‘The Chef in You!’ - How Pandemic Got us Cooking

July 28, 2021

People who love to eat are always the best people” - Julia Child. When was the last time you remember eating the food that you love the most? Food is something that people can connect to universally. Food needs no language because it in itself is a beautiful language. Grabbing onto your favourite go-to food, while listening to your favourite rhythms with your earphones plugged in, is definitely one of the best feelings! With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic back in 2019, numerous people all across the world have taken to their one saviour and friend in times of need - FOOD! The lock-down has impacted us in multiple ways - be it emotionally, physically, mentally, or spiritually. During the lock-down period in India and across the world, people have taken to their favourite hobbies, and those who do not have a solid hobby have found the things that they love doing the most, while at home, detached from the ever so bustling and quick-paced world outside.

While people who already enjoyed cooking as their hobby got better at what they loved doing, people who were newbies to the world of cooking slowly started exploring recipes and took to their social media profiles such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, to showcase what they've learnt. I personally found myself home quarantined in Brussels, Belgium, for a major part of the pandemic, when it’s effects actually began around April 2020. At this point in my life, cooking my favourite Indian dishes, listening to my favourite music, and dancing to music has helped me find my inner peace and keep my calm even during tough times. Staying away from home - from family and friends who mean everything to you for a period that you’re uncertain of ending anytime soon is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I must say that food has helped me in maintaining my sanity, and I also took this time to explore eateries in Brussels, while I took my solo evening walks, around Brussels city centre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brussels is famed for its la Gaufrerie or Gaufre waffles, Belgian fries, Mussels, Belgian Chocolate and of course, Belgian beer! Waffles are easily available in most parts of Belgium and are also region-specific: Brussels waffle or gaufre de Bruxelles, the other is the Liège waffle or gaufre de Liège, named after the city of Liège and also known in Flemish as the Luikse wafel and in German as the Lütticher waffeln. There are a couple of waffle carts around Brussels and only a stone’s throw away from Grand-Place also called Grand Place de Bruxelles in French, the language spoken prominently in the city centre. As lucky as I have been to find my accommodation right in the city centre and a two-minute walk to the Grand-Place, my most merry moments have been tasting the street-food in Brussels, walking on Boulevard-Anspach which is also called Anspachlaan, and is a central boulevard in Brussels, Belgium. One of my favourite street foods apart from the Fries in Brussels is the Dürüm, which is a Turkish wrap that is usually filled with typical döner kebab ingredients. The durum that I tried and loved the most is the Beef durum, which is loaded with meat along with ingredients such as lettuce, purple cabbage, onion slices, bell peppers, cucumber and tomato slices and a few sauces, and is really filling, and available for only 5 Euros.

Apart from the durum in Brussels, the fries - which are special Belgian fries that originated in Brussels, Belgium itself are extremely delicious. What makes them special is their texture, the length, and the perfect taste, that goes really well with the sauces that are provided along with the fries. Apart from fries, Belgian waffles have their own unique taste, something that you wouldn’t easily find elsewhere, due to the freshness and readily prepared nature of the Belgian waffles. The various toppings that are available with waffles - such as chocolate, strawberry, honey, etc are especially delicious and add a whole new dimension to the waffle. Nothing like hot waffles on a cold morning in Brussels!

“Food is not just a thing, it is my religion, it is an emotion!” This is mainly because my food defines me and my tastes. Food can tell a lot about someone - it can tell us about what they like the most - what interests them the most, what they love about the flavours that are involved in the food, and so on. People bond over the food that they eat and when you’re in a distant land, far away from your home and your loved ones, food is something that can bring home to you. It is a special feeling to have your own ‘comfort food’, because having your favourite comfort food also triggers the regions in your brain that release the ‘feel-good hormone’ into your bloodstream. This is why food can also be a way to forget the pain and hardships that one might be facing, and help one connect more with one’s inner self, and find true peace. During the pandemic, I’m sure that each one of you reading this article would have tried cooking the favourite food of your choice and those who are already quite familiar with cooking would have certainly tried improvising and improving on the food that they prepare. It is indeed one way to escape the harm that the pandemic has wreaked worldwide - the pain that it has caused to thousands of innocent lives worldwide.

One thing that I believe the most of you all would be missing during the time of the lock-down would definitely be trying restaurant food and dining out. This is not something that is shocking because of the time and age that we currently live in. We live in the time wherein the eating-out culture has become an integral part of our lives, and so sitting at home all the time can be daunting for many. With restaurants still open for take-away orders, this gap in our lives has also been filled in for. But one main thing that I would like to emphasize is that it’s always better to home-cook your favourite food, rather than order it from the outdoor restaurants and eateries. This is mainly because of the risks involved in outdoor food preparation and packaging. The people who craft and curate the food that reaches your homes by food delivery apps are involved in meeting numerous people on a regular basis. Even though most restaurants assure their consumers/customers of safety and safe cooking practices, there exists a line of doubt and risk which cannot be overlooked. Contamination of the food especially by viruses - the deadly coronavirus is something that we cannot choose to overlook. Hence, one step that we can take from our end is to purchase the raw materials or ingredients that we require to cook our favourite food and prepare our favourite restaurant style recipes at home. What this does is makes us more creative, engages us in something useful and beneficial and also saves us from coming in contact with the deadly coronavirus. In this way we can avoid ordering from outside but instead refer to Google or YouTube for our favourite restaurant style recipes and yes, recreate these recipes within the comfort of our homes! Happy cooking!

Apart from cooking, people have been engaging in other hobbies of their interest during the pandemic - such as singing, gardening, etc. Doing what you love to do indeed brings a unique kind of happiness and peace of mind for which everyone craves. So why not do the things that you’ve always wanted to do, this lockdown? If it’s food that gets the best of you, go for it!

 

 

 

By Pearl Marita Sebatina D’Souza
Pearl recently completed her BA in Media and Communication from Manipal Institute of Communication, MAHE, Manipal. Her interests lie in Journalism, Social Media Management, Content Writing. She has previously interned at The Times of India, Deccan Herald and Daijiworld TV. She is also presently a Singer, Musician, and Choir Director at Christ Church, Manipal.
To submit your article / poem / short story to Daijiworld, please email it to news@daijiworld.com mentioning 'Article/poem submission for daijiworld' in the subject line. Please note the following:

  • The article / poem / short story should be original and previously unpublished in other websites except in the personal blog of the author. We will cross-check the originality of the article, and if found to be copied from another source in whole or in parts without appropriate acknowledgment, the submission will be rejected.
  • The author of the poem / article / short story should include a brief self-introduction limited to 500 characters and his/her recent picture (optional). Pictures relevant to the article may also be sent (optional), provided they are not bound by copyright. Travelogues should be sent along with relevant pictures not sourced from the Internet. Travelogues without relevant pictures will be rejected.
  • In case of a short story / article, the write-up should be at least one-and-a-half pages in word document in Times New Roman font 12 (or, about 700-800 words). Contributors are requested to keep their write-ups limited to a maximum of four pages. Longer write-ups may be sent in parts to publish in installments. Each installment should be sent within a week of the previous installment. A single poem sent for publication should be at least 3/4th of a page in length. Multiple short poems may be submitted for single publication.
  • All submissions should be in Microsoft Word format or text file. Pictures should not be larger than 1000 pixels in width, and of good resolution. Pictures should be attached separately in the mail and may be numbered if the author wants them to be placed in order.
  • Submission of the article / poem / short story does not automatically entail that it would be published. Daijiworld editors will examine each submission and decide on its acceptance/rejection purely based on merit.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to edit the submission if necessary for grammar and spelling, without compromising on the author's tone and message.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to reject submissions without prior notice. Mails/calls on the status of the submission will not be entertained. Contributors are requested to be patient.
  • The article / poem / short story should not be targeted directly or indirectly at any individual/group/community. Daijiworld will not assume responsibility for factual errors in the submission.
  • Once accepted, the article / poem / short story will be published as and when we have space. Publication may take up to four weeks from the date of submission of the write-up, depending on the number of submissions we receive. No author will be published twice in succession or twice within a fortnight.
  • Time-bound articles (example, on Mother's Day) should be sent at least a week in advance. Please specify the occasion as well as the date on which you would like it published while sending the write-up.

Comment on this article

  • Joanne Lobo, Mumbai

    Sat, Jul 31 2021

    Absolutely love your article, Pearl !!!❤️❤️

  • John Monteiro, Bondel, Mangaluru

    Fri, Jul 30 2021

    Very well-structured, action-prompting and readable article.

  • Nirmala Mahajan, Bangalore

    Thu, Jul 29 2021

    A young person speaking of real hobbies like cooking, gardening, traveling and most of all; noticing details of surroundings and the nuances of specific food items typical to Brussels made for an interesting read. Whilst giving glimpses into favourite foods the background information provided is indicative that Pearl can be a fantastic , researcher, mediaperson and content provider. We have much to thank for to this virus and lockdown globally. People have re-discovered themselves, learnt to.live with little, dredged inner talents and latent interests and coped with stress admirably. Pearl, speaking about her experience has brought Brussels home to us very descriptively. Kudos dear!

  • Roystan Dsouza, Pune

    Thu, Jul 29 2021

    Beautifully Scripted Pearly!!

  • Pearl Marita Sebatina D'Souza, Manipal, Karnataka

    Thu, Jul 29 2021

    Thank you everyone for your words of appreciation. Really means a lot to me!

  • Raymond D'Souza, Sahara Residency, Mangalore

    Thu, Jul 29 2021

    Dear Pearl, While reading your article, I felt like I was roaming on the streets of Brussels with some local food in my hand. You have deliciously blended your knowledge of journalism and the cooking experience in Brussels. I wish you all the best.

  • Nisha Dsouza, Pune

    Thu, Jul 29 2021

    Very well written Pearl. You have narrated everything so well. Keep writing and looking forward to more such articles.

  • Jawar D'Souza, Mangalore/Mumbai

    Thu, Jul 29 2021

    Good one Pearl, Keep up the good work, God bless you.

  • Lynette Dsouza, Mangalore

    Thu, Jul 29 2021

    Well written article Pearl!! I love the waffles from Brussels too. We all have discovered a chef in us during the pandemic. God bless you. Keep writing, while we keep reading. All the best.

  • Nixon Dsilva, Mangalore

    Thu, Jul 29 2021

    Hey Pearl very beautifully written, I can very well imagine experiencing the lovely food in Brussels, without being there physically as you have narrated it so well. Keep writing and looking forward to more such articles.

  • Ignatius Praveen Dsouza, Mangalore/ Bangalore

    Thu, Jul 29 2021

    Good Job Pearl. It's a Nice article. Would like to read more articles from you. Keep the good show going also the hymns and songs on your YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/JPdFTwvWO5U GOOD JOB and God Bless you.

  • Dr.Sandra Dsouza, Manipal

    Thu, Jul 29 2021

    Very impressive article that took me straight to Brussels. I look forward to trying these delicacies . Thanks for reminiscing your memories through words and I look forward to more articles from you. All the best!!

  • Sonia Sali, Udupi

    Thu, Jul 29 2021

    This is a very well structured and beautifully written article Pearl. Your words definitely took me to Belgium through the length of the article and back again to get myself up from this chair and cook something for the day, something that excites me probably. This is a perfect article for many of us who can relate because when the world gave up on us, it was food that came to our rescues. Cheering us in every possible way all through the pandemic. Keep writing always, I hope to see more of your writings here.

  • Rita, Germany

    Thu, Jul 29 2021

    Dear Pearl,very well written.A good thema chosen.As you said Pandamic has made many people good cooks,garden lovers and many more.May people who even didnt know to fry a omlet have turned out good food lovers and best cooks.When you say Brüssels chocolates and many more sweets,here with them .The food we order outside ,arent what our taste and many times with some extras added is not healthy.And doesnt make us satisfy as our own.Many times when we go to dine in Famous Restaurants too doesnt makes us full.Have to come home and eat something of our own.There they decorate a small amount of food in middle of a plate ,that sees very nice .You have written very well.Food is not always food .Some enjoy food during their meals .Some eat it due to lack of time that is not good for health.some eat food whatever in front of you ,without looking at it ,like students they have books in front of them or computer,without knowing how much or what it is.Keep writing and let the world know what are your next achievements.


Leave a Comment

Title: ‘The Chef in You!’ - How Pandemic Got us Cooking



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.