Here’s what Kamala Harris did to shut out negativity post 2024 election loss against Trump |
Kamala Harris, long known as a self-described foodie, is no stranger to the comforting power of a good meal. After losing the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump, Harris found herself overwhelmed by a wave of negativity. Instead of diving back into the news cycle, she turned to cooking shows for escape.
Harris on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Kamala Harris appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for her first televised interview since the election loss. Colbert commented, “First of all, you look rested.” Harris joked that she was, and after asking about Colbert himself, she discussed how she managed the aftermath of her defeat. When asked, “How long before you turned on the news again?”
Harris replied: “Months, Months, I, you know, I’m just not into self‑mutilation, and I just, I, yeah, lots of cooking shows.” She added that “The Kitchen”, a cooking show where hosts prepare simple dinners, play trivia, and share meal tips, is “one of my favorites.”
Cooking as comfort and control
For Kamala Harris, the kitchen isn’t just a place for food, it’s where she regains her sense of self. In the chaos that followed her 2024 election defeat, cooking offered her something rare: control.Back when she was crisscrossing the country as a senator, Harris once said, “Everything else can be crazy, I can be on six planes in one week, and what makes me feel normal is making Sunday‑night family dinner.” That same instinct led her back to the stove after the loss, when she could barely bring herself to watch the news. Instead of spiraling, she turned to flavors, textures, and recipes.Her love for cooking traces back to her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, who told her early on, “Kamala, you clearly like to eat good food. You better learn how to cook.” It stuck. Over the years, Harris built up a collection of cookbooks, favorites include Marcella Hazan and Alice Waters, and has even talked about writing one of her own someday.During the campaign trail, that passion showed up online. Her short series “Cooking With Kamala” gave viewers a peek into her unpolished, everyday kitchen self. She chopped onions with practiced ease, cracked eggs one‑handed, and even swapped spice jar stories with Mindy Kaling while making masala dosa.
From YouTube to the home kitchen
During her 2020 campaign, Harris hosted a short YouTube series called “Cooking With Kamala.” She confidently demonstrated cooking skills, like cracking an egg one-handed and slicing onions, earning praise even from chef Tom Colicchio. In one viral video, she and actress Mindy Kaling prepared masala dosa and discovered that both grew up storing spices in Taster’s Choice jars.Her home kitchen reflects her passion: enamel skillets, a gas stove, and a crock full of cooking tools, signs of someone who cooks often and joyfully.
