Some Thoughts About Food & Some Things I Cooked & Ate in Fall & Winter

Many Apples, Anxiety-Management, Cozy Vibes

German apple cake filling from Raph’s garden apples :)

This kind of turned into a seasonal tradition: sharing a few things I cooked and ate that are usually fairly simple, always tasty (I guess my opinion is the one that counts if I’m the one eating it?), and very nourishing for both body and mind.

*If you feel called to nourish others: World Central Kitchen is feeding people in need in LA, Gaza, Ukraine, Haiti, and more; Farmer’s Footprint supports regenerative agriculture.

I am no chef, but I’ve loved experimenting in the kitchen since my 20s, when my foodie roommates inspired me to cook more instead of microwaving a frozen veggie burger and slapping it on a piece of whole wheat toast with lettuce and organic ketchup (no shade to my 25-year old self — she did what she knew at the time!).

It’s fun to try new things, but I’m also a creature of habit and appreciate meals or solutions that don’t require a lot of fuss — like cooking things on one pan or in one pot.

So I often keep it really simple:

• I steam sweet potato and eat it with a boiled egg for literally any meal.

• Lunch is often bread and cheese, boiled eggs or a veggie omelette, and salad.

• Lentils and quinoa or rice and veg happen frequently.

• Divya’s Ayurvedic kitchari packs are don’t-feel-like-cooking pantry staples.

My curated Amazon storefront has a variety of ecologically-friendly ingredients and kitchen supplies (I receive a small commission).

Homemade fettuccini with homemade pistachio pesto. Perfect holiday comfort.

My relationship with food wasn’t always this lax, though. I’ve cycled through various anxious, orthorexic behaviors — an unfortunate story many can relate to.

I’ve also been on a bit of a digestive issue struggle bus, which I’ve learned to [mostly] manage through anxiety-relief and somatic techniques, Ayurveda, and other natural remedies. So what I eat is often based on how I feel physically, and simplicity can sometimes help in this case.

If I’ve learned anything, I suppose it’s that:

• Our physical and emotional needs and desires around food are personal, and can shift over time. Adjustments can always be made to suit said needs and desires.

• We can maintain our values and still eat intuitively, without toxic behaviors — whether we’re stressing ourselves out by harsh judgements or calorie counting.

• We can eat in ways that support our minds, bodies, and planet, and also enjoy restaurants and dessert. We can adopt more of a French attitude toward food :)

• A global arsenal of health and wellness practices — from indigenous traditions to modern medicine — can help us cultivate balance when things feel off.

• Food reactions are sometimes a result of or amplified by our mindset, our relationship with food, or anxiety in general, not always just the food itself. Consulting both physical and mental health professionals can be useful.

• No one solution or diet is the Dogma, but caring for ourselves, each other, and the Earth still matter — and we can make choices accordingly.

So cooking and eating have been a nuanced journey for me, but despite my past relationship with both, I’ve always loved food (Italian roots 🤌🏻) and have always appreciated how a nourishing, home cooked meal can make a person feel.

Voilà, here are a few things I made and ate that made me squeal with delight and gratitude for Mother Nature’s seasonal offerings — and baked goods — for whoever is in need of ideas and encouragement to try uncomplicated meals at home.

*Cooking can help with anxiety-management, too — it’s kind of like a moving meditation :)

Delicious Fall & Winter Meals & Beverages

So Many Apples:

During a visit to Raph’s hometown in Germany in November, we gathered around 20 buckets of apples, most of which were collected from the ground under their tree 🌳

Apples store well, but we wanted to use some fresh ones before we left, so we made:

• Apple Cakes: One was a crumble-pie-type cake — amazing with fresh whipped cream. The other had walnuts and a splash of rum. Both were sehr lecker 👩🏼‍🍳

• Apple Chips: We made 4 batches — time consuming, but worth it 🍏

• Apple Purée and Apple Jelly: Raph filled about 12 jars total 👍🏻

*European desserts are typically not super sweet, but we still often cut the amount of sugar.

Repeat Eats I Love:

Pumpkin / Squash Soup: Puréed with potato and ginger, served with sourdough 🍲

Steamed and Roasted Goods: Steamed artichoke, roasted sweet potato, and baked salmon, all with olive oil, salt and pepper — all of which I make regularly, either separately or together in some way. Simple and satiating 👏🏻

Sweet Potato and Green Lentil Coconut Curry: A warming go-to meal — usually with dark greens and all of the curry-type spices I have — served with basmati rice and toasted nuts or seeds, or a dollop of yogurt. I modify this recipe 🍠

White Beans x Herbs, Fried Eggs, and Baguette: Made often, served with salad 🥖

Carottes râpées: Classic French salad of shredded carrots with mustard vinaigrette. So easy and can be made ahead to marinate — I have it several times a week 🥕

Other Eats I Loved:

My First Focaccia: With Italian green olives and German rosemary, inspired by my brother’s rosemary loaf — we all used this recipe 🍞
*From the olive loaf, Raph and I made sandwiches with mozzarella, thinly sliced grilled zucchini, sun dried tomatoes, prosciutto, and a bit of lettuce — recommend.

Flammkuchen (spelled like 3 different ways?): I’ve had this before, but this time I was in charge of assembling. It’s basically an Alsatian / German pizza on thin dough with crème fraîche, bacon, and green onion — I added local broccoli 🇩🇪

“American” Fall / Winter Salad: A community center where I teach yoga hosted a holiday potluck for us teachers, where at least 6 savory galettes were served — bless the French. I made what they deemed an “American” salad with roasted sweet potato, quinoa, arugula, toasted walnuts, and mustard vinaigrette — 10/10 reviews 🇫🇷

Homemade Fettuccine x Homemade Pistachio Pesto: Pasta by my mom and brother, pesto by me — I modified this recipe — with roasted broc and pecorino romano 🍝🌱

Sweet-ish:

Matcha Latte: Sunrise matcha is a new favorite self-care ritual when I’m up early 🍵

Single Serve Cashew Milk: I experimented with this for another matcha — tasted great. I made a date ball with the pulp, cinnamon, vanilla, coconut, and dark choc 🥛

Ayurvedic Spiced Buckwheat Cake: The recipe is from Divya Alter’s first cookbook — I used toasted walnuts instead of almonds. It’s easy to make and so scrumptious 🤍

Milk Rice: Raph cooked white basmati rice with milk, sliced apple and pear, coconut oil, vanilla, and cinnamon; topped with toasted cashews. So soothing for breakfast; deluxe for dessert cooked with 1-2 dates instead of fruit 🥣

Dark Choc x Date x Tahini or PB: My perfect post-lunch treat — no notes 🍫

Divya Alter’s Ayurvedic buckwheat cake recipe! 10/10 x10

If you'd benefit from support with cultivating personalized, nourishing dietary choices and enhancing your relationship with food, schedule a free intro call with me.

What’s been nourishing you this season?

Take good care,

S