Yes, we all thought of banana bread extensively when giving cooking in quarantine a shot. Yes, we all familiarized ourselves with the cast of the BA Test Kitchen. And we’re also pretty sure all of us created at least a few blunders in the kitchen.
At first, you may have thought, ‘How tough can it be? I have excellent chefs from all around the world at my disposal with a simple click into YouTube.’
You thought all you had to do was Google a recipe, gather your ingredients, and start creating your feast. And when you resort to eating ramen or mac n cheese for dinner every day, you slowly realize the contrary is true.
But you know what they say – practice makes perfect. But with irregular work hours and untimely Netflix binge on the weekends, it is a bit tough to keep up with the practice.
So we thought we’d share some blunderous areas of cooking in quarantine that might give you some consolation – that you are NOT alone!
Following recipes when you’re cooking in quarantine.
Expectation:
The tutorial chefs make cooking in quarantine look so easy! You think you can do an excellent job out of it. Maybe you’ll post it on your social media feed and flaunt your new skills. Your friends and family will talk about how amazing and mouth-watering your dish looks. You might make some for your roomis too, making them do your share of washing the dishes in return. You can’t wait to start!
Reality:
‘Hello. Mom? How long should I leave the potatoes to boil? Should I boil on low flame or full heat? Which utensils should I use?’
Or you find yourself googling these questions. And slowly, the 20 minutes cooking time turns into 2 hours (and you’re really hungry).
Tip:
Practice! Start with the easiest recipes, and you will slowly start getting the hang of it. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
Cutting veggies
Expectation:
You’re excited to use your new and never used before chef’s knife. You think crying because of onions is weak. You think you’ll make it through without a cut. Cooking in quarantine is your jam.
Reality:
You realize you can’t cut vegetables to save your life. You see the vegetables fly off the chopping board to save their own lives. You’re crying like a baby: because of the onions, and because of everything else. You are your own version of vampire diaries with the taste for your bleeding fingers.
Tip:
Go slow and give yourself time. Accept the fact that you’re no Masterchef – and watch those fingers!
Cleaning dirty dishes!
Expectation:
You see YouTube recipe tutorials and figure you should have separate bowls for each ingredient, as shown. You think you wouldn’t mind washing those dishes later. You’ll manage it like a pro.
Reality:
You treat your dishes like you treat your problems, thinking if you don’t look at them, they will magically go away. Washing dishes in quarantine has made you hate cooking.
Tip:
While you wait for food to cook or boil, instead of losing your patience, rinse the dishes that aren’t being used anymore.
Cooking with wine, quarantine or not.
Expectation:
It’s the weekend. You and your roommates decide to cook an elaborate dinner with wine. This could either mean you’re thinking of using wine as an ingredient or drinking wine while cooking, or maybe a little bit of both. So you pop the cork and pour yourself some before starting. It’ll be the best meal you’ve ever made; you like to think.
Reality:
One glass leads to another, and before you know it, you and your roomi have made the switch from glasses – to entire bottles. You’re drunk and hungry. You go for the frozen food in the freezer instead.
Tip:
Two words for you: Moderation and will power! Plus, if you drink after the food is made and before you proceed to eat, your food will taste much better.
Cleaning the mess that you’ve made
Expectation:
You improvise with Frank Ocean’s ‘Thinking ’bout you’, singing about a tornado that made a mess in your kitchen, and how it usually doesn’t rain flour and veggies. You will clean like you mean it and will be done before you know it.
Reality:
Your slab’s a mess, your floor is a mess, your dirty dishes are still in the sink, and you’ll only come back to it when you plan to cook next.
Tip:
The more you delay, the tougher it will get. Tackle the dishes and clean the kitchen while your food is getting cooked. You’ll thank yourself later.
What’s cooking? Is it good looking?
Expectations:
You can’t wait to flaunt your culinary perfection. It will be mouth-watering and delicious looking.
Reality:
Your food turned out to be a hot pile of mess!
But if it came out to be not-so-good looking, don’t feel bad about it. Share it on r/shittyfoodporn sub instead!
Most importantly, don’t dishearten yourself. We promise you cooking in quarantine will upgrade your culinary skills. Here are 5 deliciously easy recipes from around the world that you probably won’t mess up. Happy cooking!
D’you know what else Roomi does outside of helping its readers find a reason to get down with some cooking in quarantine? With our ever-increasing lists of rooms and roommates across the world, we help you find your perfect match! Download the app here and hop on the easiest ride home, ever!
