Calming Recipes for A Swirling World
Slicing onions for soup and mental health
If you are anything like me, even just a little bit, then the outside world is making you feel like digging a hole in the ground, right where you stand, and moving into it until the proverbial skies are sunnier. There’s stressful stuff out there, for sure: wars and politics and bad behavior, by the people who are supposed to be keeping us steady. And then there’s the little things, the stuff that’s happening in our own lives, the little bits of stress, things that are knocking at our doors, threatening to blow our houses down. These include work, sickness, finances and certain relationships. At an even smaller level, there is still more stress: being late for appointments, important phone calls missed and angry drivers. It’s a lot, for any human.
If even just reading this makes you feel anxious, makes your stomach knot and your scalp tighten up, I have something for you. It’s advice for what to do to calm even the most restless mind. It’s cheaper than a day at a spa, involves no drugs and really, just about anyone can do it. It’s a recipe for mental health, for steadiness, for joy, even. The recipe can be infinitely adjusted and requires but a few staple ingredients. Follow closely and fine-tune it, according to your own needs.
Black Bean Tostadas
Start in a quiet kitchen. Music is nice, but for now, silence is even better. Add in mood light. You can turn them up later but to start, low lights are what the recipe calls for. Candlelight is a bonus, for sure. That flickering light is a symbol, a reminder that for this event, thoughts are small and singular.
Pull out a cutting board and a good, sharp knife. A dull knife can plunge me back to the depths of stress and near-despair, so please, sharpen that knife.
Next, dig through the fridge and the crisper with a particular recipe in mind, one that’s homey and flavorful and crowd-pleasing. Find an onion, because homey and flavorful recipes always start with an onion. With deep breaths and a steady hand, start slicing. At this point in the process, just like the onion itself, layers of the outside world: the worry, the uncertainty, the madness itself, will fall away. My thoughts instead turn to my people, the people I’m cutting onions for. It’s true that those very people are occasionally the source of stress and worry (I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t admit that) but in this story, they are coming home to our peaceful, hushed kitchen and for that, I chop and my thoughts are still.
Here follows a few recipes made recently for my husband (the one who most makes me forget the tsunami of world news and events), and my children. Creating them, sharing them, eating it all together, creates a world of calm for me.
Kimchi Fried Rice
The recipe for kimchi fried rice is one of my favorite meals. It’s deeply savory, can be spicy or mild, depending on your tastes, and with a small amount of prep, is easy to make. I’m always fond of food that is made better with a sunny fried egg on top, and the egg here should not be overlooked. Kimchi is fermented vegetables (most commonly made with cabbage) and is an essential ingredient in Korean food. Use kimchi that’s mild or spicy, combined with white rice and green onions, sliced and scattered over the top. This is a classic Korean dish that's traditionally made with short-grain rice, but use whatever you have, because any rice will be good here, especially if it’s day-old. The finished bowl is topped with both sesame seeds for nutty flavor and strips of nori (the sheets that hold sushi rolls together), which adds saltiness and depth of flavor. They are easily found in the Asian section of the grocery. Kimchi is best from the Asian market, but you can also find a decent product near the tofu in the produce department of most supermarkets.
Tostadas are a Mexican and Guatemalan dish, made to use up leftover tortillas. They are a crowd pleaser and a great way to use up meat, vegetables or anything else that’s hanging around in your fridge. This dish starts with a crisp whole corn tortilla, traditionally fried, but I bake them with just-fine results. Onto that blank slate I have added doctored-up canned beans, but feel free to change that to make your own people happy. Crisped chorizo would be nice. A bonus, especially in our house, is that everyone makes their own and so widely varying tastes are all served. Put out a smorgasbord of toppings: pickled jalapenos, grated cheese, avocados, hot sauce and something smooth and creamy to top it off.
Lastly, I’ve included a recipe for a special kind of pancake, called a Johnny Cake. They resemble a pancake but are different in that some (or all) of the wheat flour is replaced with cornmeal. The corn makes the cakes have a different texture: they are a bit crumbly and have more tooth. The corn makes the flavor sweeter and I think, a better companion to honey and butter. You may have seen these called hoecakes or journey cakes. Their origins are deep and complex, and some say they originated from Native American peoples, who made what’s called Shawnee cakes. Those were adapted and adopted and are an important part of food cultures all along the Atlantic Coast, from New England through the Caribbean. Johnny cakes are easy to make, with common ingredients. My youngest son Elliot is home for spring break and is a lover of pancakes (and like a typical college student, anything homemade.) So late one night, I made him a batch of Johnny cakes, piled them high and topped it all with a quick mixture of honey and butter, then a tumble of fresh raspberries. There isn’t any soul-calming onion chopping that goes into the prep here, but the sizzle of batter in a hot cast iron skillet and the appreciation and love that came from my youngest child was therapy, indeed.
One last piece of advice for you, a final note on the recipe for calm in a crazy world: it’s important, though I know it’s hard, to not stew about any terrible things while in the zen kitchen. That bit of news you heard and the aggressive driver on your ride home, the long day of work, every upsetting bit of it, try to not think of it while slicing. And when it’s the kind of stuff that refuses to leave your thoughts (those are the most stressful), let a little bit go with each slice, every stir or whisk and with each plate of food put on a table. By the time the last morsel of food is eaten and the dishes are done and the kitchen is once again quiet, the outside world will be far, far away.
Cornmeal Pancakes, called Johnny Cakes
Kimchi Fried Rice
Serves 2
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 cup kimchi, chopped, including juices
2 cups cooked white rice (see note)
Sesame oil
2 eggs
1 small bunch green onions, trimmed and sliced on the bias
Toasted sesame seeds
Slivered nori
In a large wok set over a medium flame (or the biggest frying pan you have), heat the peanut oil. Add the kimchi and cook, stirring, until it's hot throughout. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until all of the grains are well coated and the edges are a little browned. Turn off the heat.
In a small skillet, heat a few tablespoons of sesame oil over a medium flame. When the oil is hot, crack the eggs in and cook until the whites are firm and the edges are crisp.
Divide the rice between two plates and top each with a fried egg, a handful of chopped green onion, a scattering of sesame seeds and a few slivers of nori. Serve hot.
Black Bean Tostadas
Serves 4
8 corn tortillas
Olive oil
½ red onion
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-28 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 cup water
For topping the tostadas: grated cheese, avocado, pickled jalapeno, sour cream, cilantro, pepitas, shredded lettuce
Preheat the oven to 350°. Brush both sides of the tortillas lightly with the olive oil and set on a baking tray without overlapping. Bake for 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
In a medium sized pot set over a medium-low flame, heat a swirl of olive oil. Add the onion and cook until it’s soft and transparent, stirring. Season with the cumin and salt and cook for another minute. Add the beans, oregano and water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for a few minutes more, until slightly reduced and soupy. Mash a few of the beans.
To assemble, place a tortilla on a plate, top with a scoop of beans, then add the toppings of choice. Serve immediately.
Johnny Cakes with Honey Butter
Makes about 10
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 egg
Oil for frying (see note)
For the honey butter: 8 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons honey, a few pinches sea salt
Raspberries, for serving
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder. Pour in the milk and add the egg, then whisk until the batter is mostly smooth. A few lumps are okay. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes.
Make the honey butter: stir together the melted butter, honey and salt in a small bowl. Use an immersion blender to completely emulsify, if you have one. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Place a large skillet over a medium flame and add a few tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, ladle the batter into the skillet, about ¼ cup for each cake. Cook until there are bubbles rising on the surface and the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook for another minute.
Keep the Johnny Cakes warm in a 200° oven until they’re all done, or serve them up as they come off the pan, with the honey butter and the berries.
Note: I used safflower oil to fry the Johnny Cakes. You can use vegetable, canola or any high heat oil.
