When Everything Feels Heavy, I Come Back to the Kitchen

There are moments when the world feels loud, fractured, and overwhelming, when the news cycle never seems to pause and it’s hard to know how to show up at all, let alone in a way that feels meaningful.

Lately has been one of those moments. I’ve found myself moving a little more slowly, thinking more carefully about what I share and why. But one thing stays the same. Whenever I feel untethered, I come back to the same place: the kitchen.

There is something so grounding about working with your hands. The measuring, chopping, stirring, waiting, washing, paying attention - it asks you to be present in a way few other things do. It pulls you out of your head and back into the moment. When very little else feels grounded, this act holds real power. 

As I’ve written about before, food is more than fuel. It nourishes us not just with its nutrients but with the routine and the shared experience and the memories and meaning it all holds. It’s one of the ways we remind ourselves and each other that we’re here and we care for each other.

Which makes me think that cooking and nourishment don’t have to become irrelevant when things feel heavy, it may even become more important. 

If you’ve been feeling a little unsteady lately, you’re not alone. And if you’ve been questioning how to show up in your work right now, I am too. 

So while I work through the sadness and anger, I’ll leave you with a recipe that I gravitate towards in moments like this. It’s something that doesn't require much thinking and can be flexible based on what you have on hand, but still feels grounding and nourishing. 

Carrot Peanut Soup

Ingredients

• ½ yellow onion, sliced

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, roughly minced

• Salt, to taste

• 1½ pounds carrots (about 3 large), peeled and chopped

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• ⅔ cup peanuts

• 1½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled

• 1 cup water

• 1½ teaspoons salt

• ¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• ¼ teaspoon maple syrup

• ¼ teaspoon cumin

• ⅛–¼ teaspoon cayenne (to taste)

To garnish:

• Chopped cilantro

• Pomegranate seeds

Procedure

1. Slice the onion and roughly mince the garlic. Heat the olive oil gently in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic along with a small dash of salt and cook until the onion is soft and translucent.

2. While the onion cooks, peel and chop the carrots. Add them to the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, until they begin to soften.

3. Transfer the onion, garlic, and carrot mixture to a blender. Add the vegetable broth, peanuts, and peeled ginger. Blend on high until completely smooth.

4. Return the blended soup to the pot. Stir in the water, salt, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, cumin, and cayenne. Gently reheat and adjust seasoning as needed.

5. Serve warm, topped with chopped cilantro and pomegranate seeds.
   
   This is one of those recipes I come back to again and again and I hope it offers you a small moment of grounding too.