Covid and Cooking

There is something about cooking that is very centering for me. I think those few hours in the kitchen give me time to relax and create something that is both very satisfying and life giving.

I get a huge sense of achievement and happiness from trying new recipies or old favourites. And then there is the eating which is always comforting and satisfying even when the recipie doesn't work out.

Unfortunately after having stayed clear of covid for two and a half years I caught it and became ill. Despite vaccinations, mask wearing and reduced work/social contact I became unwell. It isn't surprising. I am clinically extremely vulnerable so I do my best to look after my health but there is only so much an individual can do when the prevalence of Covid is so high. The experience was unpleasant but I am feeling much better now and apart from a cough and fatigue, I am feeling more like my usual self. 

Being ill disrupts daily patterns of activities and routines, especially those that give us joy. I had no energy to cook or eat and was reduced to eating takeaways which isnt a hardship but just not what I wanted. I also ate odds and ends from the freezer. Those leftover meals that you don't really know what to do with come into their own when you are unable to cook.

It is so easy to take good health for granted and just spend time racing between activities. Having Covid has been a timely reminder to be grateful.

And now I am feeling much better I have returned to cooking with a new cookbook from the Jamie Oliver Cook Book club. This July the book was Dominique's Kitchen. I was reluctant to buy it because I dont do much Asian style cookery but the photos from the club and the recommendations from club members really encouraged me.

When I went through the book I realised that I want to cook every single recipie. 

I started with the Sticky Chilli Chicken. It is so delicious and very easy to make. I am already thinking of using beef next time.

I also made Spinach and Tumeric Fish Curry. 

I am not really a fan of curry but this doesn't have the traditional curry flavour, instead it has a lightness from the turmeric and texture from the spinach and it was just so quick to make.

I also made the Zingy Apple and Red Cabbage Salad. 

I am not a great fan of apples in salad. I dont even like apples in fruit salad but I already had a bowl full of grated red cabbage and so I decided to give it a go. When I took the container out of the fridge a few hours later there was a large hole 🕳 in the middle where my son had been at work. He isn't a great fan of salad but this is just so tasty and definitely zingy.

It is not all the time that I find a cookbook like this. This is definitely a favourite and a life time cook book. I am so pleased I bought it, pleased with the flavours and the simplicity of the recipes and I am very grateful that I am healthy enough to enjoy the cooking and the eating.