What do you cook to relax?

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Ever catch an hour to yourself? Ever use it to cook? :rolleyes:

What's your menu item for just plain relaxing?

For me, it's Minestrone Soup.

There's something about chopping vegetables that makes me feel abundant (forget it's just a 49 cent bag of carrots!)

And the smell of leeks, carrots, zucchini and celery sizzling in EVOO makes my insides smile and my kitchen smell heavenly.

By the way, music definitely helps with my cooking.
 
I'm gonna have to say strognanoff because I can smell it throughout that house. And since it's one of my comfort foods, i slow down so I can smell it.
 
BBQ, I don`t care what it is I`m cooking either, I simply cannot have a BBQ and Not be chilled-out at the same time :)
 
if we exclude Outdoor, then in my case it would have to be a good Chili or a Stew, certain soups (esp after Christmas when you get all the family relations to save all the turkey carcas and bones for you), that take a while are quite funky too :)
 
I will have to say a big pot of soup - whether it be Minestrone, chicken, vegetable/beef, etc. I'm with you Lisa, I love the prep work.

I have a chicken pot pie recipe that has some hefty prep work to it and I just know what's going to come out of the oven when its done and get all excited!!!!! I have given some friends the recipe and they can't believe how "hard" that recipe is!
 
Just like you Lisa, chopping vegetables is very relaxing to me no matter what it is I end up making with them.
 
Any simple soup, casserole, or stew. Anything that doesn't take a whole lot of time to prep, tastes good, & fills the house with good "cooking" smells.
 
As much as I love and enjoy cooking, I'd have to say, gathering up all the ingredients I need to make french bread,foccacia, rolls, is what relaxes me completely. Taking a good whack at that dough just the perfect way to get rid of frustrations...Plus, I'm happier after I beat up something and then get to eat the results:LOL:

kadesma
 
Kraft mac and cheese out of a box has always been one of my favorite comfort foods.

As for things that actually involve cooking... I have to say that pasta with sundried tomatoes does it for me most of the time. I love that punch from the sun drieds. A nice juicy steak will do it for me as well.
 
I'm a baker. I find making something that smells like cinnamon or some other lovely scent is what does it for me. I like to do bread too. Mostly though, gotta be some kind of baking. Might have to go with cinnamon buns.
 
Aunt Lisa's Kitchen said:


What's your menu item for just plain relaxing?


For me, it's Minestrone Soup.

There's something about chopping vegetables that makes me feel abundant (forget it's just a 49 cent bag of carrots!)

And the smell of leeks, carrots, zucchini and celery sizzling in EVOO makes my insides smile and my kitchen smell heavenly.

By the way, music definitely helps with my cooking.
Ditto here! When I read the title of your thread, that's the first thing that came to my mind.
I have a comfortable place at the counter where I can sit and chop my goodies, toss them in the soup pot, and stir, all without getting up. I get all the vegetables washed and draining in a colander, gather my mise en place, including the colander, a garbage bowl lined with a plastic store bag for scraps, and paper plates to hold the assorted chopped ingredients until they're ready to go in the pot.
 
Alix said:
I'm a baker. I find making something that smells like cinnamon or some other lovely scent is what does it for me. I like to do bread too. Mostly though, gotta be some kind of baking. Might have to go with cinnamon buns.

I'm with Alix, I bake to relax too. As a matter of fact, I have a Dutch Apple Pie (thanks SierraCook!) in the oven right now. There's just something about the smell of sweet things baking going through the house that makes me all warm & fuzzy feeling.
 
Baking with chocolate. Funny since it contains caffeine but it sure relaxes to bake something delicious, rich and chocolatey.
 
I cook anything that's time consuming. Anything that has quite a few cooking steps and ingredients, really relaxes me. I can solve the worlds probelms when I cook.

I also find myself cooking when i'm upset.
 
kitchenelf said:
I will have to say a big pot of soup - whether it be Minestrone, chicken, vegetable/beef, etc. I'm with you Lisa, I love the prep work.

I have a chicken pot pie recipe that has some hefty prep work to it and I just know what's going to come out of the oven when its done and get all excited!!!!! I have given some friends the recipe and they can't believe how "hard" that recipe is!

Hi ELF,
Have you posted your Chicken Pot Pie anywhere?
I took a stab at it last week and was very pleased with the results. But always looking for a "better mouse trap"!

I'll post it in the proper catergory.

Charlie
 
I usually make bread. I find the kneading very relaxing and therapeutic. The more stress I'm under, the more bread that gets baked at Chez Julia! :mellow:
 
to me doing something enjoyable doesn't equate to relaxing. cooking and baking are enjoyable, or at least potentially so.

if you want to find me relaxing, you'll find me with a book and maybe something to drink and snack on, definitely not in the kitchen.
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pot of soup (lentil, bean , pea) or chili. relaxing because there is no "time sensitive" issues here. (or less hectic/exacting time sensitive issues)

How long do you cook it? Cook it till it's done. How do you know it's done? Cause it don't need no more cooking, moron! Yup, pot o soup or chili...mighty relaxin' and good eats!
 
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