MAKING THE MOST OF OUR PANDEMIC PANTRIES
Is COVID-19 creating edible challenges for you and your family? If so, you are not alone! Routines are greatly disrupted including what and how we eat. Food shopping, once considered a mundane task for many, is layered with newfound stress whether it's compromised access to the nourishment you normally buy or the fear of getting sick. Many are facing a culinary conundrum as home cooking is now a necessity, even for those who can’t or don’t find comfort in the kitchen.
Admittedly, as I lay in bed throughout March and early April (yes, I had coronavirus), I was able to observe many communities mobilizing their virtual platforms. As an alumnus of Teachers College, Columbia University, countless e mails filled my in-box with fascinating programming complements of professors and professionals, all with a tie to the University. Hopeful that I would soon pass feel better, I reached out to the Office of Alumni Relations to toss my hat into the ring.
Thus, the birth of Making the Most of Our Pandemic Pantries, a one-hour demonstration and dialogue, from my kitchen to all of yours. All registrants were asked, “What are your biggest edible challenges right now from ingredients to cooking to special dietary needs?” And prior to the event, I reviewed the answers and created the plan for the presentation.
Here’s a list of some of the ingredients that folks felt challenged with:
Canned fruit
Frozen vegetables
Sweet potatoes
Onions
Rice
Beans, canned and dried
Ground meats
Seafood
Coconut milk
Chipotle in adobo
And this is how I responded:
Pandemic Pantries #1 (click here for replay) highlighted Sweet Potato Hash and Vegetable Shrimp Fried Rice. Download recipes here.
Pandemic Pantries #2 (click here for replay) highlighted Roasted Frozen Vegetables, Coconut Curry Rice and Turkey Black Bean Tacos. Download recipes here.
Happy cooking!