Comfort food
When I was first dreaming about creating this space, I thought I’d write about food a lot. Food felt like a safe topic. Inoffensive, universal. Something all humans need and could (in theory at least) unite around. When I started writing with this community in mind, I gravitated towards heavier subjects: sexual violence, the climate crisis, covid. I found that when I sat down to write, I had things I wanted to think out loud about. Food was in the background. Alongside the writing section of my ‘to do’ list, there’s the cooking section but the two passions rarely intersect. As (a brutal, exhausting) January ended, food was the only thing I wanted to write about. What follows is a collection of rough recipes and routines that have helped sustain me as well as sometimes bringing a little much needed joy.
I have no professional culinary skills but I do know something about cooking for comfort. (Other areas of knowledge include: cooking while broke, cooking to remind myself that there’s a big world out there and cooking while navigating some deeply disordered beliefs about food.) I’ve never written a recipe in my life. To me, recipes suggest something of a palaver involving weighing scales and timers and a clean, brightly lit kitchen occupied by a clean smiling person wearing an apron. That is not my life!
These are the things I scrabble together in my sweaty writing/workout clothes while juggling Zoom calls. They’re thrown together around whatever mess is in the kitchen while I’m listening to a podcast. It is not fancy, but it is delicious. I do it in a half-assed way because that means I will do it. There is no waiting for the perfect moment. There is just doing it. There is just inhabiting the imperfect moment that exists right now.
As you’ll see, there are a bunch of flavours I love and gravitate towards. I don’t have a lot of time, so I like things that come together quickly. I don’t like continuous stirring or finicky processes or anything that involves a lot of washing up. I’m not a precise cook, so there’s not a lot of measuring. (Baking is very different I know!) I think about the environment a lot, probably in an unhealthy way. (“Go easy on the Earth,” says my brain.) If I’m turning on the oven, I try to fill it up. I keep a bag in the freezer for any vegetable ‘extras’ (kale stems, cauliflower leaves) which I save for soups and stews. I typically batch cook once a week and make a bunch of things that can be assembled in different ways throughout the week. Or I don’t batch cook and end up making eggs everyday at noon! I often cook double portions and freeze the leftovers. Just as often, I cook double portions and eat it all!
When I’m feeling good, I like having a collection of flavour boosters to add to my regular dishes to fancy them up a bit. Things like herbs (before they all died, except the mint which took over the entire window box and *then* died), scallions which I was regrowing in a glass of water and some crispy fried onions or shallots for a hit of sweetness. When I don’t have any of these things, I rely on my fancy sea salt.
Here are some of the things that are in my regular rotation:
I regularly make brown rice in the pressure cooker. It takes 12 minutes which is the same amount of time it takes in a regular pot, but that requires babysitting which I don’t want to do. Plus, it stays warm in the pressure cooker which is great when meetings run long and I can’t be dashing to and from the kitchen. I make 2 cups and it lasts most of the week. Almost always, the leftovers become fried rice with tiny prawns, peas and very well sauted (almost burnt!) red onion.
Salmon darnes with cherry tomatoes and red onion baked for 12 or so minutes at 200. I usually use frozen fish making it a very quick, simple meal. The tomatoes burst and create a nice saucy situation. It’s tasty but gentle.
I’ve been making batches of granola to have with porridge in the morning or as an afternoon snack. I don’t have a recipe but typically use about 2 cups of oatmeal as a base with whatever nuts/seeds I feel like. Flaked almonds are delicious as are pumpkin seeds. Equal parts (about ¼ cup each) of coconut oil and honey melted together in the microwave. Bake for 30 mins at 180, turning every 10 mins so it toasts evenly. I keep a package of chocolate drops on hand too in case anyone wants chocolate-y granola!
I love savoury pastry and always keep frozen pastry in the freezer. I make some version of this caramelised onion galette pretty regularly. The trick is to cook the onions for a long time. They say, time is flavour and they are not wrong! I usually get them going first while I’m preparing other things. Some egg wash and sesame seeds on the pastry really makes it seem like you’ve made a lot more effort than you did.
If you’ve onions left over, try this delicious pasta. I stupidly used cow milk yogurt last time I made it which wrecked havoc on my sensitive system but it was very tasty. I’ll use a plant based yogurt next time.
I love a warm, winter dessert and have been making a batch of pudding rice (cooked first with water and then finished with oat milk). Add vanilla, cinnamon or whatever spices you’d like. Excellent with frozen berries warmed in the microwave and topped with granola. Or serve hot with ice-cream. Or rhubarb compote - aka rhubarb stewed with more sugar than you think it needs.
I love soup, especially this cheesy cauliflower one and this spiced lentil one which is basically the only reason I buy carrots anymore.
I’m sure it’s disastrous for the planet but a little bit of tropical fruit goes a long way in January. I’ve been buying and butchering pineapple and mangos to munch on in the afternoons. Very tasty and more importantly, a reminder of life on this planet.
This vegan bolognese is delicious.
I love these 2 ingredient banana cookies as a way to use up mushy bananas. (I add walnuts for crunch and cinnamon for flavour too.)
I roast veg like Samin recommends, though I also love a cauliflower roasted with cheddar, cumin and red onion.
This spicy kale + bean dish from Sohla which I usually eat with rice.
Green beans sauteed with lemon juice (from a bottle, let’s be reasonable!) and garlic (or garlic salt if I’ve run out!)
Food is a reliable source of pleasure and joy. Cooking is what I do to keep calm, to feel some sense of control and accomplishment. Regardless of whatever is going wrong in my life, I can get in the kitchen, go through a set of methodical tasks and end up with something delicious. Cooking satisfies the twin goals of sustaining my body and brightening my mood, even if just for a moment.
Recommendations:
Speaking of food, this Gingerbread showdown was fun.
Interesting video on polyamory
Can We Say Bye-bye To The Binary? This episode of Jonathan Van Ness’s new Netflix show is worth your time.
Did you know that one of St Brigid’s miracles was inducing an abortion? I wish they taught that on St Brigid’s Day!
Stories of family estrangement
Maybe someday I’ll be the kind of person who makes snacking cakes!
Still thinking about the optimism in the final minutes of this podcast.
