With its grey mornings, dark afternoons and perpetual chill, winter can bring emotional challenges. Unsurprisingly, the human reaction is to sink into the sofa for box sets, blankets and bowl food. And we’re not talking a bowl of salad leaves – it’s all about the carbs. But why stop at one carb when doubling up on them works so well? Let us help you get through January with a salute to the wonder of carbs, five carbtastic recipes and our cosy viewing recommendations. Just add a onesie and you’ll be in heaven
RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING POLLYANNA COUPLAND AND EMILY GUSSIN. PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON
THE (EXTREME) COMFORT FACTOR
Despite their demonisation by various health gurus over the years, we still have a great appetite for carbs, the traditional building blocks of our diet. And these days they have plenty of high-profile cheerleaders. Cookbook author and influencer Poppy O’Toole* (@poppycooks on TikTok and Instagram) has built a large following for her imaginative carb-laden dishes (she’s known as The Queen Of Potatoes) and she’s especially keen on multi-carb dishes: “I love an Indian snack called vada pav,” she says – “essentially a spiced potato dumpling sandwiched in a burger bun.”
But carbs in any form will do for Poppy. “They’re bloomin’ tasty, amazingly versatile and make me think of home.” And that’s one of the big attractions of carbs – making you feel at home. That feeling creates a state of comfort in itself, and carbs make that happen for us from the inside out.
Carbs have the power to instantly evoke happy memories, too. Laura Goodman, another superfan (the fact she wrote a book called Carbs is a giveaway), says: “Carbs are associated with every cosy memory I have: chips with my pals after a night out, my mum’s tagliatelle with cheese sauce when I was little, mashed potato in bed when I’m ill, roast potatoes generally...”
Is there any science to explain our desire for carbs? Well, the consumption of carbohydrates has been shown to boost the brain’s level of serotonin, which positively affects a person’s mood, appetite and sleep. On the other hand, this only happens when there’s no protein in play, either in the food itself or in the digestive system, so serotonin is probably not the cause of your carb cravings. And it certainly doesn’t explain why we feel like we’re in a happy little carb cocoon after a tuna melt.
