The comfort we didn't know we kneaded
I’ve been curious about the comforts we turned to during isolation and what they can tell us about ourselves.
Interestingly, in the Future Laboratory’s new macro trend, The Pleasure Revolution, they are predicting a bigger shift over the coming years from enhancement to enjoyment. They expect “the next decade will see the dissolution of hustle culture, as inactivity and rest become the status symbols of tomorrow” and that “by 2030, society will be built around individual and collective pleasure – as consumers begin to question how their unceasing sense of aspiration contributes to a capitalist system, they are recognising that the ultimate activism is enjoyment itself.”
In the words of philosopher Sandy Grant; “enjoyment is a practice of resistance to current forms of unfreedom.”
For me, during isolation I found myself turning to food and cooking comfort foods – in particular, kneading, rolling and shaping pasta, and slowly tending to sourdough bread. These are things I usually confined to the weekends, but with the slowdown of my work and wider society, I found myself with the space and time to do more cooking throughout the week. This led me to reflect on what I prioritise during the week – am I prioritising activities that bring me pleasure and enjoyment or am I falling into the hustle trap? I resolved that I would continue to cook as much as possible, choosing to prioritise time spent in the kitchen in my schedule.
And because where energy goes, energy flows, the more I’ve been in my food flow, the more food clients I’ve attracted, which I love!
So as we adjust to our new normal and witness things rushing back, there are three questions I would like to put to you:
What did you turn to for comfort?
What do you enjoy doing?
How can you integrate those things into your work life?
I wonder if you too will find that the more you bring activities into your life which you enjoy, the more those things will bleed over into your work life.
I’m sure all this talk of cooking has made you hungry! So here are some of my favourite comfort foods:
COMFORT COOKING
My go-to comfort dish is congee! It was something Mum always made me when I was a little rundown as a child and it's been my number one comfort food ever since. I’ve been loving this Cauliflower Congee Recipe by my friend Lucy Tweed of Every Night of the Week (as per the photo).
Next up is Magdalena Roze's Chicken and Leek Pie, which is the perfect dish to cook and eat when you need a hug in the form of food! Cooking a chicken pie also reminds me of my dear friend Clementine who feels so far away in London right now.
Is there anything better than crumpets with butter and honey? YES! I discovered home-made sourdough crumpets with cultured butter and honey during iso and they are the best! Plus a great way to use up leftover sourdough starter. This recipe by Darren Robertson is THE BEST! (And here is my sourdough recipe too.)
Last but not least, is my new cooking therapy... you guessed it, PASTA! The Cacio e Pepe recipe by David Lovett on my journal, paired with Julia Ostro's tagliatelle recipe (linked in the same post) is the most comforting of all, to cook and eat!
Happy cooking and I’d love to hear what you’ve been enjoying and whether you’re going to bring it further into your business or work life.
Katie
xx