Delicious UK - (02)February 2020

Why I LOVE

Fe br u a r y

A

s I write,rain
is drumming
againstthe
windows,there’sa pot
ofteabeingkeptwarm
beneatha cosyonmy
desk,anda potatois in
theoven.Winterhas
beguninearnestandI amthrilled.But
whileit’sinnowayunorthodoxtorejoice
whenNovemberandDecemberarrive
eachyear(twinklylights!mulledwine!
velvetdresses!festivefilms!),I oftenfeel
aloneinmyabidingloveofthosefirstcold
monthsofthenewyear.
ToromanticiseFebruaryis,ofcourse,
tospeakofprivilege– theprivilegeof
havinga warmsittingroomtocosyupin,
ofwatchingtherainfallfrominside,of
havingplentyoffoodtoputintheoven.
Evenwithallofthis,there’snodenying
thegrey,wetdays,therelativedearthof
freshfruitandvegetables,thegnawing
guiltofabandonedresolutions.Formany,
theshortestmonthoftheyearis onetobe
pushedthrough,ratherthanluxuriatedin.
Butincaseyou’relookingtobewonover,
therearereasonsI happilyanticipatethe
arrivalofFebruaryeachyear.

REASON1: HIBERNATION

Februaryis tailormadeforembracing

theideaofhunkeringdownandleaving

yourhouseaslittleaspossible.It’sfor

timespentwithkneesbeneathblankets.

It’stheanti-December.A zero-party

season.It’sforcatchingupwith

comfortable,dependablefriends

• onesI amhappytogreetatthedoor
  whiledressedincosysocksanda
  jumper.Inthesameway,it’sa month
  forcomfortable,dependablerecipes– my
  oldfavourites,dishesI knowintimately
  andthatdon’tinviteanyexperimentation:
  butterycrumblethat’salwaysperfectly
  crispontop,andlasagnethatI stillmake
  thewaymymumdoes.

REASON2: AWARM KITCHEN

Unlikeinsummer,whenI activelyavoid

turningontheoven,Februaryis when

I valuemykitchenthemost.Itslong

nightsarecallingoutforwarmth,the

kindmykitchencanprovidebymeans

offishpies,steamingpotsofmussels

andanabundanceofmashedpotato.

Attheweekend,there’stimefor

marmalade-making,cake-baking

anddishesthatrequirehoursinthe

oven.Outdoorprojectscanwait.In

winter,weekendsarenevermore

appealingthanwhenspentanticipating

whatwillsoonbepulledfromtheoven.

REASON3: ASENSE OFCALM

After the inescapable intensity of the

festive season – the endless parties, the

bustling streets – the first months of the

year serve as a recalibration of sorts; a

chance to regroup and recover. In winter,

things move more slowly: a kettle takes

longer to boil, the oven more time to heat

up, bread rises almost imperceptibly. After

frenetic December, when it feels like my

feet barely touch the ground, it’s just what

I need at home: a reason to move through

my daily tasks with a little less haste.

If, despite all this, February doesn’t

fill you with the same joy as it does me,

spring is around the corner. The daffodils

will soon be in bloom, asparagus is mere

weeks away, and the evenings are getting

longer day by day. In the meantime, find

your cosiest socks, turn on the oven and

make the most of the calm and quiet.

Kate Young is a food writer, blogger

and cookbook author.

If you asked a dozen people to name their favourite month of the year, it would be a gentle

surprise if even one of them mentioned February. Yet according to Kate Young, this frostiest of

seasons has so much to offer – you just need time, calm and a warm kitchen to appreciate it

PHOTOGRAPHS: JAMIE DREW, GETTY IMAGES