The chopping boards have worn out like socks in the washing machine. No research on trends for 2020 could have predicted it. The guesses about what we would be doing and consuming this year have broken, one by one. And of course, without anyone being able to anticipate it, our relationship with cooking has changed forever. But what have we learned about cooking in times of Covid?I have spoken with people about the topic. I was curious to know if they were prepared –physically, mentally, or even technically– to cook, to be full-time chefs. The fact is that most of us, absorbed by our workdays, only got down to cooking for breakfast or dinner: quesadillas and sandwiches with minimal variations, grilled chicken breasts for the soul, salads in a flash. Being cooks for a hungry family, with needs from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and from Monday to Sunday, has changed our framework. Not all positively. There are those who still find the subject uninteresting or who, quite frankly, anticipate with discomfort the moment of opening the refrigerator and questioning what they will eat, and who could throw the first stone at them? Over time, it becomes overwhelming and tiring to cook for oneself or for a troop.Then there are those enthusiasts who, despite their efforts, the kitchen does not favor. They have burned their food, destroyed half of their dishes, or discovered with hunger that the order of factors can indeed alter the product –insert your favorite influencer's name here.Finally, there is the group of people who have found a firm relationship with plans for the future regarding cooking. For them, for some of us, what we have learned about cooking in times of Covid has to do with awareness: awareness of the amount of food we need, awareness of the waste we produce, awareness of what we eat. We have realized that not all the salads in the world will keep us healthy, and that not all the cakes will make us happy. We have learned to rationalize the ingredients we have in the fridge and to substitute elements as our imagination suggests (and as their existence in the pantry allows). Some of those experiments have even turned into successful discoveries.On weekends, or whenever we can, we have learned to take the time to cook: to take the route without shortcuts, as grandmothers did when preparing a rich mole de olla or a sauce. We have learned that in the kitchen it is necessary to be present to achieve the right cooking or to finally master that technique we have been practicing through trial and error, trial and error.To the dismay of most, we have learned that dishes multiply like gremlins and that there is no magical fairy to wash them while we are not looking.We have learned to tame cravings or to give in to them every time we have to go out to get ingredients dressed in our Neil Armstrong disguise. We have learned that sometimes, especially when we forget the “obligation” component, cooking is a ritual that can be enjoyed: it entertains, distracts the soul, and is therapy. That said, we don't have to be perfect, that mistakes are teachers, and that their mental notes will help us do better next time – fluffier, crispier, firmer.It's getting closer to entering the new normal, and what we have learned this season about cooking will stay with us. Times may again feel short, we may long to return to our favorite restaurant, and finally visit that aunt whose jellies are the most delicious event we experience in the year. But I am sure that our reunion with cooking will not go unnoticed because, if we have discovered anything during this time, it is that within us all lies the potential to become that aunt, that expert with unmatched seasoning.To inspire you in the final stretch, here are the recipes that the people we interviewed have been practicing:
Ground Beef Croquettes Curry Chicken Lemon Cake Oat Hotcakes Spanish Potato Omelet Homemade Esquites Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna Special Tomato Cream Chocolate CookiesWhat have you learned? What recipes have you practiced during Covid?