Uncertainty is difficult for us human beings. It jiggles at our foundation and worries our gut. We want reliability, to know what's around the next corner. We want to be prepared. We want to know what we're supposed to do and that we're going to be OK.
When I'm uncertain, I get myself into the kitchen and I bake, mostly because I find some comfort in it. And while baking isn't at all exempt from the whims of uncertainty, there are a few favorite recipes I can make without too much fuss and bother. Old reliables that are forgiving, that I can slip into like a well-worn groove.
The very act of making a pie -- chopping fruit, measuring flour, rolling out dough -- is soothing and takes some of the sharpness away from feeling anxious. I may not know if everything is going to be OK, but I'm fairly certain that my favorite cherry pie recipe will turn out. After all, I've made this dozens of times before.
Baking also keeps me busy. It's just enough activity to engage my mind but not so complex that it becomes another thing to get anxious about. And there's something reassuring in the accomplishment of it. A human life is full of great uncertainty. So after an afternoon in the kitchen, the fact that I can step back and gaze upon the sureness of cherry pie is an important part of feeling strong and keeping the peace. It may be a small comfort but I'll take it. Sometimes, its the only thing that will get me through.
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(Image: Dana Velden)
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I felt this way yesterday when I made the zucchini brownies posted earlier this week. I also made pizza the day before, blueberry butter that I canned, and now pickles. Busy hands, quieter mind.
Sometimes "getting away" isn't a bad thing. Our minds need a break from whatever it is so that it can rest and face it with a renewed outlook.
Cooking is my favorite way to get away, unless I am angry; then I start scrubbing.
Cherry pie used to make my teeth ache when I was a kid so I stayed away from it until last year when I was urged to try my friends homemade tart cherry pie. I feel madly in love and can't stop thinking about the next cherry pie I will devour. anyone ever used Royal Anne cherries and how is that for taste and texture? I have a plethora of RA cherries and want to pie them and possibly freeze them.
Rhubarbhead: My mom has always used Royal Anne cherries exclusively for pies. She buys a bunch of 'em when they're in season and pits and freezes them, and it seems to work just fine so long as they don't get icy.
I agree - regular Bing cherries are so cloyingly sweet in pies.
Dana, I feel exactly the same way. Making a pie is the best way to be in the present moment.
I have degenerative illness, and adrenaline (fight or flight) can flow through my body with simple things as a ringing phone, or loud sound. If I can't relax my body in about an hour, I usually bake to calm down, sometimes it exhausts me, but usually being able to eat the end result later on is well worth the effort.
As for cherry pies, I only like tart, and I use a combo of Oregon Fruit Company's canned tart, and Trader Joe's jarred Morello cherries.
I think baking in general is very meditative for me. Working with your hands to actively create something has always appealed to me. I made a sweet cherry pie with some of the last cherries of the season and it turned out great. Cherries that barely needed any sugar added to the filling made for a great combination of fruit and buttery tender crust.