30 Day Coronavirus Cooking Challenge Reflections

Reflections from stress cooking during early COVID

Random Observation/Comment #659: Cooking is a great coping mechanism. “Coronavirus-15” + stress eating –> Better workout routine

What Did You Cook?

The Challenge was to cook different meals at home with some limited groceries while in quarantine to feed the family and destress. More details on the original post. To see what I cooked, follow me on instagram: @imseelemons

How Did You Do?

I didn’t follow all of the meals I had originally planned, but I thought I made the right replacements when there were fresh vegetables from short grocery runs and when I felt more spontaneous. I did pretty well posting on a daily basis and there were no repeats in dishes. I have a full freezer of leftovers and explored a lot of interesting recipes.

Lessons Learned

• Cooking is love – Not just for nourishment. It’s the time you spend around a kitchen table.

• Ask your family what they’re in the mood for – It’s good to cook what people want to eat.

• Recipes are flexible – I don’t know if I’ve cooked anything the same way twice. I just like tweaking and measuring by taste. The processing is more or less the same, but I substitute based on available groceries.

• Take a break – Sometimes you need to order pizza or Chinese food to keep the family sane. It’s not that they don’t like your cooking – they just want something grounded with familiarity.

• Eat what you’ve made – Luckily we haven’t had any leftovers that spoiled, but I currently have way too much food in the fridge.

FAQ

Favorite Meal to Cook?

I really like making meatballs. The mixing, shaping, and searing is really rewarding.

Best Tasting Meal?

I think the pork katsu was the yummiest fresh with the crispy crunch. Flank steak with a homemade honey-soy sauce based marinade was a close second.

Best Experimental Dish?

Hot and sour soup with zucchini noodles was fantastic.

What did takeout did you order?

Pizza. Easy to freeze and a crowd favorite.

What Dishes are Next?

Follow me on instagram and you’ll see! I am making a stuffed artichoke and a butternut squash soup sometime this week.

~See Lemons Love Quarantine Cooking