Cooking is therapy and, fattening or not, it's effective.
It worked for Julie Powell, who set out to whip up every recipe in legendary chef Julia Child's cookbook when she felt stymied by her own problems. The blog and book that resulted, "Julie & Julia," are portrayed in a new film starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Just why cooking is so soothing may be because it encourages creativity.
"Cooking is a great destresser because it serves as a creative outlet," says Debbie Mandel, author of "Addicted to Stress." "And while stress can numb your senses, cooking activates them. It's a sensory experience with aroma, taste, touch, visual delight and even sizzling sound." Psychiatrist Carole Lieberman says cooking makes people feel good because it's a way for them to nurture others.
"If you're cooking for people you care about, you get nurtured by their appreciation," she says. "Cooking is like giving birth because you are mixing things together to create something new and wonderful."
For Brigita Jones of Carroll Gardens, cooking offers a way to feel better about life because it offers immediate gratification.
"For the most part, it's very manual," she says. "What I like about it is that it's honest work."
Jones, who has a corporate day job, liked cooking so much that she not only joined a monthly supper club, but took a part-time job working in the Chocolate Room in Cobble Hill. Now she looks forward to each delicious shift. Making desserts clears her mind and makes her feel like she's more in touch with reality."
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