How I’m cooking away my stress this fall

How I'm Cooking Away My Stress This Fall

Mary Kate Hoban

Cooking has always been therapeutic for me, and with everything going on in the world, it's increasingly become a necessary outlet at the end of my day. I've found that on particularly trying days or after hours of staring at a computer screen, walking into the kitchen and chopping something is the ultimate stress reliever. It's an energy release, it feels productive, and it wakes up your senses—particularly if you're mincing an onion (bonus points if you shed a few tears). That's why these past few months I've been on the search for recipes that allow me to get out my cutting board and knives.

Risotto is one of my go-tos because I get to mince onions and there are so many variations that I never get bored. I'm also making big pots of chili—loaded with tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs—that I can heat up and eat throughout the week. It's the perfect comfort food, both to make and to enjoy on a cold evening. Whenever inspiration is lacking but the need to chop is real, I turn to a good casserole. The more veggies, the better.

And while I regularly incorporate slicing, dicing, and chopping into my cooking, I've found a few other tried-and-true ways to de-stress in the kitchen. Beating eggs for pancakes, pounding chicken for chicken parmesan, and rolling out pizza dough are guaranteed to leave me feeling emotionally lighter. Of course, eating the delicious meals is therapeutic, too.

- Mary Kate Hoban
Commerce Editor, The Spruce Eats

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