I have purchased many many cookbooks over the last two years and I’ve realized something about my latest obsession... Well, the obsession isn’t new, but it’s grown, and I’ve definitely fed my love for cookbooks A LOT this last tragic year. It’s no coincidence that it’s happening in this time and space - new baby, new house…pandemic.
The pandemic took away our opportunities for connection, for spontaneity, for chance encounters and (live) shared experiences. I’ve realized that cookbooks are a time capsule, a window into the heart and soul of some amazing women that I admire. They let us into their kitchen, the heart of the home, and take us on this journey through the staples and comforts of their own lives. This year, with a new baby at home, I need connection more now than before, and the pandemic took those opportunities away. As a new mom I would have loved to get together with girlfriends and other moms to share stories and get advice. However, Instagram allowed me to connect with a lot of other women from different periods in my life who were in similar situations- raising their first babies in the middle of a global pandemic. Similarly, I feel reading through these cookbooks has created space for me to take a time out with a cup of coffee and disappear into recipes passed down through generations, stories of meals shared with friends, and guide books on how to nurture our bodies with locally sourced and nutrient rich foods.
Needless to say I’m looking forward to the days where I can sit around a table with friends and family and share a meal full of laughs, pass around recipes, and devour food and conversation that fills the soul.
