So, after a string of months when it's just too hot to cook indoors, the urge to create in the kitchen comes on strong. There's also the approach of the holidays, in which food plays a big part. I take comfort in knowing Thanksgiving is coming, and I give that comfort substance by cooking. But there's also a sense of balance involved, I think. Football is aggressive, immediate, full of tension.
Cooking is slow and calming and, in more ways than one, nourishing.
The combination, however unlikely it seems, has an element of completion about it. And as much as those moments when my team is lining up for the game-winning field goal just when the sauce needs stirring may drive me nuts, I'll take them as long as there's a good meal at the end of the day. Of course, the thing about both good meals and football is that they're best enjoyed in groups. You can watch football alone, of course. And you can cook alone.