Among the many excuses for not cooking, working late is a really popular one. You worked long hours, you’re tired, you’re probably stressed and you’re definitely hungry by the time you get home. You want nothing more than to toss something in the microwave and settle down to watch the Simpsons (or, depending on how late you worked, the Daily Show).
I say: all the more reason to cook a real dinner!
Allow me to explain. Working is often stressful. It wears you out. You work hard, think hard, and try to get things done as fast as possible. When you’re cooking, none of that matters. You can lay out your ingredients, chop them one at a time, as fast or slow as you want. You can stir pasta into boiling water, or saute an onion, and your brain can take a break. There is nothing in the world more meditative than sauteing an onion. If you find something better, just let me know.
Better yet, it’s a visceral experience. It’s real. It engages all your senses. If you work in front of a computer all day, you may find yourself missing the experience of working with your hands – I often do. When you cook, you can feel the texture of a firm tomato or the heat of a ready frying pan, smell the intoxicating aroma of garlic in olive oil, taste… well, if you’re alone in the kitchen, taste whatever you want.
Sure, cooking can be stressful, too. You can spill things, burn things, rush to get everything assembled. But not tonight. When you’ve had a long day, you’re going to cook things you love, and they’re going to be easy and fun, because you know them inside and out. No stress – just good food.
After all that, you get to eat, and I don’t even need to tell you how much better your dinner will be than whatever you were going to microwave. At the end of a long day, you have all the more need of a meal that’s actually healthy and satisfying.
If you get the impression that I’ve been working a lot lately, you’re right. And it might have something to do with my lack of recent blogging, too. But for all that, I’ve been cooking dinner on a fairly regular basis, sometimes throwing together a quick and easy meal (pasta with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella is my summertime standby, and I could eat it every day if I had to), sometimes doing something a little more elaborate. The other night I made salsa, roasted some peppers, and made quesadillas, which made me really happy. And while I’m not always in the mood for cooking after a long day, sometimes it’s just what I need. I hope it helps you out, too, when you need it.