A hug from the kitchen
Rustic spinach pie fills you up with a nurturing, cozy feeling
Recently, whenI posted a picture of a homely, frozen-spinach-filled pie onmy Instagram, it got a lot of love. Usually, it’s red tomatoes that get the red hearts. Itwas interesting, then, to think aboutwhy this simple pie struck such a “Yes, please!” chord.
There aremanywords I could reach for to explain this pie’s appeal, and they’d all be true. It ticksmany boxes. “Versatile,” for instance, with a filling that can be easily adjusted to whatmay already be in your fridge. Swiss chardworkswell instead of (or aswell as) the spinach; mint and parsley along with (or instead of ) the dill; cheddar instead of the feta, if you prefer; or even cubes of firmtofu for a vegan filling.
“Rustic,” aword often used euphemistically tomean“itmay not look all that pretty or neat, but it will still taste great,” could also be reached for. “Frugal” also works and nods to its appeal: no fancy kit or skills needed, no ingredients to go out of yourway for.
You can “dress it up” with chermoula, for example, or “dress it down” with just a squeeze of lemon, to keep things simple. A puff-pastry pie shellfilled with spinach and feta is “approachable” and “crowd-pleasing”; “healthy” and “hearty”; “unpretentious,” with a bit of a built-in
“wow.”
But what is missing fromthis list ofwords, though, is the very thing thatmakes it so utterly lovable and desirable and “I need this inmy life right now-able” in the first place. It, like all good dishes (and good relationships), feels like a great, cozy nurturing hug. Andthat’s exactly whatwe all need right now.
After months of not being able to hug thosewe love, people are, I think, lookingmore andmore to food to provide the comfort being denied to themin their day-to-day. Itwas this— the hug, the comfort— that peoplewere connecting to with the picture of my pie.
Hugs-from-the-kitchencome inmany forms, I know, but so often theycomein the form of a potato. Yes, the rustic, versatile, approachable, unpretentious, healthy, hearty potato is what, to my mind, sawthis pie get somany likes.
Thethinly sliced layer that sits on top of the filling says “comfort.” It says “love”; it says “hug.” Now, more than ever— whenwe have, for months, been denied somuch of the huggingwewere used to— this is whatwe need andwant.
Until better times, stick to hugging those in your bubble, but make this for those you’re able to share food with or deliver food to. “Deliverable” and “shareable”— another couple ofwords to add to the list.