day 8
This has been the ideal time to rediscover cooking.
Food is a haven. We grow up bonding, learning, communion-ing over the dinner table.
Yet over the years I’ve found myself caught up in this vapid wave of social media food culture. It’s sad. You know, like the food bloggers who hardly know their way around a kitchen. Or the Yelp reviewers who don’t know the first thing about food service. I’m completely guilty - it’s a basic millennial twitch or something for phones to eat first, because god forbid you forget to document.
Nowadays without restaurant quality aesthetics my food photos have been relegated to the same old white plates and a repetitive table backdrop. Though I still have the urge to plate somewhat nicely and share on social, it feels different. It’s more of a celebration of creation and flavor. It’s more raw. More real.
It’s been nice to relearn how to enjoy food as food.
Something else I’ve realized is I enjoy cooking with constraints. Luckily our neighborhood has a bunch of local and ethnic grocery stores that’ve been surprisingly well stocked (bless). The ethnic grocery stores are clutch for Hispanic / Asian ingredients which mixes things up. Heard of others in areas that have run out of basic ingredients so am very grateful for this access.
Since grocery shopping these days can feel a bit rushed though I end up grabbing random ingredients. And since it’s really the only out-of-home (albeit a bit scary) entertainment we have these days, I find myself reaching for produce / snacks / sauces I wouldn’t usually buy because why the hell not.
For example, bought a bag (not a baggie a solid bag) of fresh mint a couple weeks ago. What did I plan to do with all that mint? No idea. Just thought it’d be good idea to have fresh herbs on hand. Looked it up when I got home and ended up using it in teas, as garnish, in dips etc. All of which have since been added to my previously non-existent herb repertoire.
Earlier this week I bought tub of dijon mustard from a food delivery service for no good reason either. However this lead me to search “use up mustard,” which returned articles with no less than 45 ways to use it up.
It’s been commonly acknowledged having constraints makes us more creative. I just didn’t expect it to manifest as much in cooking. Or expect to enjoy it as much as I have. Little joys.
Recognize being able to buy random ingredients “for fun” is somewhat of a privilege right now. Heart goes out to the charities and restaurants supplying meals to healthcare workers & those in need. *prayer hands*