Food is incredibly important to me. And it has become even more so during lockdown. As a family doctor I’m lucky that I have been able to keep working, mostly with telephone consultations. My husband has been able to work from home. Our children are in education at different stages and all of their lessons have been continuing remotely. None of us have become unwell. We realise we are very fortunate not to have been adversely affected by the pandemic. I also had a well-stocked pantry when lockdown began, because I had been worried about Brexit, but that’s another story.
A lot of people have got into baking over the past few months, and I’ll admit I’ve revived my habit of making occasional sourdough loaves. But with my family all at home, I’ve been challenging myself to try new things, and in particular to cook a new recipe every day for our evening meal.
We’ve tried all sorts of things, from deep-fried tofu to Indonesian chicken to a new version (from Sardinia) of my daughter’s favourite, spaghetti with clams, to celebrate her birthday. Even my traditional roast chicken on Sunday has been different each week as I have explored different recipes from my various cookbooks.
We may be stuck at home, but that hasn’t stopped us from travelling vicariously, by exploring new recipes from around the world. And the great revelation of this culinary exploration has been Palestinian food, with its amazing spices and flavours. It’s a cuisine I had never experienced before, and I am now completely obsessed with it. I’m sure I’ll be making some of these recipes for years to come. In fact this week I’m going to break my lockdown rule for the first time: I’m not trying a new recipe for dinner. Instead I’m making a new favourite again: chicken, Palestinian-style.
If you want to see more of my lockdown food, my friend Maureen and I have been posting all the food we’ve been cooking over here.
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oh lovely…and delicious! it’s inspiring the way you’ve continued to enjoy and grow your love affair with food, even during these crazy times. (I’ll be checking out those cookbooks 🙂
Thank you! It’s been a lovely way to make my brain slow down!
I love collaborative projects – and this one is truly inspirational! I popped over to see the posts with your friend and was reminded once again of the healing power of food and shared meals. I’m not a great cook, but I think I can make those brownie shortbreads!
Ha! They do look good, don’t they?
And you’re right. The healing power of shared meals. Thank you for that! x
Oooh, so much good food! I have been cooking 24/7 and I have to say I have lost the joy…I need a break and then I’ll head over to your collaborative blog to find some inspiration. Well done, you!
Oh no! I do feel the love of it is definitely less on some days. I hope you can find your groove again. And thank you. x
I have always loved your food photos and share your joy for cooking. I have been trying new things too, as it seems to give me something to look forward to, that I truly enjoy, as the day comes to an end. I will be trying some of these for sure.
Thank you! And yes, this is SO true! Looking forward to that time of the day when it all begins to slow down.
Drooling..