In her new book, Leanne Brown observes that “for many people, cooking feels like an assignment from your least favorite class, which you undertake while dreading the C-minus you are sure to receive.”
She knows that feeling well.
“Most of my meals are unremarkable,” she confesses. “I write cookbooks and I am an excellent home cook — yet I still struggle to feed myself every day. I almost never meal-plan. My fridge is usually disorganized. There are always at least two containers of rotting leftovers in there at a time.”
It’s rare, and refreshing, to come across such a candid admission by a cookbook author who has built a career preaching the joys of home cooking. Brown’s previous book, “Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day” became a New York Times bestseller. Yet after its launch, she fell into a deep depression. Fear of failing to meet her own high standards — in and out of the kitchen — had always been a struggle. A difficult pregnancy, followed by the challenges of new motherhood, took those feelings of inadequacy to a new low.
Years of therapy and introspection eventually helped her make peace with those inner critics and learn to love cooking again. She shares the stories, strategies and recipes that got her there in “Good Enough. A Cookbook: Embracing the Joys of Imperfection and Practicing Self-Care in the Kitchen” (Workman, $19.95).
There are chapters for getting through the day (Preparation, Morning, Midday, Weeknights) and through life (When You’re Struggling, Fun, Good for You, and Good for Others). Within each are recipes, essays and tips to help you relax, such as a “calm cooking” checklist.
Among her high-flavor, low-stress recipes: Baklava Granola, two-ingredient Pesto Corn, Shrimp Scramble with Rice that “comes together as quickly as a grilled cheese sandwich,” and Sticky Toffee Cookies that give her “a little dose of childhood wonder.”
Whatever you decide to cook, Brown has this advice: “Lead with curiosity and compassion for yourself, and pleasure and ease await you in the kitchen.”
Susan Puckett is a cookbook author and former food editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow her at susanpuckett.com.
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