Lockdown week two has gone and I hope we’re all still hanging there. Whenever I feel slightly restless I think about people who are confined in small flats, with partners they’re not especially fond of any more or – much more dreadful – abusive; people in built up cities who can’t go for their statutory walk; those who are trying to frantically occupy kids going stir crazy; the jobless, the old, the vulnerable.
It is true that there are, globally speaking, some silver linings with levels of pollution decreasing and world’s waters becoming cleaner though it’s small comfort for the sick and lonely. My silver lining is seeing how more people cook at home and how my recipes are useful to them. After it’s over, some of us will hardly wait for a three course meal out but others may have discovered the wonders of home cooking and stuck with it more. May that be so!
For more silver linings just think: you’re now having breakfast together as a family more often than ever before. You can make pancakes for breakfast three times a week! And if you used to be addicted to the porridge from Pret, tough stuff: make your own and find out how absolutely easy – and how much better – it is. Then what: the little ones want a snack? How about getting them to help make their own, granola oats and fruit bars? Or see if they enjoy rolling carrot cake energy balls like dung beetles?
Be creative for lunch, no more shovelling up limp sandwiches at the desk. An avocado and a tin of beans will make a great salad. Red pepper slippers if you’re into baking, all-day breakfast quesadillas if you’re not. Pizza from scratch? You’ve never tried? Well, now’s the time to have a go.
For dinner, turn plain pork mince into ants climbing trees: crispy fried pork mince with noodles. Vegetarian chili made with tinned beans might be more appealing, or give in to comfort food temptation and make a vat of leek and potato soup. If you still have some potatoes spare, what about latkes? There’s chicken tray bake, and if you find a tin of pineapple in the cupboard, there will be a hummingbird cake for dessert.
More to choose from in my contents pages and it’s all no-nonsense, real food. Stay safe!