Why I Bake, Chapter 2: Cheaper Than Therapy


A good therapist can run you about $100 an hour, while a bag of chocolate chips, some flour, sugar, butter, and eggs will cost about $7, and at the end of 60 minutes you'll have delicious chocolate chip cookies...

...If that's not a reason to get in the kitchen when you're stressed/angry/depressed/frustrated, I don't know what is.

I remember that I first started baking as a means to relaxation while I was in grad school. Mixing together cookies and brownies was a good way to take a break from paper writing, allow some thoughts to distill and sort themselves out, and, when everything was out of the oven, a little sugar boost was very helpful in pushing through those last few hours of a late night. In law school, baking kept me sane--anchoring me to a former (better?) self that wasn't obsessed with tort cases, legal writing, and journal notes. There's something comforting in the process of mixing disparate ingredients into a cohesive, delicious dough--you may not be able to remember the "Mailbox" rule in contracts, but the recipe on the back of the Toll House Chocolate Chip bag will never fail you.

Now, I've found that if I go too long without being in the kitchen, I get a little antsy. Baking (and canning and cooking as well), is so completely removed from my day job, that it's pretty easy to slip into a calmer frame of mind while I contemplate what I can make for dinner/a friend's birthday/dessert with the ingredients in my cupboard and fridge. Besides, how can you feel bad when there's a slice of warm tart tatin and a glass of wine waiting for your attention by the couch? ...Thanks doc, I feel much better now.

The Wonders of Tart Tatin on the Bitten Blog at The New York Times


Comments

Unknown said…
So true! The problem with stress baking is that you end up stress eating, too. Hence my ballooning weight during law school!
October 6, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Ethan said…
I disagree! The recipe on the back of Toll House is bullshit!
But other than that, I agree. Good post.
October 8, 2009 at 7:23 PM
The Ham Sandwich said…
@Ethan: While I can't say I agree with your assessment of the Toll House recipe, I can say that I actually have found two recipes that are even better. One is from Cook's Illustrated, and I can't post it because they are super intense about their copyrights, the other is from Bon Appetit, which I can't find online, but will post at some point in the future.
October 13, 2009 at 9:53 AM
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