the joy of cooking
I've been thinking lately about joy, and wondering how my experience of it compares to others'. Because I'm realizing (not for the first time) that what feels obvious and second nature to me is, of course, not a universal experience. For example, in the midst of the deep winter blues, I've remembered that simply dreaming of summer is sometimes enough to turn my mood around. The other day, I was having a really bad time-- stuck inside due to cold or snow, frustrated and lonely and down. Reluctantly, I dragged myself up to make dinner, and while my dinner simmered on the stove, I pulled out my trusty new Alison Roman cookbook ( Something from Nothing -- I can't imagine anyone reading this hasn't already heard me evangelize about it, but this is your reminder to check it out.) And as I worked my way through her vegetable chapter, feeling inspired to try some new things (beans), grow some new things (hello Jimmy Nardellos), and dreaming about variations on tomato sa...
