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Comfort Hive: Uplifting Through Creativity, Wellness and Recipes
CSSI Staff Post – August 19, 2020
In-mid April, a month or so after COVID-19 had forced my colleagues and me to work from home, I started feeling “work-sick.” I, Mr. Introvert, missed the casual conversations around our Town Hall space and the laughter that would fill the Creative Department. Not only that, but I personally require a sense of productivity and movement to feel at ease. Editing photos and videos at my home computer all day every day had me anxious to do more.
Creating has always been a major ballast in my life, and it has become even more important in this difficult time. I wondered how I could use my creativity for those that were feeling the way I did: confused, anxious, angry and many adjectives I don’t have the space to add here. I found myself constantly worried about my friends and family that either lost their jobs, were furloughed or were in a high-risk area for contracting the coronavirus.
After reading an article in the New York Times
about the resurgence of the community cookbook and how it was morphing into more than just recipes, I started thinking of ways a project like this could help my own community and other communities on a grander scale. Thus, Comfort Hive
was born. It’s a digital magazine aimed to uplift one another through creativity, mental wellness and art—and it just so happens to include some amazing recipes from our very own chefs at CSSI.
The topic for this first issue is comfort, so we asked our 16 contributors to share what they have been doing to find physical and mental relief during the COVID-19 outbreak. For some, it was about learning new instruments like the piano or ukulele. For others, it was about discovering their love for Studio Ghibli films or giving to their own community by making Detroit-style pizza. We even have recipes written in Italian, with side-by-side translations for you to brush up on your Italiano and imagine yourself on the Amalfi Coast. We wanted to add another layer of creativity to the project and asked the contributors to create their own artwork, giving them another outlet to express themselves and adding a fun, personal touch to the whole project.
You can download the first issue for $5 at www.comforthivemag.com/shop. All proceeds will be donated to World Central Kitchen (WCK). During the COVID-19 pandemic, WCK has worked tirelessly to activate hundreds of restaurants and kitchens to produce 250,000 meals per day to feed marginalized and vulnerable communities. Comfort Hive
is available at multiple price points if you wish to contribute more. In addition, we recently launched online classes led by two of our contributors: a meditation practice and an introduction to needlepoint, beginning August 21.
Throughout this magazine, you will find projects that inspire you and guides to help you heal in the wake of COVID-19’s vicissitude. Thank you for becoming part of the Hive. We hope that you find inspiration in the stories told within this magazine, and we hope you find your comfort.
Cover Artwork by Chef Madison Parsons
Chris J. Staats
Junior Photographer | Videographer
March 1st, 2023 We’re thrilled to introduce the newest addition to our culinary family: Chef Steve Madonna. Formally trained in both Italy and the United States, as well as having worked for Wolfgang Puck, Chef Steve brings an extensive set of connections and culinary knowledge to our already stacked chef roster. Featured in this month’s issue is one of Chef Steve’s favorite recipes for making memories at home with your loved ones.
October 19, 2022 Pumpkin pie is a nostalgic menu item and my personal favorite when it comes to fall and winter menus, as it goes hand in hand with a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. We elevate the nostalgia by turning this must-have holiday dish into a clarified cocktail that leaves your taste buds as curious as your eyes. We get adventurous as we replace expected visual elements with an ice-cold glass of clarified liquors infused with pumpkin pie. This cocktail defies all visual expectations, while leaving your sense of smell and taste immersed in a seasonally nostalgic experience.
October 19, 2022 Canada is well known for many things. Hockey, snow, maple syrup, and a few other stereotypical but somewhat accurate concepts may immediately come to mind. What you may not know, though, is how invested we are in the snacks that we consume. Compared to the U.S., sure, we are no match for the quantity and variety offered in the land of the free, home of the snacks. However, what we know in our hearts is that Canada has a long-standing, tried-and-true, flawed, yet beloved top-notch snack game. I’m talking about comfort foods that have become so integrated and so established that they are classified as cult-favourites—and no, I did not spell favourites incorrectly. You are about to see a lot more of the letter “U” in this article. Sorry! The great Canadian snack game is easy enough to understand. You think of a flavour and either slap it on a potato or pair it with chocolate. Snacking has always been a huge part of Canadian food culture, but it is only going up from here. To put it lightly, the past few years have been tough on everyone around the world, and Canadians have chosen to increase their spending on snacks by 67% as an indulgence or, personally, as a coping mechanism. In no way, shape, or form am I claiming to be a culinary expert somehow employed in the field of Finance, but I have eaten a lot in my life and right now, I’m the best and/or only Canadian guide you’ve got. Let’s get into the details:
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