My Personal Sanctuary? The Kitchen

Food has a special ability to help us connect with what we love—whether we're sharing a meal at the same table or calling in from afar. That's why we've partnered with Zwilling—who's been helping you connect with what you love since 1731—to share our best ways to make the most of a month of cooking at home.

Together, we hope to keep you inspired to cook and share with us, which is why Zwilling is giving away one Zwilling Pro knife set to a member of our community. To qualify, simply cook and upload a photo of any Zwilling recipe featured in this article series and include the hashtags #stayhomekeepcooking and #foodconnects to enter until May 28, 2020. We're looking forward to this month of cooking at home with you!

When nothing seems to be going right thanks to a racing mind, overwhelming stress, or an ever lengthening to-do list, nothing brings me back down to earth—to my inner peace—as much as a few undisturbed hours in my little kitchen. Armed with one or two recipes on my agenda—whether they’re new ones I’ve always wanted to try or recipes that I enjoy eating again and again—I relieve myself of the pressure of the outside world.

My kitchen might not be ideal—but it doesn’t mean it can’t be a sanctuary. Sure it shares some space with the bathroom, a shower cubicle stands in the corner unsuccessfully covered by towels, the sink is both used for washing dishes and brushing teeth. In it, however, sits my sunny yellow dutch oven, which I use to bake breads and cook stews, my grandmother’s green liqueur glasses, my other grandmother’s big white porcelain bowl, and many other beloved kitchen utensils which make me quite satisfied—not least because they’re always found exactly where I left them. This kitchen is truly mine, and it’s here where I feel the most comfortable and calm, perhaps now more than ever. And in these uncertain times, I’ve noticed that this seems to be a recurring theme and feeling the world over.

Why are people turning so intensively to their kitchens now? Maybe it’s because we have to, for whatever of the many reasons, or maybe it’s also because we have a stash of dried goods that just have to be used up somehow. Maybe it’s because we just want to break up the day with something heartwarming, comforting, and soul satisfying.

Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that kneading dough, chopping vegetables, seasoning sauces, and serving up a hot plate of pasta takes us out of our heads and puts us into action—focused on what’s happening in that very moment. We all have one thing in common, after all: We all need to eat. Even if the world outside our doorsteps is uncontrollable and unwary, we can at least create our own, our little kitchen sanctuary.

We’re turning to the following recipes to help us to focus on the here and now. Which one will you make first? We look forward to your answer in the comments!