This morning I was on the phone with one of my dearest friends, catching up and checking in on each other. In that conversation we both talked about the same thing but had two completely different perspectives. She said she couldn’t believe that it had only been one week of social distancing while my response was, its already been one week?
Don’t get me wrong, I have had my share of panic attacks, crying fits and sleepless nights over this global pandemic, but I’ve been trying to keep all that stress and anxiety at bay, particularly because I don’t want to terrorize my children. As a mother it is my responsibility to protect and shelter them from harm and I firmly believe that some of the biggest harm that can be inflicted is negativity.
The best way I know how to combat the crisis that we are currently facing is through what I have coined, Kitchen Positivity. I have said on multiple occasions that the kitchen is my happy place and that cooking is my therapy; that has never been truer than now. The reason that my first week of quarantine seems to have gone by nearly immediately is because I have spent an incredible amount of time d’avanti ai fornelli as they say in Italian, in other words, in front of the stove.
Of course, my spending time at the hearth is not a novelty but what has been the novelty is the amount of time that I have now been able to dedicate to it. In the past week I have kneaded out pizza dough, pounded out pesto, cranked out homemade tagliatelle, rolled and stuffed cabbage, piped out pastry shells, pulled freshly baked chocolate chip cookies out of the oven and more. Once again, none of these new items in my culinary repertoire, but hardly any of them feasible on a standard weeknight (sometimes not even the weekend depending on the demands in life). Even better still, the fact that some of that time in the kitchen was also spent alongside my father (who if you’ve been following me for a while know is my hero both in and out of the kitchen) as well as my daughters.
I know how cookery personally helps me but there are in fact, documented health benefits to spending time at your stovetop:
- It leads to more balanced eating because you are mindful of the portions you are eating and because eating at home often comes with less distraction, you are better able to focus on your hunger cues and discourage overeating
- Studies have actually shown that the act of cooking is very therapeutic because of rhythmic actions like chopping and stirring. Furthermore, cooking forces you to focus on the present moment which helps develop emotional strength
- Cooking stimulates your senses which contributes to getting more of those feel-good hormones otherwise known as endorphins
- Cooking is an act of self-love because you are actually taking time to nourish yourself
- It promotes organization and self-sufficiency because it requires planning (although with practice, coming up with meals on the fly is possible)
- If you are cooking with someone (your partner, your children etc.) it builds emotional connections and strengthens bonds that are key to mental well-being
While I hope and pray that we find resolve sooner rather than later, I will continue to find my comfort in cooking and spread my Kitchen Positivity. Buon Appetito and remember that this too shall pass.
