First of all, let’s toss out the concept of being a “good” cook, and replace it with the idea of becoming a better cook. Better cooking is a lifelong journey. It’s made up of single steps, with plenty of whoopsies and notes-for-next-time along the way. Every step gets you a bit closer to cracking the codes that unlock the confidence to feel freedom and joy in the kitchen.
Forget about cooking for someone else’s tastes or expectations. I’ve tried doing that in the past, and would strongly not recommend. Why? Because fear lives here, and the paralysis of choice. Oh, and doubt, of course, about what it is you should be doing, and whether you’re good enough.
The joy of better cooking, is that you can stop second-guessing yourself. You can look into the fridge/freezer/pantry and instantly start to see ideas and inspiration before you, rather than feeling overwhelmed or at a loss. Relax into the rhythm, release any expectations of perfection or outcome. Go with the flow, take a breath, and remind yourself: I’ve got this.
Pumpkin wedge mujadara
SERVES 4-6
“My babushka Raya and I didn’t always see eye to eye,” says Alice Zaslavsky. “She’d say, ‘Your room should be like a candy,’ when it more resembled a wasteland of discarded wrappers, but one thing we both loved was thrifting. In my teens, I’d walk
