Pandemic Pantry
In times of crisis, it is not uncommon for the panic buyer in all of us to escape and lead us to stock our kitchens with items varying from the exotic to the downright boring.
As we pile our shopping trolleys with the essentials we are also inclined to grab those more unique items, justifying it with thoughts like it is a good idea to have 7 spare sharing bags of crisps, and although we normally only purchase whole turkeys at Christmas, now seems like a better time than ever.
The first week after this immediate panic buy the pandemic pantry is quite interesting as we throw together meals with all the appealing ingredients, and as the children ask “what is for dinner?”, you are proud to announce you have created a banquet of their favourite foods to keep them happy as they continue to be taught at home by yourself.
However, as the second week hits and those staple favourites are starting to diminish, we are soon putting together meals with ingredients that would challenge even the most inventive of cooks, and we find ourselves now answering the question “what is for dinner?” with that worry evoking answer, “it’s a surprise”. A sentence that sends a chill down every child’s spine.
As you lift the fork of turkey topped with a cheese and onion crisp crumb and a dressing made primarily of tahini, (which was initially bought with the intention of making delicious hummus until realisation of how difficult that is set in) we realise there is a significant lesson to be learnt in our recent shopping attitude.
Going forward, we’ll set some essential rules for shopping and cooking that we will adhere to, to help ousevles and also acknowledge that we are all in this together.
- Write a list of the essentials you need. This might seem obvious but sticking to a list will keep you calm and stop you panic buying.
- Try the alternative frozen versions of fresh food. This will mean it can last longer and limit the amount of waste.
- Potatoes are so versatile – use them. The country’s love of all things pasta has been made clear in the last few weeks so look to other, fresh carbohydrates. Potatoes are a versatile food and are grown locally, so no risk of running out at the supermarket.
- Buy local. If you have a local butcher or farm shop try to use them in the first instance. This will help support the local economy and mean the food is fresh and in season.
- Have a budget – setting a spending limit will help ensure you on purchase what is on your list.