COOKING AT HOME

DURING THE CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC, PEOPLE ARE TOO SCARED TO BUY READY TO EAT MEALS. SOME POEPLE EVEN START TO STOP ORDERING FOOD VIA ONLINE DELIVERY SERVICE LIKE GO-FOOD OR GRAB FOOD TO AVOID VIRUS SPREADING. INSTEAD, PEOPLE  START TO COOK A SIMPLE RECIPES DURING SELF-QUARANTINE. QUARANTINE-RELATED CONTENTS, ESPECIALLY COOKING TIPS, ARE SPREADING ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

I CONSIDERED THIS PHENOMENA AS THE RISE OF HOME COOKING. HAHAHA. OR HOME COOKING AWAKENS.

ACTUALLY, DINING HABIT HAS CHANGED LONG TIME AGO. WITH THE EMERGENCE OF FAST-FOOD AND HAVING NO TIME TO COOK BECAUSE OF WORK, MOST OF PEOPLE LEFT COOKING. AND WE BECAME THE COMMODIFICATION OBJECT OF FOOD INDUSTRY, THEY SUGGEST US, “YOU HAVE NO TIME TO COOK, LET IT TO US.” SO THEN FOOD CORPORATIONS GREW UP, CONGLOMERATING.

AND WE TEND TO BELIEVE COOKING AS COMPLICATED ACTION. I SAID, YES INDEED. IF IT’S NOT COMPLICATED, CHEFS WILL NOT BE PAID FOR THEIR EXPERTISE. AND I REALIZE COOKING COULD BE TERRIFYING FOR SOME PEOPLE.

THE COOKING SHOW ONLY SHOWS US THE BEAUTY AND THE HARMONY OF COOKING. THE BUTTER SIZZLING ON HOT PAN, FINELY CHOPPING ONION, AND THROWING IT INTO PAN, THEN ADDING IN CUTS OF CHICKEN BREAST ALONG WITH OTHER INGREDIENTS. STIR IT A LITTLE OR TOAST IT. AND VOILA. IT’S DONE. AND YOU END IT WITH A STRONG QUOTE LIKE SISCA SOEWITOMO “MUDAH BUKAN MEMBUATNYA” 

BUT IN FACT, THERE ARE MANY THINGS ACCIDENTALLY HAPPEN IN KITCHEN. THAT HOT OIL SPLASHING TOWARDS YOU AND YOURE LIKE INSTINCTIVELY PROTECT YOURSELF WITH PAN LID LIKE YOURE USING A SHIELD. 

OR YOU START CRYING WHILE CHOPPING ONION AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WANT GRAB A HELMET AND USE IT. I’LL TELL YOU, IT WONT HELP. BECAUSE IT’S THE AROMA OF ONION’S ROOT THAT MAKES YOU CRY. LET THE ROOT STEM UNCUT, AND YOU’LL BE SAFE. 

OR YOU POUR TOO MUCH PEPPER ON YOUR DISH AND START SNEEZING A LOT 

OR MESSED UP WITH FLOUR, EGG, AND BREADCRUMBS WHEN YOU WANT TO BREAD YOUR CHICKEN. IT’S LIKE GLUEY STICKING AROUND YOUR FINGERS. 

BUT DON’T WORRY IF YOU MESS YOUR COOKING NO ONE WILL SHOUT ON YOUR FACE LIKE GORDON RAMSAY DID. HAHA. NO. IT’S YOUR HOUSE AND YOU ALSO RULE YOUR COOKING. 

BUT NOW, THE PANDEMIC REALLY CHANGES OUR HABIT. PEOPLE ARE LINING UP AT GROCERIES, BUYING INGREDIENTS THEY NEED FOR QUARANTINE. WE ARE FORCED TO COOK AT HOME, BACK TO WHAT MAKES US UNIQUELY HUMAN.

A CREDIBLE FOOD WRITER, MICHAEL POLLAN, SAID  THAT COOKING IS ACTUALLY A SOCIAL ACT. IF WE GO BACK 2 MILLION YEARS AGO, THE DISCOVERY OF FIRE LED HUMAN TO START COOKING. THEY FIRSTLY COOKED MEAT. IT BECAME MORE DELICIOUS, EASIER TO DIGEST, SAFER TO CONSUME. AS SOON AS WE DO THAT, WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO SHARE. COOKING GAVE US THE MEAL AND THE MEAL GAVE US CIVILIZATION.

HOME COOKING AND FAMILY MEAL ALSO CRUCIAL FOR FAMILY, WE LEARN A LOT ABOUT MANNERS, GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER, TAKING ROLES, SOLVING PROBLEMS, AND STRENGTHEN FAMILY BOND.

BY COOKING WE ALSO KNOW MORE WHAT WE EAT. WE CAN MEASURE SALT AND SUGAR INTAKE. OR DIGGING TO OLD FAMILY RECIPE THAT HAS BEEN ABANDONED FOR YEARS.

AND OF COURSE, COOKING IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO KILL TIME ANYWAY. HAHA.  

SO, AFTER THOSE BUSY DAYS IN THE PAST, JUST STAY AT HOME, WORK FROM HOME, AND COOK HEALTHY MEALS A LOT!