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

• 12 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

Season the fish with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the sablefish in the hot pan for 2-3 minutes per side or until the fish is golden brown. Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of 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 with any accumulated juices and season everything with salt and pepper. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for another 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and just before serving, stir in the creme fraiche and finish with fresh basil leaves.

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