Debra Borden

Crazy weather in the northeast, 50’s and 60’s on the heels of record lows and here on a Sunday in February I find myself missing the cold. Am I the only one who actually likes a good blizzard? The more record-setting the better?

For so many reasons but cooking foremost among them, a blizzard is my Powerball win.

(Sure, its minus a billion or two but who needs money when you can whip up a smoky Turkey chili and 3 loaves of blueberry/banana bread?) What, you’re not buying it? I can’t hear you. Must be the 60 mph gale force winds outside my window.

Binge was the word for my blizzard of 2016. Binge watching food shows, (Ina, Guy, that Pioneer woman and did I mention Ina?), Binge cooking (see above and add a poor attempt at a diet matzo brei–non-jewish friends please google matzoh, eggs, and vanilla OR how to go through 4 dozen eggs in one week each spring), and of course, Binge eating.

Its no secret that ‘hunkering down’ lends itself to gluttony. Or maybe I should say gluteny? Yeah, that’s a little food humor guys. Okay, very little.

As someone who tries to maintain her body weight as she ages (think Icarus) I rarely do the white carb thing, but just give me a good snowstorm and suddenly its buttered bagels and twice baked potatoes and mac and cheese. Thank goodness I don’t live in Montana. But there is a direct evolutionary correlation I believe to cold weather and carb loading; it’s practically out of our control so we might as well indulge. See, if I play the evolution card I get to sound scientific (I am a therapist after all!) and you get to lose the guilt! Brilliant.

So next time you’re feeling mid-winter or any other winter blues, try what I did this year: prepare with a proper baguette, a perfect chocolate chili recipe, and mini dessert loaves (they’re mini so not so bad right?). If you don’t feel better write to me; chances are you were sneaky and tried to sub in some healthy almond flour, or leave out the toppings on the chili. Come on folks, it’s a blizzard and as everyone knows a blizzard requires shredded cheese and sour cream.

Sometimes the Sous Therapist knows what everyone else knows: Comfort food is comforting. Yeah, I went to school for that. As i say in my new book, Cook Your Marriage Happy, the first in my Cook Yourself Happy series, Happy cooking and cocooning, my prescription follows.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chili-with-chipotle-chocolate

(halve chocolate or to taste)

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/229021/blueberry-banana-bread/