How to Use Food as a Tool for Self-Care
This post was contributed by Graduate Assistant, Calla-Marie Norman.
A few years ago, the Danish concept of hygge was immensely popular among Zillenials seeking a wholesome and cozy method of relaxation. Essentially, it combines comfort and conviviality into an image that evokes sock-laden feet propped up by the fireplace, a faceful of mulled wine, and maybe a Norah Jones record spinning on your turntable (or insert whichever comfort musician you prefer). Those days, the notion of staying inside would have seemed novel and fun, but now in 2021 it’s probably driving us all a little crazy. In the before-times, you could invite a friend over for some hygge time and partake in the comfort of each others’ company, but with the coronavirus numbers still reaching skyward, self-care has become a more solitary act.
Ah yes, I said it, the s-word. Self-care has somehow become a controversial topic, one which has been co-opted by wellness culture in some cases where it means buying a new scented candle or face-mask will suddenly cure all your mental ills. Or, conversely (and I’ve been known to go this route), it means any excuse to plop down in front of the television, cue up the latest season of Outlander, and systematically insert a gallon of popcorn into your stomach. Both of these methods are valid, but I don’t think they fully do the work needed to actually nurture yourself beyond just the moment. I believe that self-care can also be constructive, and for me, food is a beautiful way through which you can take care of your mental health and form bonds with others even in times where it’s hard. I also want to caveat this with the notion that while feeding yourself and others is good and necessary, fulfilling basic needs is not necessarily self-care. I want to stress that it’s something you need to make the mental and temporal space for, not just call making dinner self-care. So, I wanted to give you a few strategies to incorporate food into your lockdown self-care routine that hope will bring you pleasure, solace, and conscientiousness (and also some delicious food).
Take stock of your mental pantry
One thing about self-care is that it needs to be intentional, and planning it doesn’t hurt, either. Take a moment to take stock of where you’re at in your relationship to food right now. Did you make a lot of sourdough back in March and now you’re feeling a little burnt-out? Have you eaten nothing but crinkle-cut fries for more than a few meals now? Are you feeling pretty okay with what you’ve been cooking and eating, but can feel a rut coming up ahead and need a bit of inspiration? Have you been manically cooking for the past few months and now there’s a thin layer of oil spatters coating your backsplash that hasn’t been wiped off in a while? Whatever your current state of mind is, there’s probably something you can do to improve upon it, whether that’s taking a rag to your counter, taking out an old favorite cookbook, or just ordering out for a change.
Do something easy, or challenge yourself
Different people find different tasks to be comforting or stress-inducing. While some folks take to the kitchen with ease, others might not feel as capable. This is one of the wonders of food as a means of self-care - it doesn’t have to be difficult, as long as you feel nourished by it. There are loads of simple recipes out there, ones that take minimal technique and time, but at the end of the day you’ll have a plate of food in front of you that you made yourself. On the other hand, if you need something a bit more challenging, I’d suggest taking on a project as your means of self-care. I mean, are you really going anywhere? Make that croquembouche you’ve always wanted to make, who’s to stop you? Sometimes, there’s a lot of good that comes out of just the process of making something for the sake of making something, and the feeling of satisfaction you get when it’s done can certainly be considered self-care.
Self-Care and Quarantine Eating don’t need to be a solitary act
My final note on cooking, eating, and self-care is that it certainly doesn’t have to be you against the world. I know that zoom happy-hours are something we all love to hate at this point, but there can be a lot of value in them, especially if your support system doesn’t actually live with you. This semester, my MAFS cohort has started doing Zoom sessions where we all get carryout from the same local restaurant and eat together. Yes, I know it’s not the same as going to a restaurant as a group, but you can still have those small conversations like, “So, what’d everyone get?” and maybe actually hear each other without the din of a restaurant.
If that’s not your thing, understandable. You can also connect with others through the joys of the internet. There are loads of Facebook groups out there that have been creating community through food, such as the New York Times Cooking Community, the Food52 Baking Club, and the Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Fan Club, whose motto is “Eat beans and be excellent to each other.”
You can also look into taking a Zoom cooking class, to combine this tip and the earlier one about challenging yourself. CRAFT has a few coming up, including workshops on making profiteroles, butchering poultry, and one-pot Indian cooking, all coming up in February! I’ve done a few of these classes, and I really enjoyed them not only for the skills I’ve learned, but also because you get some of that human interaction, and get to virtually meet new people.
So there you have it - these are just a few examples of how I work food into a self-care routine. I hope you find them helpful in finding community and satisfaction out of a particularly isolating time. If you’re looking for someplace to start, here’s a stupid-easy recipe from my childhood that is especially comforting to me, as it requires basically no work, isn’t very healthy, and tastes delicious.
Rice-Krispie Chicken
Serves four
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs (or really any part, but I think thighs are superior)
1 stick of butter
2 cups of puffed rice cereal
Salt and pepper
Optional: any seasoning you want to mix into the butter. I’ve used cajun seasoning, garlic seasoning blends, and garam masala could be really good as well!
Method
Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a rimmed baking tray.
Season chicken on all sides with salt and pepper
In a plastic bag (or a bowl if you’re going zero-waste, it just might take longer), crush the rice cereal until it’s a slightly powdery consistency, but also has some larger chunks of cereal.
Melt butter in a bowl, and mix in any seasonings you might want.
Dip chicken in the butter, then in the rice cereal until coated.
Place chicken on the greased baking tray, and if there’s any butter left, drizzle it over the chicken. Bake for about an hour, or until the chicken thighs reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
For an optimal comfort food experience, serve with roasted vegetables and good bread with lots of butter. I highly recommend scooping up the chicken-y, buttery residue that will undoubtedly line the pan and mixing it with the vegetables or even dipping bread in it.