Welcome to my cooking diary!
I’ve been a serious home cook for years now, but cooking took on a whole new meaning for me when the COVID-19 pandemic began. My approach to grocery shopping, meal planning, leftovers, ingredients, and more all changed in a matter of days, as I had to adapt to new guidelines, schedules, and anxieties.
I’ve always loved cooking — I consider it one of my true passions in life — but have been finding even more comfort in it than usual these days. I’m grateful I can carve out a few minutes or a few hours at the end of the day to hang out in the kitchen (my happy place), chopping veggies, listening to a podcast, and sipping on a glass of wine. It’s a true escape!
I look forward to cooking all day, thinking constantly about what I can make next, how I can use that bunch of kale in my fridge, what new dessert I should bake for my husband and I to enjoy. While the days can be long and monotonous, a mixture of stress, worry, and boredom, dinner can be, well, an adventure! I know I can take a few things from my fridge, freezer, or pantry, head into the kitchen, and make something delicious for us to eat. I feel good serving us comforting, healthy (sometimes), delicious food. It’s a time for me to be creative, try new flavor combinations, use a can of beans in a new way, and try to think of a way to make cauliflower exciting.
I’m leaning heavily on comforting (to me) foods: big bowls of pasta, polenta, stews, and soups; thick slices of bread that I toast up and top with pesto and melty cheese; gooey and rich baked goods. At the same time, I’m trying to make sure we eat plenty of vegetables — which is sometimes hard when I have to ration them to last over a week.
This blog is where I will document what I’m cooking — new recipes I’m testing out, how I’m using all the produce I’m stocking up on every few weeks, dinners, ways I use leftovers, and more. I hope it can be a resource for others who are wondering how exactly to navigate this new way of life, and learn how cooking can be a calming (and delicious!) retreat during times of stress and worry.
Be sure to visit the Philosophy + Disclaimer page for a few notes on how I’m approaching this diary and what to expect. For resources like shopping lists, fridge/pantry/freezer items I like to have on hand, and other tips and tricks, see the Resources page.
Follow me on Instagram at @emilyinraleigh, as I often document the cooking process on my Stories and save them to Story Highlights.
Enjoy! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.