Let food be your holiday connection

Baker County Tourism

2020 has been a year like none other – but you don’t need me to tell you that. So many have suffered immeasurable losses and so many continue to face loneliness. After all the restrictions imposed by Covid, we’re now looking at a very atypical way of celebrating the holidays.

But celebrate we should. And what better way to celebrate than with food?

Food can evoke so much in so many distinctive ways. The aromas and/or taste of certain dishes, for example, can take you back decades and bring up vivid memories of days long gone or simply remind you of recent pleasures.

But during this time of isolation, while special meals bring family together, food can still be your connection to family and friends – just in a very different way than usual.

Here are some ways you can celebrate with loved ones over the holidays and even well past while we endure the last stages of this pandemic. But also consider the role food can play in self-care.

• Even if it’s not “your” holiday dish, you don’t have to go without beloved favourites this year. Reach out to relatives or friends and ask for the recipe. Then maybe prepare those dishes and drop some of it off for them. You could also possibly enjoy it while on Zoom or Facetime with them.

• While it may not be the same as chatting together in one kitchen while you prepare a festive meal, why not do a Zoom cook-along? Whether it’s preparing a holiday meal or a distant bakeathon, the joy of communal cooking doesn’t have to be off the table this year.

Cooking alone can also offer some pleasure. If you have time off or are working on a reduced schedule or simply have not much to do, why not spend a little extra time preparing something special for yourself. Make it something that connects you to others. Or if you are eating alone, why not switch it up and relax? Sit at the table and put on some music or watch a favourite movie. The point is to think about what may bring you some pleasure.

While Covid has taken so much over the past 9 months, don’t let it steal the comfort that food can bring, especially over the holidays.

Wishing you happy holidays. Take care and be safe.