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Out of context: Reply #75363
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- DaveO3
I start off every year with a two week intense calorie deficit diet, really REALLY reduced intake, no sugar / alcohol / processed food. It's brutal, but resets the metabolism and removes the additional holiday 'cuddliness'. I've been doing it for the last 10 years, and its always got me back in shape, and cleared my head & focus for the year ahead.
Its super hard to do it later in the year when I'm traveling for shoots etc, so i actually look forward to the first two weeks of January for this reason, hibernating and watching movies and basically not really eating. Bizarre pleasure and likely unhealthy, but its worked so far.
It also made me realize how much enjoyment I get out of food & drink. Most weekends are built around cooking great food, opening nice wine and making nice coffee – generally using that as an alternate creative outlet other than work.
This then brought me to another realisation that cooking and entertaining is my creative outlet outside work. I feel like I need to save my creative 'work' brain for my day job / earning money, so any side art projects, kids birthday invites or additional pursuits are not valuable unless I'm getting paid. It sounds callous but when i think of mates who are chefs, when they get home they're not whipping up a super fancy meal, they're being functional and efficient.
And it's only day 2.
- Are you saying that you're not going to be creative in the kitchen any longer? What's nice about cooking well is you experience your creativity immediately...canoe
- ...and then it's over with. No baggage. And the learning curve is super long so it's not something you master straight away. I appreciate that.canoe
- Favorite recipe that's intensive but automatic? Serious comfort food?garbage
- @Canoe – i meant that outside work, any creative tasks connected to design / image making etc, I don't like to engage in, saving the energy for the day jobDaveO
- @Canoe – the reasons you listed are exactly why i love cooking and hospitality! I worked as a bartender for a few years and love to make drinks for peopleDaveO
- @garbage I've been making this serious duck ragu from the Robertas cookbook, takes ages, gone in seconds, fucking glorious with a BaroloDaveO
- I think I found it, the pappardelle duck ragu?garbage
- @garbage – YES!DaveO
- Putting it in the file, will post when I ever get the guts to make it. Do you really use all the wine it calls for? Any suggested tweaks?garbage
- Don't bother with the fresh pasta, its better if you use dried penne and toss it so its consistent. Chilli flakes are great but also worth having to top wiithDaveO
- This will be interesting.garbage