of throwing together whatever I have around to make a meal. It's a holdover from needing to make quick, inexpensive meals for myself when I was younger. The habit of taking time and working from recipes never really took hold. I'm good with some soups and basic vegetarian meals, not so much with more complexly flavored meals. My girlfriend, on the other hand, is the true cook in the house.
Anyway, food really is a sanctuary and a love language, as RichAnt mentioned below. There's that sense of caring that goes into making and sharing food with others. It's like, "I care enough about you to want to make something that will give you sensory pleasures and hopefully nourish you or just makes you smile, at the least".
It's a real skill to be able to make a meal with whatever you have in the house! As you may know (or maybe not?) I don't cook at all except on rare occasions because Mark does all the cooking. A true blessing, but also a crutch. I just don't enjoy it as much as he does. I always thought I would learn how to cook Korean food when I retire, but he started learning how to cook that himself and is getting pretty good at it 😄
I'm like Mark, cooking from scratch, eschewing the food processor and chopping everything by hand to ease my anxiety & anger. Boy, have my knife skills have improved during this hateful, destructive administration!
Oh I bet! And likely to improve even more. We're in it for the long haul.
Shepherd's pie :)
Ooh good one. That really encompasses all the comfort food in one dish.
Food is indeed an incredible binding agent across generations and even cultures. I'm reminded of it again as I celebrate Chinese New Year at home after many years away. You've also reminded me not to forget its importance amidst our busy lives.
Yes, absolutely, and Happy Lunar New Year!
Cookies and baguettes. (There’s a longer story about “why cookies?” “why baguettes?” but another day) I baked and perfected and gave away cookie kits in boxes and bread wrapped in brown paper bags to my neighbors. I even made labels, The Brookwood Drive Cookie Baking Company … eggs were also a lot cheaper back then… I also love doing food prep work; relaxing, Zen state… a lot of people find it tedious, but I guess I’m odd. I’m ok with it.
I love that you made labels for your cookie kits. I think you know that we had a cookie company for 12 years? Shut it down at the beginning of Covid. We still had so much baking supplies like baking chocolate, flour, bulk nuts and things etc. that we used up for years and gave away when supplies like that were scarce. Also, why are the comfort things so bad for you as we get old? 😖
Had to make the labels! It’s how they know it’s legit 😉
Ah, now I remember you had a bakery 🤦♂️ My passion for perfecting my cookie recipes is getting rejected for a marketing job with Levain because they were apparently serious about knowing everything about cookies… so, Covid, I had time so I learned. So many cookie failures that were still good enough to give away… but I can now bake perfect cookies and know what fails and why!
I don’t know why these are bad for you when you get older but it’s not only what they are but how much. I should be able to eat a dozen 3oz cookies in one sitting!!!! I could when I was in my 20s! Oh, well… 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪 emojis have no calories… or taste…
I have had to eliminate pretty much everything that is fun to eat because of my health. 👎
A pot of soup or slow cooking beans is my comfort place. Also, I’m a notoriously bad cook but soup I can do. 😄 Also, Kpop is a bright light shining in the darkest days for me. It’s so important to remember our joy and not succumb to despair. It fires me up to make those &$@#%! 5 calls.
Haha I can relate. I've gone back to watching some of the old BTS variety show episodes. Just silliness and comfort.
I really enjoyed this post Jenna. Now I'm looking forward to spending time in the kitchen this weekend :)
Nice! Happy cooking!
1) Where can I get that black and white apron? 2) Mandy Patinkin shared a video of someone talking about 3 upcoming elections to fill vacant house seats. 2 in FL, 1 in MI. If we win these, we can take back the House in 60 days. I don’t want to fill your comments with political feed so I’m not going to put the link here, but it’s one way we can focus our energies.
Hi Susan! That apron was a comped gift from a brand that no longer is around. It's well over 12 years old, I think. And yes, local elections matter a great deal and we also have midterms in 2 years. There is still work to do!