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Defining Dishes is an IndyEats column that explores the significance of food at key moments in our lives. From recipes that have been passed down for generations, to flavours that hold a special place in our hearts, food shapes every part of our lives in ways we might not have ever imagined. I was very young when I started working in a local pizzeria in Caserta, the city near Naples where I grew up. I was 11 years old when I started working there, and stayed on for about eight years before moving to London to start my own business. But during my teenage years, one of the best memories I have is waking up to the smell of my mother’s ragu on Sundays. Neapolitan ragu is a specialty in the region, and we are very proud of it. It’s one of the two most famous varieties of ragu, the other being ragu bolognese, and uses whole chunks of beef and pork rather than ground meat. It must be cooked for a long time over a low heat, for at least eight hours, preferably 10 hours. My mother would get up at 5am to start making hers and it would continue to simmer slowly until the family is ready to eat in the afternoon. Sundays are special because it’s a time for the whole family, including our extended family, to come together and eat at the same table. My family comprised of my parents, my three siblings and myself, and we would usually be joined by my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. We usually had anywhere between 15 to 20 people gathering on Sunday afternoons. It didn’t matter what commitments you had – on Sunday, you have to sit at the table with family. It’s the most important day of the week for us. The ragu is the dish that, for me, brings everything together: passion, love, happiness and strong ties with family. Because I worked late shifts often, I would wake up really late on Sundays, around 11am or 12pm. So by the time I wake up, the beautiful aroma of the ragu that has been cooking since 5am will have filled the whole house. I would wake up so hungry. My breakfast on these days would simply be a hunk of bread, torn and dipped straight into the still-simmering sauce, with some parmigiano reggiano sprinkled on top to help cool it down. Every family has their own way of eating ragu. You can dip bread in it, like I did for breakfast, but it is most commonly eaten with pasta. Some people have it with gnocchi while others might use a short pasta or spaghetti. But it does have to be a robust pasta shape, you can’t have ragu with a really small pasta, or it won’t stand up to the sauce. No one makes ragu like my mother’s. I could go to any restaurant, even those with Michelin stars, and it wouldn’t come anywhere close to hers. I strongly believe her secret ingredient is just her love for cooking for her children, as the dish needs that passion to make it taste so good. I never woke up at 5am to try and make it with her, it was so hard when I was a teenager! But when I did start to learn how to make it, it was very difficult to get up that early. I don’t know how she did it for so many years. In my restaurant, Napoli on the Road, I make a pizza with the slow-cooked ragu as a topping, along with a parmigiano reggiano cream. I call it Ricordi D’infanzia, which translates to “childhood memories” because it holds such strong nostalgia for me. But I still can’t make it like my mother does. When I go home to Caserta to see my family, I do try to wake up at 5am to make it with her. I’m less stressed about work when I’m there so I can usually do it, but when I’m back in London it’s hard to get up at that hour when you finish at midnight at the restaurant. Like most mothers who pass down their recipes, there are no accurate measurements to my mother’s ragu. Sometimes they put some sort of secret ingredient inside and won’t tell you. But I have learnt that you need to be flexible about it, depending on what ingredients are available to you. For example, maybe the tomatoes you buy from the market are too acidic. My mother fixes this by putting a whole potato in the sauce, because its starchiness will help to remove the acidity from the tomatoes. Or, she might add sugar to the sauce to mellow it out. It can be tricky to get it right, so I can only try my best to do better than my mother, but it is hard. I think I will be 80 or 90 years old before I perfect my own version! I’ve lived in London for almost 20 years, but I still miss those Sunday afternoons spent with my family at my uncle’s or grandfather’s house. In London, things are very fast-paced and rushed, you don’t really have time to sit down with people. I try to go back every couple of months, and I really look forward to it. My mother still makes her ragu. Even though nowadays it’s harder to get everyone together, we do our best to keep everyone united. I don’t have any family in London, so it’s important to me to keep that tradition alive when I go home. My dad has never visited me here because he is afraid of flying, but my mother comes fairly often and I’ll make ragu for her when she does. She never says anything bad about it – although, she will tell people: “It’s good… but it can be improved.” Still, I’m glad I have the opportunity to make it for her sometimes and it keeps me connected to home. Michele Pascarella is the chef-owner of Napoli on the Road. Read More The dish that defines me: Evelin Eros’s rum cake The dish that defines me: Mallini Kannan’s baked honey-soy salmon The dish that defines me: Frank Yeung’s prawn wontons

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With the clocks going back on October 29, longer, darker nights are imminent – and many of us may be nervous about how this could impact our wellbeing. But, there are some little acts of self-care that could help. Here’s how to switch up your self-care routine as the clocks change… 1. Spend more time outdoorsIt may be getting colder, but time outside could be the best thing for you to protect your emotional welfare as the shorter days draw in. “When the clocks change, the internal body clock, our circadian rhythm, has to reset and it can become out of sync with our standard night-and-day cycle. It can take a few days for our body to adjust to the new sleep pattern, which can affect our hormones and temperature,” explains Dr Harriet Leyland, clinical advisor at myGP. To mitigate this, “spend more time outdoors”, she suggests. “Sunlight can alleviate drowsiness as it limits the release of melatonin, a hormone that induces tiredness and gets you ready for bed.” Jodie Relf, a Pilates instructor and registered dietitian from myOva, suggests making this part of your daytime routine. “[Getting outside] can be more challenging once the clocks have changed, it’s often dark for many of us both going to and returning from work. Therefore trying to get outside during the day, at lunchtime, perhaps, can be beneficial in the winter months,” says Relf. 2. Think about your body temperatureYou may be feeling the cold outside, but we don’t want to overheat indoors – especially at bedtime. “We sleep better in a cooler environment, with the ideal bedroom temperature reported to be a cool 16-17C,” says Dr Guy Meadows, co-founder and clinical lead at Sleep School. “For best sleep, switch off the central heating and swap your lightweight summer duvet for a higher tog winter one. Alternatively, use a combination of sheets, quilts and blankets, as this allows you to more easily regulate your temperature at night for better sleep.” 3. Prepare for good sleepIf you always struggle with sleep when the clocks change, give yourself a helping hand by being prepared. “Gradually adjust your bedtime in the few days leading up to the clocks changing – go to bed 15-30 minutes earlier each night for a few nights in the lead-up,” suggests Meadows, explaining this will help with the body-clock switch. 4. Eat a colourful plate While you may just want stodgy comfort food to warm the chillier evenings, eating well is one of the best ways to support your overall wellbeing – aiding energy, immunity, mood and sleep. “Eat a balanced diet with a colourful variety of plant foods including fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as lean protein,” explains Dana Moinian, a psychotherapist at The Soke. “Avoid heavy or high-sugar meals close to bedtime.” 5. See friends While social plans may have wound down compared with summer, hibernating and distancing yourself too much could be damaging to your wellbeing. “Spend time with friends and loved ones,” says Moinian. “Socialising naturally boosts your mood and reduces stress levels.” So get the diary out and plan in some fun outings and get-togethers! Read More 13 possible cancer symptoms you should get checked out Neglecting women’s health at work could cost UK economy £20.2bn a year – analysis Nearly three-quarters of mothers feel invisible, study suggests The best ways to work-out in 22 minutes – as study finds this is magic number for offsetting ‘negative impact of sitting’ What crops will we be growing in the future, as climate change alters the landscape? As Rebecca Adlington shares heart-breaking miscarriage news: How to support others experiencing baby loss

Have you clocked TikTok’s ‘lazy girl job’ trend? It’s all about prioritising work-life balance over a job that drains you dry. A ‘lazy girl job’ is one that pays well enough for you to live comfortably – but doesn’t need to define your entire self-worth and consume too much of your time and energy. On the surface, this all sounds quite healthy, a backlash to the always-on ‘hustle culture’ that’s become ingrained in the modern world. So, why are wellbeing experts concerned? Work-life balance isn’t lazy “Turning your back on hustle culture shouldn’t be deemed ‘lazy’,” Tina Woods, CEO of Business for Health, a business-led coalition focused on improving workforce health, told PA Media. “A healthy work-life balance should be encouraged, rather than shamed, and employees shouldn’t feel guilty or ashamed for prioritising their wellbeing and mental health over their work duties and workload.” So, it’s not so much the concept behind ‘lazy girl jobs’ that’s problematic. Rather, it’s the use of the word ‘lazy’ to describe somebody who works a reasonable number of hours and values their wellbeing, and the reasons we got to this point in the first place. Have we normalised overworking? There may be times when people need or choose to hustle, or devote a larger chunk of their time towards a particular goal. That’s not something we need to sweepingly demonise necessarily. “Just as we shouldn’t shame employees who do set boundaries in the workplace and [want] a healthy work-life balance, there will be some employees who enjoy ‘hustle culture’,” Woods added. “Ultimately, employees should have the choice and flexibility to work how they choose to.” What isn’t good though is how “overworking” has become “expected” as part of modern working culture, she explained. We’re seeing a growing culture of overworking being celebrated... Tina Woods, Business for Health CEO “Hustle culture has grown in popularity since the pandemic, with side hustles on the rise amongst employees, especially Gen Z. However, the notion of pushing yourself and putting your all into your work can cause both physical and mental effects. It can lead to a toxic working pattern and trigger stress and burnout, as well as physical ailments such as disrupted sleep patterns and exhaustion,” said Woods. “More often, we’re seeing a growing culture of overworking being celebrated and, in many situations, expected. Whether this presents itself through staying at the office late, or not taking a lunch break or annual leave, working tirelessly is being rewarded by some seniors, and it shouldn’t become the norm.” What does this mean for young women? The fact the trend has been centred on ‘girls’ is another point of consideration. “Traditionally, women and especially mothers have faced stigma in the workplace. This includes stigma around personality traits, maternity leave and women’s health. As a result, many female employees will feel the need to push themselves harder or work longer hours than their male peers,” said Woods. “Women and parents are more likely to report lower mental health, putting them more at risk for mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. This, coupled with the pressure women may already feel at work and stigma, such as the latest ‘lazy girl job’ trend, means employers need to ensure they’re creating a supportive work culture and healthy environment.” Culture shift According to Woods, there is a responsibility for employers to drive cultural shifts towards a healthier approach to work with a focus on preventative measures, rather than waiting until employees are encountering problems such as burnout or chronic stress, and then responding. “Setting boundaries that lead to a healthy work-life balance is something that should be encouraged in the workplace. It’s clear that post-pandemic, the boundaries have become blurred, with many adapting to hybrid and remote working. However, this is an issue employers need to make a priority,” said Woods. “By doing so, workplaces will see higher levels of presenteeism, alongside boosted morale, engagement and productivity. In a tight labour market, attracting and retaining employees is also vital. Wellbeing plays a big role in that. “Policies such as ‘Permission to Pause’ can be really powerful in encouraging a healthy work-life balance. They give employees autonomy and the ability to stop and take some time for their wellbeing within the working day, without feeling guilty,” she added. “Perhaps, most importantly of all, employers need to listen and respond to the needs of their own workforce and sector, recognising there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to health and wellbeing, because everyone is uniquely human. Business leaders, HR managers and line managers can work to better understand the needs of their workforce through pulse surveys, interviews, and open forums.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Red flags you might be missing about your child’s online safety Rumer Willis says she is ‘grateful’ to her body following birth of daughter Sugary cereals and yoghurts must remove child-friendly packaging – health group

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