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Adventurous Newsletter #14:
Cooking My Way Out of a Hot, Anxious Summer

William Doran — Sun., August 1, 2021

It’s the kind of August in the South when the midday sun beats the living daylights out of everything above ground - and could literally kill you between the hours of 9 AM and 7 PM.

When evening’s reprieve finally graces our corner of the earth, laboring over a hot meal is the last thing on our minds and can seem almost unbearable - especially when you are as anxious as I am.

This newsletter is going to be a little different (don’t worry, there are recipes). It’s been nearly a month since I’ve written about food, and even longer since I have felt completely myself. Though it’s much easier to talk about the hot weather, openly discussing mental health is equally universal and even more significant in our contemporary world. Anxiety has been my constant companion, sometimes barging into my life, since I was a youngster. There are times when it has protected me and times when it has gotten the best of me and pushed me to take a hard look at myself. This is one of those times.

Attempting to do ALL the things this year (and ignoring my own needs) brought life to a grinding halt for me this summer.

Life bestows an unpredictable mix of trials and gifts upon us. Fortune has given me incredibly supportive family and friends who have helped save me from myself at each impasse. Perfectionism and fear (two names for the same thing) often drive us to stretch beyond zones of comfort and at times stretch our inner resources too thin to sustain the pressures of daily life. Being a primary caregiver for an aging grandmother, generating content for a food blog, designing a home renovation, participating in a research grant, and attempting to nurture a long-distance relationship proved too much for this one anxious, overactive brain.

Though writing about food felt impossible a few weeks ago, I have recently found solace and strength in it - along with losing myself in preparing dinner each night.

Anxiety has pushed me to spend more time with my family, where I found myself cooking for them daily. I’ve found that the sensory stimulation and simplicity of preparing food for the ones I love provides purpose and relief from my anxious head while pulling me into the present moment. In the height of summer, a simple recipe (like the ones I’m sharing here) can make the heat (and the anxiety) more bearable.

Weeknight Sausage & Fennel Pasta

Hearty and light, the combination of sausage and sunny aromatics like fennel and peppers can supply a satisfying summer supper without turning your kitchen into a sauna.

When no one wants to decide what to eat - or stand in a hot kitchen for more than a few minutes - this recipe can save your sanity. Peppers and fennel brighten hefty pork sausage, while a little pasta and some wilted greens take them to the finish line.

Quinoa with Feta, Olives, and Tomatoes

When the heat index hits 115º F, salads and cold foods are all I want.

Having something cold for dinner doesn’t sound very appealing, unless maybe you’re having ice cream - in which case you don’t need any recipes, just spoons. Despite this, I wholeheartedly endorse any kind of grain served cold with delicious vegetables and a homemade vinaigrette for lunch, snacks, or as a meal with a piece of grilled fish or all by itself! This recipe is very flexible - feel free to use other grains like farrow or barley (or even orzo), and experiment with vegetables and flavor profiles.

Mental Health

Some mental health resources I have found indispensable when things get hard:

DARE: A New Way to End Anxiety Fast (app, book, and research by Barry McDonagh)
Better Help (an affordable online platform for finding and working with a professional therapist)
The Five Things We Cannot Change, David Richo, PhD
How to Be An Adult, David Richo, PhD
Mental Health First Aid (a comprehensive list of resources in the US)
We Can Do Hard Things (an incredible podcast by the inimitable Glennon Doyle)

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