Lockdown: Food for Thought
Hello there!
I was unsure whether to do a blog post about the lockdown since I usually treat my blog as a way of escapism but reflecting on the current situation, there is a lot I have learnt. I
wanted to take this opportunity to share some of my thoughts on how the lockdown has influenced my relationship with baking and cooking. I'm hoping it will inspire some people to use up any ingredients in their cupboards or show you that you can still enjoy lovely food even when getting ingredients can be a little tricky to get hold of. I hope you enjoy this post and are staying safe. Enjoy!
Lockdown: Food for Thought
I love baking cakes, but I have little experience when it comes to making bread apart from at school or university. I usually get put off making it since it can be time consuming due to the proving, however, lockdown seems to have made my love of bread-making flourish. I find with all this spare time I don't really mind the proving and I have even started making my own sourdough starter so I can make sourdough from scratch. It takes a lot of patience but you feel very proud when you make bread entirely from scratch.
I understand that ingredients are scarce, especially flour, but if you have any I would recommend making soda bread since it doesn't require bread flour or yeast. Many recipes require buttermilk but you can make your own by adding a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar to milk and set aside for 30 minutes, then you're good to go! In addition, I did manage to find some Italian 00 flour and dried yeast eventually (I felt like I hit the jackpot!) so it is possible to make yeasted breads like focaccia, you just need to keep your eyes peeled!
This is something that I have really noticed recently which is that I didn't quite realise how much I love cooking and baking for other people until you can't share those moments with them. I always feel so happy when I take a dessert round to a barbecue or my parent's hold a dinner party and people love what I have made. Whilst I have been baking LOTS for my parents, something about it being other people makes it special and seeing them smile. I have been at home during lockdown rather than at university so I miss bringing bakes home for my uni housemates too. Once lockdown is over, I plan on making a birthday cake for my boyfriend's mum as I was so sad to miss her birthday. It definitely shows how much we use food to celebrate with others and I have really missed that.
With some ingredients harder to come by, I have certainly learnt how to get more creative in the kitchen. Running low on plain flour but have lots of oats laying about? Blend them up into oat flour, perfect for oat cookies, banana bread, muffins and more! Running low on caster sugar for a recipe but have granulated sugar? Blend it up for a couple of seconds to make caster sugar! (Just don't blend for too long or you'll end up with icing sugar; handy but not always what you want). There are plenty of store cupboard ingredient recipes online and many are adaptable for what you have. If you're struggling to get hold of eggs for a cake recipe have a look for vegan recipes as many substitute eggs for other ingredients like grated apple which is much easier to buy.
Since we are restricted with how often we can go out and many people are trying to just do one food shop a week, using up what is in the house is perfect for making new recipes. Using up any frozen fruits are great in a crumble or pie. Frozen vegetables can be so versatile for making comfort foods like stews, soups or more summery dishes like a stir fry or salad to accompany a barbecue. Tins of beans or chopped tomatoes are very useful and you'd be surprised how many different meals you can make. Personally, we had some blackcurrants, apple and blackberries in the freezer so I made mini crumbles. I always freeze any bananas that are starting to get soft, allowing me to make banana bread so make sure you're not wasting any fresh fruits even if they get a little soft or brown. From a nutritional point of view, having frozen fruits and vegetables are handy for adding extra vitamins and minerals to your dishes. It is essential to try and maintain a healthy lifestyle during this time and do regular exercise.
It is normal to miss that face-to-face contact with people as it is what we are used to but we are extremely lucky to have social media to aid this. I have really loved connecting with other people via social media to see what foodie creations people are coming up with during lockdown as everyone has a different experience. I have a food account on Instagram (@little_chef_beth in case you don't follow me already!) and it is a great way to get recipe inspiration. Lots of restaurant chains are sharing their recipes online so you can re-create your favourite dishes. Facebook groups can also be a great way to share recipes and it is nice to just stay connected. At the end of the day, the whole of the UK, and even most of the whole world, is in the same boat so there are people you can always talk to. It is a difficult time for many people so make sure you are checking up on the people who need it and if you're missing foodie friends you can always send each other recipes to try out or cook together over Facetime/Skype. We live in a strange time but we are lucky to have technology to keep us connected.
These are just a few of my thoughts about lockdown and what I have learnt about cooking and baking during this time. It is normal to feel confused and like your routine has been disrupted but if you find cooking or baking helpful for your mental health then make time for it. In a way, lockdown has given some people time to cook and bake which they wouldn't usually be able to fit into their busy lifestyle.
I hope you're staying safe,
Little Chef Beth xx
If you liked this post, visit my full blog at:
https://littlechefbeth.blogspot.com
wanted to take this opportunity to share some of my thoughts on how the lockdown has influenced my relationship with baking and cooking. I'm hoping it will inspire some people to use up any ingredients in their cupboards or show you that you can still enjoy lovely food even when getting ingredients can be a little tricky to get hold of. I hope you enjoy this post and are staying safe. Enjoy!
Lockdown: Food for Thought
1. I really like making bread!
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| This is a sourdough loaf I made after feeding my starter culture for a week |
I understand that ingredients are scarce, especially flour, but if you have any I would recommend making soda bread since it doesn't require bread flour or yeast. Many recipes require buttermilk but you can make your own by adding a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar to milk and set aside for 30 minutes, then you're good to go! In addition, I did manage to find some Italian 00 flour and dried yeast eventually (I felt like I hit the jackpot!) so it is possible to make yeasted breads like focaccia, you just need to keep your eyes peeled!
2. I learnt how much making food for other people really means to me
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| A vegan blood orange loaf that I shared with my uni housemates pre-lockdown |
3. It has taught me to think outside the box with some recipes
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| For these oat cookies, I made oat flour instead of using plain flour |
4. Using what's in the house
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| Mini crumbles made from frozen fruits |
5. Given me more time to connect with others over food via social media
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| Banana bread has become a popular recipe on social media |
These are just a few of my thoughts about lockdown and what I have learnt about cooking and baking during this time. It is normal to feel confused and like your routine has been disrupted but if you find cooking or baking helpful for your mental health then make time for it. In a way, lockdown has given some people time to cook and bake which they wouldn't usually be able to fit into their busy lifestyle.
I hope you're staying safe,
Little Chef Beth xx
If you liked this post, visit my full blog at:
https://littlechefbeth.blogspot.com
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