Food and cooking are probably two of the top things that a lot of people have turned to as coping mechanisms during this pandemic lockdown. Even if not everybody is a genius in the kitchen, they somehow know a thing or two about food and food preps. While you’re stuck at home and see food posts all over social media, here are some things a lot of people realized:
Things We Learned About Food and the Kitchen During Lockdown
The kitchen is the center of the home.
The kitchen is the center of activity and the heart of the home. It is usually the busiest part of the house where all other non-food-related things happen such as work, homeschooling, relaxing, and hanging out among other things.
Each kitchen fits the personality of the person or people living in the house.
Kitchens match the personality and lifestyle of the residents. You may find a two-liter plastic measuring jug in a family home’s kitchen in NZ or perhaps plates, spoons, forks, cutleries, and glassware good only for two people in a small one-bedroom apartment in AU.
Each kitchen and its contents are an extension of the owner of the house and reflect their lifestyle and preferences.
Most of us have a lot of unnecessary food and cooking items stored in our cupboards and pantries.
A lot of us are impulsive buyers who get stuff off the grocery shelves just in case we need them in the future. In most cases, these things are barely touched, if not at all, for we always default to the things we’re familiar and comfortable with.
We are all not prepared for times like this.
Nobody is. This whole pandemic hit us an orthodox fighter’s left hook. It came from nowhere. This event drove a lot of people into groceries and supermarkets and panic-bought a lot of things.
While paranoia is never an excuse, it’s also better if we have certain supplies in our cupboards that can last us for three to six months, even if most of them are canned goods. This is where preppers got the upper hand on most of us.
Our lifestyle adapts to uncontrollable situations.
Pre-COVID-19 crisis, we made a lot of food choices based on our preferences and lifestyles, especially with all the different diet programs folks are into now. Some people only buy from specific food shops that cater to their lifestyle choices. However, since a lot of non-essential businesses have ceased operations, food choices have been left to a bare minimum. Folks have learned to adapt to the present situation and made do with what’s available and accessible.
It is helpful to grow some ingredients at home.
Since a lot of jobs have been affected by business shutdowns, a lot of people are more prudent when it comes to spending money. Growing a vegetable or herbs-and-spices garden at home can help minimize the cost of your food expenses.
Most of us now realize how we took for granted all the restaurants and dining services.
More than just missing the different cuisines offered by these businesses, we now realize how we have taken for granted the ones who prepare the food and those who take our orders and wait on tables. Now, we have a better understanding of how difficult their jobs are, especially since we’ve been spending more time in the kitchen prepping our meals.
Those of us who have always said we love cooking so much is now getting tired of it.
Understandably, fatigue and exhaustion have already started to set even to those who have claimed that they want nothing else to do in this life but to cook. One way or the other, people do get tired of the things they love. Try breaking the monotony and distract yourself. You might find it helpful.
Meals shared with loved ones is still one of the best things in the world.
If there’s one opportunity this lockdown has given us, it’s spending more time with family. Whether it’s watching a movie or preparing dinner or enjoying meals together, the time spent with family during this time is well worth it.
It’s always an enlightening experience whenever we have profound realizations about even some of the most regular things such as food and meals. We hope that you have a deeper respect for food, a greater love for meals, and a more intimate connection with those you share your table with.
