Chiefly, food can distract us from more pressing, submerged experiences.  Standing over a stove or dining out, the aromas, textures, and flavors require focus.  That focus might go elsewhere.

Take last night.  Please.  We’re talking a gazpacho.  Could anything be easier to prepare, tastier, seasonal, or economical?  Followed by a few strands of bigoli in a guanciale sauce.  Piquant.  Finally, pan seared big-eye tuna tossed with Chinese chives, bean sprouts, and a light sauce of hoisin, soy, and ground cayenne pepper.

The entire prep took about 18 minutes.

Throughout it, I could forget a few key things in my life.

The “trick” is to limit the amount of time spent cooking, and use that cooking time in a restorative way.  Like a vacation from the mind–few things are as mindless as cooking.