Strange times indeed.
I am sat at my desk in Singapore thinking about everyone, all over the world, in various states of lock-down. One of my closest friends is housebound in Northern Italy where the death rate continues to skyrocket. My sisters and mother are in a small community in central British Columbia where the virus is only just starting to appear but where the shelves of Walmart have quickly been cleared. Two of my brothers are in London, one of whom is a freelancer and his income stream has completely dried up in the last week. And I am here in Singapore, where an eerie combination of normality (most things are open) and impending doom pervades.
If you are feeling similarly unsettled then I would like to share with you a notion I find comforting in times of trouble. It is, rather bizarrely, something I heard William Hague (!) say was his motto for life and it has sort of become mine too, and that is nothing is ever as good or as bad as it first seems. Let's leave the bit about good times to one side for the moment. Now, I know what you're thinking, how on earth could this situation get any worse? But, I think what he was getting at is that humanity is incredibly resilient. We find ways of overcoming, of bouncing back, of grasping whatever positives and silver linings there may be and in doing so we survive, we come through stronger, and often wiser.
But enough soundbites from washed-up Tory politicians! Other than philosophical contemplation what can we do on a more practical level to stop us going insane and nourish our minds and bodies? Cook of course! The one thing I hear more than any other when I talk to people about healthy eating is that they don't have the time to cook from scratch, well now you do! If you have kids at home, get them in the kitchen, if you don't, enjoy some contemplative chopping with a glass of wine (the only thing I have actually stockpiled!). No need to rush out and panic buy, try using what you already have in your cupboards, all those dried pulses and lentils that you bought once in a moment of vegan zeal, or the tins of beans languishing at the back of the larder - their time has come!
There are a load of recipes in The Midlife Kitchen (currently only £6.00 click here to purchase) that are based on store-cupboard or really basic ingredients, so dig it out and mark a few recipes that you'd like to try. If you do, please take a snap and share with me on Instagram @midlifekitchen it would be amazing to see what you are making! There are also loads of recipes that I've posted here on the blog that you could try:
So even though we find ourselves in the middle of this confounding crisis we will carry on, we will do what we can to stay safe and sane, we will look after each other and ourselves and with a bit of luck it really won't be as bad as it first seems.
Happy #coronacooking !
Sam x
P.S. If you are enjoying my blog please recommend it to your friends xx