[Hoot Gibson]

My family is cooking more during the COVID-19 lockdown. What is on your table these days? Have you had any trouble finding certain grocery items and kitchen gadgets? Are you still eating out or have restaurants in your area closed dining rooms and expanded delivery/carryout services?

Today, I plan to make some homemade pizza dough and maybe some bread. I had a hard time finding yeast a few weeks ago and ended up ordering a very large package for about $25.

Please use this thread to post photos of your handiwork, recipes, or anything else related to how the pandemic has changed your cooking and dining routines.

[Westside]

I honestly haven't eaten out in over 5 years so the virus hasn't impacted that area of my life. There were a few items I usually ordered certain items online that I was unable to get for a while, but things are getting better. I don't eat cooked food other than microwaved potatoes so not much has changed with me.

[Hoot Gibson]

I cooked a French chickpea (a/k/a garbanzo bean) flour pancake called socca (a/k/a farinata in Italy) for lunch, and spread some homemade pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, and pepperoni on it. It was pretty good for a change, and was quicker to make than a wheat flour pizza dough crust.

My wife is diabetic, so I am trying out some dishes that have a lower glycemic index than what I normally eat. A thin, hot skillet of socca would be great with some hummus or a good Indian chutney. It doesn't taste like cornbread, but its crust has a similar crispy texture when made in a cast iron skillet. Chickpeas contain

I have also been drinking more smoothies lately as a way to get more spinach into my diet. I bought a good immersion blender and I've found that I can throw a big handful of spinach into the smoothies without really changing the taste much. The immersion blender is not as fast as a good jar blender but it makes cleanup so much easier that its worth taking a couple of minutes longer to blend the drink. The blender does a good job blending frozen fruit.

I enjoy cooking but I hate cleaning up the messes that I make. I highly recommend an immersion blender if you don't already own one and don't like KP duty. I was sold on one when I watched a guy open a can of San Marzano tomatoes and make pizza sauce in the can on Youtube. You can also use the blender to puree a pot of soup while it is cooking.

[Granny Bear]

Very little has changed with me. I don't eat out very much either and most food items have been easy to get; however, more expensive.

I broke quarantine last week to meet my daughter. I hadn't seen her in person since January. She had a negative Covid test and no exposure for 14 days. So I made chicken and dumplings, white beans with ham, cornbread and a couple bundt cakes. It was so great!! We talked and fished and ate for two days.

[Bob Seger]

Very little has changed with me. I don't eat out very much either and most food items have been easy to get; however, more expensive.

I broke quarantine last week to meet my daughter. I hadn't seen her in person since January. She had a negative Covid test and no exposure for 14 days. So I made chicken and dumplings, white beans with ham, cornbread and a couple bundt cakes. It was so great!! We talked and fished and ate for two days.

That's awesome Granny. Good for you!!

[Granny Bear]

I even caught a few large mouths!!!

[Bob Seger]

I even caught a few large mouths!!!

What kind of bait was cardsfan1 biting?

[Granny Bear]

I wasn't fishing for bottom feeders!

[Bob Seger]

I wasn't fishing for bottom feeders!

:Clap::Clap::Clap:





:biglmao::biglmao::biglmao::biglmao::biglmao:

[Spirit100]

We haven't changed much at all other than cooking on a new smoker. I've become a lot more efficient doing dishes with my son home from college.

That boy eats like a horse and has a utensil for every meal and or snack! ; )

[Granny Bear]

That CANNOT surprise you!!!

[Hoot Gibson]

We haven't changed much at all other than cooking on a new smoker. I've become a lot more efficient doing dishes with my son home from college.

That boy eats like a horse and has a utensil for every meal and or snack! ; )

I know what you mean. My youngest son can clean out a refrigerator in a heartbeat and his heavy workout schedule keeps him fit as a fiddle. Like you, I have been working to become more efficient with my cooking while minimizing the cleanup that follows.

We fixed a huge pan of baked spaghetti yesterday (2 16 oz. boxes). I had made the spaghetti sauce the day before and added ricotta, fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan cheese to the mix.

I have not used my smoker much so far this year but it is a very efficient way to cook large quantities of meat without creating a huge mess.

Fixing smoothies with an immersion blender is also a great way to cut down on dirty dishes and utensils. A big bag of spinach, a freezer full of fruit and avocados, and a few stainless steel tumblers, and you're all set.

I also used the blender to chop my dried peppers, sauteed onions, and canned tomatoes in the skillet as my pasta sauce cooked. I should have bought a good immersion blender years ago.

[Hoot Gibson]

Does anybody else like hot Chinese mustard with their egg rolls and spring rolls? I'm not talking about the little packages of mustard that most Chinese restaurants use. I'm talking about the kind of mustard that will burn your nasal passages and induce a coughing fit when you inhale the fumes.

I finally got fed up with my Chinese food deliveries not including mustard packets and getting the horrible mustard packets that Panda Express provides with their terrible egg rolls. I ordered some powdered hot Chinese mustard from Amazon and can confirm that it is the real deal. You just mix a small amount with some hot water and allow its flavor to percolate for a few minutes before serving.

Just be sure to warn anybody who has not eaten hot mustard before to avoid breathing when they take their first bite and make sure that they understand what is coming their way. Otherwise, make sure that you are not seated in their line of fire.

[Image: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/...0,160_.jpg]

[Old School Hound]

I cooked a French chickpea (a/k/a garbanzo bean) flour pancake called socca (a/k/a farinata in Italy) for lunch, and spread some homemade pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, and pepperoni on it. It was pretty good for a change, and was quicker to make than a wheat flour pizza dough crust.

My wife is diabetic, so I am trying out some dishes that have a lower glycemic index than what I normally eat. A thin, hot skillet of socca would be great with some hummus or a good Indian chutney. It doesn't taste like cornbread, but its crust has a similar crispy texture when made in a cast iron skillet. Chickpeas contain

I have also been drinking more smoothies lately as a way to get more spinach into my diet. I bought a good immersion blender and I've found that I can throw a big handful of spinach into the smoothies without really changing the taste much. The immersion blender is not as fast as a good jar blender but it makes cleanup so much easier that its worth taking a couple of minutes longer to blend the drink. The blender does a good job blending frozen fruit.

I enjoy cooking but I hate cleaning up the messes that I make. I highly recommend an immersion blender if you don't already own one and don't like KP duty. I was sold on one when I watched a guy open a can of San Marzano tomatoes and make pizza sauce in the can on Youtube. You can also use the blender to puree a pot of soup while it is cooking.

I'll second, third, and fourth the bolded statement above.

I like making good homemade chili  or vegetable soup , especially this time of year.