A whole book talking about baking as therapy! From a therapist and a baker! This is so up my alley. I bake for sanity, I make food for people as a love language. If I can’t bake I get antsy.
I think this is a mostly excellent book. Hazen connects recipes to aspects of mental health that he wants you to keep in mind. He may focus on the sensory aspects of baking (aroma, feel, sound), or the necessary lessons of patience. He also uses recipes to encourage adventure and flexibility. He shares lessons and thoughts along the way. Some worked better for me than others, but I particularly appreciated his preamble to the peach galette:
So when you fold the crust over the spiced peaches, be forgiving with yourself. No matter how this tart turns out in the end, it will turn out the way it was supposed to.
This was a hard lesson that I had to learn, letting go of perfection. Baking started to teach me that lesson, and I often need reminders. And I have often suggested the galette as way to ease in to pastry. It’s very hard to screw up a galette.
I loved that the first recipe called for cake mix and instant pudding mix, and the second recipe was for a microwave mug cake. He doesn’t use many mixes after that, but I appreciate that he starts out that way. There’s also a whole chapter on stressless baking. And, of course, I tried some of his recipes. I did try his famous challah recipe. I’ve tried a lot of challah recipes, but I always go back to Mollie Katzen’s recipe. I would say that Hazan’s recipe is as good. It made a beautiful loaf. I also tried the muffin recipe. I made some plain, some with a dollop of lemon curd, and some with a mix of chocolate chips. The base batter was a little sweeter than I like, but I know I’m an outlier on this issue. Otherwise the crumb was tender.
I wish Hazan was better about a couple of things, To be fair, they are places where most people need to do better – stop insisting the kitchen must be organized and uncluttered, and stop putting food on a “healthy” ranking. Both of these things are subjective, and they are unnecessary barriers to baking. Organized and uncluttered compared to what? Healthier compared to what? I have made large 3 tier wedding cakes in tiny cluttered kitchens. I have seen soufflé made in the embers of a campfire out in the woods. It is ok if your kitchen is messy. I absolutely disagree that a cluttered kitchen equals a cluttered mind, and frankly, even if it does, that’s not a barrier to baking. Bodies are different, so the healthiness of various foods is not universal. I would love to see a whole lot less judgement in the food conversation.
If you want to bake – do it! Do not let the imperfections of space, ingredients, or equipment stop you from baking. Baking is about transmuting individual ingredients into a whole different thing with effort and time. People have been doing it for centuries in all kinds of conditions. (Someday I’m going to write my own cookbook called The Grumpy Baker Wants You to Know You Are Fine as You Are, Now Eat a Damn Cookie.)
I generally think Hazan is on the right track with this book and it could be of value to people looking for ways to engage in self care and community care.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Chronicle Books and Net Galley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.