Cook. Eat. Repeat.
If I were to have a personal motto, this would be it. You’re here and you know that my life revolves around food in so many ways, and I love that. I also know that the idea of cooking everyday, multiple times a day can sometimes feel redundant or a even a little overwhelming. But what if we looked at it in another way? As something that gives us structure and meaning, and even a small way to feel more alive?
What if it’s a permission slip? To be creative. To trust yourself. To grow and evolve.
And what if the repetitiveness takes the pressure off? It's not now or never; every day, every meal is another opportunity.
Because everyday cooking isn’t perfect and it’s not supposed to be. We’re not in restaurants where there’s an expectation to make things exact and where perfection is the goal. It’s about making something that nourishes us and maybe gives us a little joy and satisfaction in the process. And it’s always so fluid. It’s going to be slightly different every time even if you cook the same recipe over and over, there’s always little adjustments to be made. Your pan will heat differently in the winter when it’s colder, the ingredients you use will always be changing depending on when and where they came from. There's always variation, there's always these little nuances. And doesn’t it feel good to know there’s freedom in that?
Cooking relies on repeated actions, that added up, teach us ease in the kitchen, and help us find our own that instincts which so many think of as being a magical, innate gift. It’s not. No one who cooks well came to it naturally. It’s simply a practice. A practice in trusting yourself and your senses. Essentially that's what cooking is: a practice, like doing yoga is a practice, and not a performance.
What if we looked at cooking this way? As something sacred? A practice to come back to time and time again. A daily ritual where we have opportunity to drop into our body, to trust our own instincts and create from there.
If you're like me and need a reminder to get out of your head and into your body, the kitchen is the place. It's those ordinary tasks, peeling potatoes or chopping garlic that are somewhat mindless work to calm that monkey brain we all have. And when that happens, the rest of your senses comes alive. The smell of garlic dropped into glistening hot oil, the sounds that start to come from the pan - it's like a symphony. You start to know the sound of oil when it’s at the perfect temperature, or what caramelized onions look like when they’re properly cooked. You trust yourself to know how to adjust based on what your senses are telling you. Something that you miss when you're not where your hands are. Can you allow yourself to relax into it more? Slow your mind so that you can allow your senses to take over. That’s where the good stuff happens.
I always think about the pasta grannies, or anyone that’s spent alot of their years in the kitchen when I’m talking about this. Trying to get a recipe with specific measurements or directions from these beauties is like pulling teeth. It’s always, ‘a little of this and a little of that’ and you ‘just know’ when it’s done. They do ‘just know’ and it doesn’t just happen by accident. It’s exactly this, developing those instincts in the kitchen by doing it over and over again until you start to trust yourself and yes, just know.
Cooking is not something you do, and then it’s done with. We return to dishes we love, not just because they mean something particular to us, but also because our hands feel comfortable preparing food that is familiar... that list of dishes we return to and repeat, a list that grows and changes, to be sure, just as we grow and change.” - Nigella Lawson
Cooking like this means you’re not relying on recipes but instead you’re able to use what you have and get creative. It means letting leftovers be fun and experimenting and playing with different ways to use them. And like I said last week it can be as simple as cracking a couple eggs and making them special by being intentional about how you make that omelette.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love taking on a good cooking project and diving into things that I’ve never done before. There’s a time for that too if and when you choose it; it’s why cooking is a journey that never ends because there’s always going to be something new to learn. But for now, for today, I hope you can look at day to day cooking like I do, as a beautiful practice that will always be there to nourish us in more ways than one.
What’s Cooking This Week: Orange Saffron Sablefish Stew
This is a spin off of Mimi Thorisson’s version in her cookbook, French Country Cooking. I adapted it with what I had and instead of monkfish I used sablefish which makes it feel extra luxurious. I also added some orange because I love the little bit of citrus to cut the fattier fish.
PLEASE REMEMBER - the recipes I share are always guidelines for you. Ones that give you a little inspiration but also know that you have the freedom to make it your own.
I didn’t take a picture because going along with the theme of today’s newsletter it’s a reminder for me that maybe not everything needs to be styled and even photographed. Because it’s not about the performance. It’s about me making something delicious and wanting to share it with you. And that’s always enough.
Orange Saffron Sablefish Stew
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds sablefish filets, skin removed and sliced into 1 inch thick pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
1 medium leek, white part only, thinly sliced
8-10 small fingerling potatoes, boiled until soft, cut in half if the potatoes are large
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fish or chicken stock
1/4 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, leek, potatoes, orange zest and saffron threads. Continue to cook for 3 minutes.
Add in the wine and bring to a boil to until reduced by half. Add the sablefish and season everything with salt and pepper. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and just before serving, stir in the creme fraiche and finish with fresh basil leaves.
Want more with me?
This publication is reader supported and it means the world if you choose to become a paid subscriber. You’ll also get access community threads, months round ups, more recipes and live hangouts, and more!
The Communal Table If you don’t know, this is my monthly cooking community where I lead classes, have guest teachers join us, there’s a cookbook club, foodie round tables where we nerd out about all things cooking and food, plus monthly giveaways of my favourite things, and so much more. If you’re looking for a space of rad people who love cooking as much as you do, come join us!
Ready to learn the pleasure and the principles of cooking well? Let’s Cook with Intention This if for you if you want to learn some foundational cooking skills so you can find your own creativity and flow in the kitchen. Because that’s what it’s all about!
If you’re ready for the magical world of Sourdough, come on in HERE
Cook. Eat. Repeat.
Such an encouraging message! And you make me feel better about making myself the same dinner three times this week... I'm going to save your recipe for orange sablefish stew, wow! Sounds delicious!