Has 2020 Killed Your Appetite?

If you are reading this, congratulations: Not only are you a subscriber to my newsletter (you lucky thing), but you've made it to the finish line of 2020 with your reading and comprehension skills intact, which is no small feat. 

Joking aside, there is no one I know who hasn't faced loneliness, economic insecurity, health concerns, and/or existential ennui this year.  And if you didn't have a challenging 2020, I probably don't want to know you.  

Besides Covid, a civil rights movement, and a traumatic election, 2020 brought a lot of change to my own life; some good, some bad, all inevitable. There have been days where it felt like everything pointed uphill, when deciding what to eat, let alone what to post to my social media feeds, felt like a chore.  When the world is hurting, it's hard to convince yourself that sauce can make a difference.  

For the last month I have been ending my emails with "Hope you and yours have a safe and festive holiday", when what I wanted to write was, "I sincerely hope we all get through this winter with our health and sanity."  

As a foodpreneur and creative, it's my motive to convince you that every meal is an opportunity to eat something of super special provenance, or something totally indulgent, or the most delicious thing possible for the most special moment.  The truth is, in 2020 I've eaten a lot of plain white rice for dinner (often with a squeeze of Bobbie's).  If dinner is a bowl of popcorn, or cereal, so be it.  It doesn't always need to be a production.  Sometimes food is just something you have to put in your mouth every 5 hours. 

But then there comes that blessed moment when your senses awaken, when the caramelization and chew of a roasted potato strums a chord in your heart, and the idea of preparing a meal feels like self-care again.  Boat Sauce comes in handy when the best you can do is boxed macaroni and cheese, and then again when you're ready for a nice piece of slow-roasted salmon (and a brown-buttter-Boat-Sauce glaze) with brussels sprouts (braised with pancetta and Boat Sauce), and some of those roasted potatoes (with a side of Boat Sauce).  

I sincerely hope we all get through this winter with our health and sanity, 

Bobbie