Cooking as a stress reliever

It's nice to know that there's a medical basis for I've always sensed -- cooking is a great stress reducer.

The online version of the AARP Bulletin had a story recently that said cooking actually is closer to an anti-depressant than people realize; cooking triggers beneficial physiological responses in the body.

The Bulletin cited Dr. Bruce Rabin, medical director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Healthy Lifestyle Program.

Rabin says cooking "reduces the concentration of hormones that go up with stress." Cooking forms a feeling of general well-being knowing "we're cooking for others and are optimistic of a good result."

He also notes that the rhythm of a cook and he or she chops and prepares can be a form of meditation.

I started to cook by need at the time of my separation/divorce some 14 years ago. And I've been in the kitchen ever since.

It's always been a way for me to transition from one part of the day to the next -- from day to evening, from work to home, from crazy to not so crazy. I used it as a transition from the craziness of my job. I use it today as a transition from the somewhat less craziness of my semi-retirement.

There is indeed something therapeutic about creating a singular meal from the various parts that are in the refrigerator or pantry or cupboards.

It's a small form of making order from chaos -- I might not be able to do that in the big world, but I can do it in the small world of my kitchen.

It's developed to the point where I know blog at Eats@Home about the recipes I've discovered.

I don't mind the expectation that I put on myself to produce a good meal. High expectations can themselves be a stress inducer, but I just go through the rhythm of what I do and it usually comes out all right.

Of course, nothing is absolute.

I tried a corned beef cabbage recipe for St. Patrick's Day (in honor of wife Jane's Irishness) that tested my patience and ultimately was a stress producer as opposed to a stress reliever.

The dinner that should have been done at 7 p.m. wasn't done ultimately until 8:30 p.m. We had to resort to an emergency meal out of the freezer and we had pizza as our traditional Irish meal.

You can't win 'em all in the kitchen.

But mostly cooking has been a big welcome dose of Prozac for me and my psyche.