Friends,
Today we’re going to talk about food. Specifically, about the act of making meals.
Emily here. After one year of eating breakfast, lunch and dinner inside the confines of my apartment I am feeling the meal prep burnout.
Early on during lockdown, food became a survivalist thing for many folks (we acknowledge that food insecurity is an ongoing crisis). There were articles galore about how to make do with limited ingredients when grocery store aisles were sparse. We got tips on how to cook while feeling overwhelmed—see the appropriately named piece, 5 Ways to Make Sure You Eat When You’re Burned Out By Life. Some of the most helpful advice I heard then: rethink what makes up a meal. It doesn’t have to be fancy!
Then for a while, when yeast and flour started to be less of a luxury item, it seemed to be the era of home-cooking: breads, baking, canning, herb growing, friends swapping Yotam Ottolenghi recipes. I, a rookie baker, industriously recreated scones from my favorite bakery. It was the golden era.
Fast forward one year and Helen Rosner’s The Joylessness of Cooking is really starting to hit home. What happened?! We think: as household work became more visible and amplified during the pandemic, meal prep and cleanup became more of a chore and less of a social or creative exercise.
We both hope that with the return of hosting dinners and potlucks and the ability to spontaneously go to a restaurant, we can return to a middle-ground: a balance of a few well-thought, home-cooked dinners and meals each week (could be batch-made, even!) combined with a few open windows for meal spontaneity (e.g. dinner with a friend, takeout, fast food, canned soup). There’s some planning and thought, but also some room for movement.
Today we’re asking: How have you been thinking about food and preparing meals? How has this changed over the past year?
Emily: Back in early lockdown I learned how to improvise with random pantry ingredients and how to cook tofu 17 different ways. Now I just want to eat PB&Js, pizza, and baby carrots. Frankly I feel annoyed just having to think about planning meals. (Yes, I am a very privileged person.)
Carrie: Initially I was all about batch cooking and felt very enthusiastic about the Instant Pot; by this point, my lunch situation is free-form at best. My extemporaneous thinking usually means I swing open the fridge and cobble together a sundry assortment of items.
Water Cooler Conversation
Emily: Alright since I’m a solutions-minded person I feel like I’ve gotta provide some easy recipes now. So here’s my favorite vegetarian food site. I make a version of these tacos once a week. I also love Anna Jones’ stuff, specifically her rice and grain bowls (another meal I have once a week = rice, sauteed kale, boiled egg, other random vegetables, topped off with soy or peanut sauce). Any ideas for me, CP?!
Carrie: Dare I suggest adding kimchi or other fermented veggies?! This mix-in goes a long way over here in my household. You can definitely DIY this, but the market has also responded with lots of options.
Emily: Carrie, time to report back on our survey from last week, where we asked our readers, “what activity are you most excited to do, post-vaccine?” The majority of respondents (54%) selected visiting a friend or family member. Close behind, interestingly, was see live music (45%). Hanging out at a bar came up in third place.
Carrie: It’s evident that we would enjoy hanging out with our readers.
Hey! If you’ve been enjoying this letter, will you share it with a friend?
Your pals,
Carrie & Emily