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steak sauce simmering on the cooktop and a pot of pasta boiling . According to a University of California Riverside psychology professor quoted in a recent Guardian article , “ flow state ” is the name for this feeling you get when you ’ re doing an activity that is completely captivating of your attention . This isn ’ t to say cooking was entirely escapist for me . Since loss of smell and taste were the notorious first symptoms of a COVID infection , cooking also became a new method for my constant hypochondriacal self-monitoring . Innovation !
Cooking also opened up new continents of conversations with friends and loved ones . As a journalist , I live to talk to people , and everyone has something to say about food . What we say about cooking reveals something about our tastes , backgrounds , geography , our ethnic and religious upbringing . So cooking turned into a rich subject for quarantine Zoom sessions and phone calls , a way for me to learn new things about the people I know best .
Cooking was also a way of uncovering old memories . One of the dishes I remember most fondly from growing up was the challah French toast made by my mother on Sunday mornings using bread from the bygone Kaplan ’ s bakery on Hope Street . So one Sunday morning , with help from an online recipe from Ina Garten , I made my own challah French toast . There was something special about that .
This is another benefit of pandemic cooking : It offers something to look forward to . When serotonin is in short supply , cooking can give you something to get excited about during the day : the satisfying knowledge that steaks are marinating or cookie dough is sitting , collecting more flavor with each minute . On a more basic level , cooking is simply something to do . It requires planning , shopping , prepping , cooking , eating , cleaning and dishwashing . During normal times , this can be a hassle ; in a pandemic , it can be a gift .
As time wore on , and my confidence grew , and I started to resume limited , fully masked and mostly outdoor contact with others , cooking also turned into a new means for connection . Delivering a hunk of banana-zucchini bread wrapped in aluminum foil or a bag of cookies or a Tupperware container filled with maca-
Randal Poirier , ChFC Financial Planner , Partner
Helping individuals and non-profits navigate to a secure financial future .
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AS A FINANCIAL PLANNER AND FIDUCIARY , I will help you identify and prioritize your future financial goals and then use those goals as the foundation of your written Financial Plan . Your plan will consist of specific recommendations which will help you accumulate , manage and preserve your wealth in a taxefficient manner , while also ensuring that a risk management focus is part of every recommendation made . Once your plan is completed , you are welcome to implement your recommendations on your own , with another Advisor or you may hire me as your Advisor to execute them on your behalf . Either way , I will always strive to deliver unbiased fee-based financial advice in your best interest . Please feel welcome to reach out to schedule a complimentary consultation .
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