Cooking in the Crisis

Perhaps foolishly, I thought I'd have more free time as a result of this lockdown - since I'm not commuting to work, I figured that would give me an hour a day, and since I'm now not able to go out to band, to chuch, or to see family, that should clear huge swathes of time. But it hasn't been the case - because I'm still working full-time (albeit from home), LC has been stuck with the lion's share of looking after FS, and as a consequence of that most of the times when I'm not working I'm trying to provide as much support as I can.

The other thing about all this that I find remarkable is how we've managed to accidentally be about as well prepared for this as I think we could be. I should note immediately that I'm not pretending any special genius here, but I find it strange that a couple of weeks either way could have seen us enter lockdown with empty shelves, where as it happens we'd restocked just before things got hard to find.

I am conscious, however, that the lockdown is very likely to be extended beyond the three weeks initially set, and that the supply situation is likely to get worse before it gets better. (Although maybe not too bad - both because the supermarkets seem to think their underlying supply chains are still working, and because we're now moving into spring when our farms start to become more productive. Plus, if the panic buying calms down, and the supermarkets start rationing supplies, we may actually be okay. I guess we'll know in a few weeks.) As a consequence of that, I've been trying not to eat into our stores too much, by continuing to include several freshly made meals each week. Luckily (again), I am equipped with a multitude of useful cookbooks, including one specifically on the use of leftovers.

The one thing that has been a bit tricky when planning meals is knowing what I will be able to pick up at the supermarket. Thus far lamb mince and tinned tomatoes have eluded me (the latter being a bigger loss than the former), while I was able to pick up baked beans last week but not this.

(I should note at this point that both Jack Monroe and Jamie Oliver have been producing advice on how to make use of whatever you have when cooking. For those unfamiliar with Jack Monroe, she was a single mother who went through some really hard times, and therefore knows a great deal about making do with what you have. She's probably the expert to consult. I mention Jamie mostly because several of the things he's shown us are actually things I would happily eat even in normal times. But the truth is that his show is probably less about actually cooking, and more about getting a friendly, reassuring, and, crucially, familiar face on screens to avoid people losing their minds. Not that that's a bad thing.)

Being a software architect rather than a professional chef (or pandemic expert), I'm not going to offer a lot of advice here. Generally speaking, it's better to find actual experts and listen to them. But two things that I think are worth noting:

• I would recommend going through your cupboards, fridge, and freezer and making an inventory of everything that you have in the house that is edible, including use-by dates. (That's use by, not "best before". The distinction may matter.) That way you know what you've got, what key gaps you need to fill, and have a decent idea of how to maximise it. (I should also note that that one comes to me by way of the aforementioned Jack Monroe.)
  
• The Sunday roast has been a real friend to us. Last week we had a roast chicken, from which we then harvested meat for a second dinner in midweek and a couple of lunches. This week I picked up a shoulder of lamb, which we'll be having tonight. We haven't been having any difficulties getting hold of root vegetables, so this has been a very efficient way to cook meat for the week.

I guess I should note something about my shopping list - normally, I would plan out a week's meals and then assemble a shopping list to suit. The last couple of weeks, I have noted things like "roasting joint", and then picked up whatever they have. Hence the chicken, then the lamb. I've also noticed that Tesco always had plenty of ham joints left, so maybe that's next. From next week, I think it will probably include a "look for..." section, where I'll try to source things like tinned tomatoes without having a specific plan for them - I can't assume I'll get them, so they won't feature in the meal plan... but if I do get them then we can plan to use them the week after.

Anyway, that's the update. For the moment, we are all well. Long may that continue. I hope things remain well with you, or as well as can be hoped. Good luck!