One Simple Thing: A Pot Simmering on the Stove
A small winter ritual that brings warmth to the evening.
January has a way of asking very little — and yet, somehow, feeling weighty all the same.
The holidays have passed, the days are still short, and dinner seems to arrive every evening, whether we’re ready or not!
Lately, I’ve found myself returning to one small comfort:
a pot quietly simmering on the stove.
Not for an elaborate dish.
Not for a special occasion.
Just something warm, familiar, and comforting.
Life can feel chaotic this time of year. Winter stretches the days long, and sometimes a bit more intensely than we expect. There’s something grounding about a pot simmering on the stove — the gentle movement of steam, the soft rhythm of stirring, the way the aroma drifting through the kitchen seems to slow the evening down.
Like taking a deep breath at the end of the day.
Sometimes that simmering pot is soup.
Sometimes it’s rice.
Sometimes it’s simply broth warming while the house settles.
It doesn’t solve the day’s dilemmas.
It doesn’t fix everything.
But it does change the evening.
It reminds me that nourishment isn’t only about what’s on the plate — it’s also about the feeling that settles in while it’s being made.
In the heart of winter, that small ritual matters more than we realize.
If you’re in the mood for a meal that simmers this week, here are a few of my favorites.
Abraham Lincoln’s Chicken Fricassee
Biographies of Mary Todd Lincoln recount that President Lincoln was not eating well during the Civil War.
To help awaken his appetite, she asked the White House chef if he had a recipe for old-fashioned chicken fricassee. He did — and when it was served, the President loved it.
A simple, comforting dish with a quiet place in history — and one that feels especially fitting on a cold winter evening.
Cajun Gumbo Stew
Traditionally, gumbo is a slow-cooked stew packed with deep flavor and served over rice. This simplified version shaves hours from the process without sacrificing warmth or richness — a simmering pot that still delivers that cozy winter feeling.
Greek Beef Stifado
A Mediterranean classic, this beef stifado is slow-simmered until melt-in-your-mouth tender, fragrant with winter spices, and deeply satisfying. It’s the kind of dish that quietly fills the house with warmth long before dinner is served.
If you’re needing a warm place to land this week, perhaps it’s this:
Let something simmer.
Let the day soften.
Let dinner come together slowly.
One simple thing.
That’s enough for today.
Warmly,
Stephanie





Hi Stephanie, we always seem to be on the same wavelength. I was just saying to a dear friend how much small comforts matter right now—especially when the world feels like such a chaotic mess. Making a pot of soup or baking a fragrant loaf of bread is deeply self-soothing, but it also gently quiets the background anxiety so many of us are carrying from the outside world. The rituals you and I treasure (tea, of course!) feel less about doing and more about reflection—about turning down the volume and finding a little steadiness again. — Annaliese 💝