Food For Thought: Winter, Week 6
For our sixth writing prompt, we consider the benefits of having to make do with less.
In week six of our winter prompts, we write about the pleasure and power of simplicity.
It’s no secret that the key to making the most delectable food often lies in the careful selection of the freshest ingredients. Some of the best meals I’ve ever eaten were extremely basic, but the quality of what went into them made them outshine even the fanciest of meals I’ve had.
I’m currently at an artist residency at the Mendocino Arts Center working on my next book (spoiler alert—its about eating alone). The cliffside walks and ocean scenery are incomparable. The accommodations—specifically the kitchen in my little studio—are a bit wanting. A tiny electric coil stove (which I’ve never liked or quite learned how to cook on). A mini fridge that looks to be from the 70s, and one tiny pot with an ill fitting lid. Not exactly the gourmand kitchen of my dreams.
I was feeling grumpy about this setup and complaining to a friend on the phone.
“Maybe this is a good thing,” she suggested, “See what kind of easy, simple meals you can make, so you can just focus on the writing. Forget cooking anything elaborate. No procrastinating by making complicated dinners. Free yourself up for the work at hand. What’s the most nourishment you can get in the most low-key way? ”
I liked her challenge. Although cooking and eating are such a big part of my daily life, maybe this residency was an opportunity to take a different approach. Luckily, I’m in California, a state synonymous with fresh produce, in a region with incredible seafood (which this desert girl loves), and a five minute walk from the charming Corners of the Mouth coop grocery store, packed with local bread and cheese, even if I can’t find eggs anywhere (thanks bird flu).
My friend’s advice reminded me that some of the best meals I’ve ever had were cooked in quite rudimentary conditions. One of my favorite food experiences was the week I spent in a remote mountain village in Borneo, where we went out into the rainforest and fields every morning to get the ingredients for our daily meals. It was rice harvesting season, and I helped thresh the rice we later ate for dinner.
So I will embody that spirit of simplicity as I walk the oceanside cliffs, eating blackberries and nasturtium leaves, staring at the sea, and finishing my book proposal. With the right lemons, even my morning glass of water can become a celebration.
Here is this week’s writing prompt.
Try to find a quiet place where you can focus for 20 minutes. The point of this exercise is to write freely, without judgement, and see what comes out of your brain. You can answer each prompt question or start with the one that is most interesting and see where it takes you. Follow your mind, be present with the emotions coming up, and have fun. See if you can keep writing for the full 15 minutes. It might sound like an intimidating amount of time, but I promise it will end up flying by. Just keep going!
What’s your go-to lazy meal?
Recall a time when you had to cook simply but the results were spectacular.
What are your favorite fresh ingredients to use?
What kind of meal feels the most nourishing to you and why? What foods give you the power to really focus on other tasks in your life?
Write for fifteen minutes. If you had some good insights or surprises from this writing exercise, share them in the comments below!
Do you want to dive deeper with your food writing? Signing up for my 21 Day Food Writing Journey, which launches this Saturday January 11.
As a special thank you for early sign-ups, use code Foodie15 at check-out for 15% off the list price. Only a few more days left to get on the list!
This self-directed course includes twenty-one days of writing prompts and exercises, delivered to your Inbox every morning. It will help you check in with yourself, process your emotions, and dream into your food future—all in less than 20 minutes a day. You may even find that by the end of the course, you will have completely transformed your relationship with food and found new sources of nourishment.
Lots of love,
Gina Rae
Thanks for reading Feed Me Figs! If you loved this post, please share it.