There’s a lot of noise around the New Year about becoming a “new you.” New habits, new rules, new expectations. But when it comes to cooking, I’ve always felt January doesn’t need a reset — just a gentler pace.
After the richness of Christmas, the kitchen naturally shifts. Meals get simpler. Portions get smaller without effort. A pot of soup on the stove feels just as satisfying as a roast once did. Cooking becomes less about occasion and more about care — feeding yourself properly, without fuss or guilt.
This time of year is perfect for quiet cooking. Chopping vegetables slowly, making something warming, using what’s already in the fridge. It’s not about cutting things out, but about tuning back in. Paying attention to what actually sounds good, rather than what we think we should be eating.
I like to think of the New Year as a chance to reconnect with the kitchen in a softer way. To cook meals that fit around life, not the other way round. To enjoy the process again, even if all that means is making a really good bowl of something warm and sitting down to eat it properly.
No grand resolutions needed. Just a pan, a bit of time, and the comfort of cooking something that feels right for where you are now.
I hope you get chance to cook something that makes you smile this week.
