Sometimes life makes you see red. That's okay. It's normal. Anger acknowledged and channeled can be a very effective creative tool, while suppressed anger can cause depression. 

Psychologists will tell you to let it out because it takes so much energy to bottle things up. Use the energy to your positive advantage. As music great Duke Ellington put it, "I just took the energy is takes to pout and wrote some blues."

H. Jackson Brown, Jr., author of The Complete Life's Little Instruction, wisely advised a good way to deal with anger would be to immediately write a letter and try to express all feelings.

"Describe your anger and disappointment," he said. "Don't hold anything back. Then put the letter in a drawer. After two days, take it out and read it. Do you still want to send it?"

Better to just bake a pie: In a medium bowl, mix some flour (1¼ cups) and salt (½ teaspoon). Cut in ¹/³ cups of shortening until the pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of cold water slowly, until all the flour mixture is moistened. Roll out and ease onto a 9" pie plate. Add filling to the shell, bake at 450º, and enjoy!

As your anger softens, remember what Lord Halifax said, "Anger is seldom without argument but seldom with a good one."

More COOKING Quotations

Let go of anger and have a slice of pie!