In a corona cooking slump? No worries, we have your back!
Every day leading up to a press conference, I think we’re left with a collective nagging feeling that often doesn’t disappear after the announcements themselves. Of course, our first thoughts go to the people hardest hit by this crisis, both in terms of their health and financially. And there’s little good news when it comes to food and hospitality either. No eating out again, and drinks and get-togethers with friends whose company we miss so much are postponed once more. And cooking—are you getting a bit tired of it already?
Because although in March we rediscovered our kitchens like mad, with the wind in our aprons, that feeling of nesting, baking bread, wiping down the counter and carrying on is starting to wane for many people. So how, you may wonder, now that there’s little prospect of combining food and recreation (what we used to call eating out), do you avoid getting stuck in a cooking rut? Because we’ve got a while to go yet! With these tips, we’ll try to pull you out of your kitchen slump, because it’s going to be a long autumn. But chin up, let’s all pull together, and hopefully we’ll soon have that crazy year 2020 behind us. And if you’ve run out of ideas in the kitchen, try this!
Expand your cookbook collection
At FavorFlav, you’ll find countless delicious recipes from the most beautiful new cookbooks for inspiration. But you’ll want to have those gorgeous cookbooks on your own shelf too! Browse through one for an hour and you’ll have ideas for weeks, honestly. We’ll get Adeline back on board too ?. Spend an old-fashioned evening reading some of them with a few sticky notes and a glass of wine, and simply mark a number of dishes you know will make you happy. If necessary, write down the day you want to make them, so you’ll have a bit more of an incentive. And of course, there’s plenty to find here too! How about fresh ceviche from the stunning, colourful Africola cookbook? Or the most delicious Balinese porchetta from Indorock? Even the grumpiest person would struggle to stay grumpy after that…
Get ordering
That wonderful hospitality industry, so beloved by us, has truly impressive powers of resilience and an incredible ability to take a hit. One thing many businesses learned from the first lockdown, for example, was how to perfect their takeaway and delivery options down to the last detail. And now it’s running like clockwork! Soon I’ll tell you everything I ate in the car in one week, because surely you don’t think I’m going to let a fresh French toast with salted caramel go cold while I’m driving home?! Or a brilliant pizza slice? Of course not—just like they do in America, slide the driver’s seat back and tuck in… The handheld vacuum will just have to make another pass at home.
But even for those who do have patience, there are the most delicious things to order for a lovely dinner at your own table. Light some candles, put on some music, and the restaurants in question often offer excellent wines too. Just revel in the pleasure of having absolutely no desire to cook today. Want high-end? You can have it! With Okura at Home, for example. Or just a big Domino’s? Just as easy. And hopefully all that goodness will inspire you a little when you get back to cooking yourself.
Take an online cooking course
That clever Meneer Wateetons has always offered popular ‘live’ workshops, and now he’s giving equally fun online workshops. Try reigniting your cooking flame by learning a new technique together online. There’s so much fun stuff to learn. Making pâté, making miso, fermenting: that’ll get you through autumn and winter! Another hit in spring was making pasta pesto with Massimo Bottura. And be sure to keep an eye on our former colleague Emma de Thouars’s social media too. She wrote the stunning cookbook Amazing Asia, and if you’d like to learn how to fold dumplings, she’s your woman and will guide you through it step by step. She also collaborated online with other fabulous chef ladies such as Alison Roman and Yvette van Boven, and believe us, you’ll want to be there virtually if you can!
Also read:
- Fast food, corona-style: say goodbye to… pretty much everything
- Corona crisis: two-thirds of the hospitality industry won’t make it, according to KHN
- TV chef Danny is cooking from the pantry
