Home cooking has become a huge talking point during lockdown but have you found yourself turning to childhood food or recipes from your home town or country for comfort? Find out here if our multinational team has changed their eating habits during the Coronavirus crisis.
1. How have your eating habits changed during lockdown? Has working from home had a big impact on what you eat or not?
I make myself a big breakfast, which is more like a lunch actually, and eat dinner. So technically I eat less, but we have snacks lying around, which is not good. I also try to take a real break, like we used to do in the office. It helps if we want to stay focus the whole day in Home Office.
Amélie Nicklaus, Project Manager
I have been working from home since 2013 and loving it. So lockdown or not, my eating habits have remain the same during the day, but I certainly watch more TV in the evenings since the quarantive of Covid-19. I sometime enjoy trying a new rescipe for dinner during the week and yes, with a glass of wine sometimes even on a Wednesday night. I think I spoil myself more because I have more time to cook a healthty meal every day now, but that also means that I eat more leftovers too!!!
Danielle Faubert, Director of Globalization Solutions
It did, because I cook more than usually. To avoid getting bored, I started going through cookbooks to find new recipes. The variety of different cuisines cooked in my kitchen definitely increased since the lockdown.
Daniel Nad, Project Manager
My eating habits have changed. I take longer breaks as I have looked up some new recipes. Thus, I find myself cooking longer than I usually do. I try to avoid eating more comfort food.
Sebastian Binarsch, Senior Project Manager
I usually work from home so my eating habits haven’t changed too dramatically in lockdown. What has been more challenging has been shopping for groceries only once a week and cooking for 4 adults as our boys aged 21 and 18 are quarantined with us. We have certainly made a big effort to vary what we eat and to make sure that more of our meals are vegetarian. We have even been having vegan food – despite the protests from our 18 year old!
Caroline Strappazzon, Research Assistant
2. Can you give an example of how you’ve become more inventive with cooking or food?
We’ve been more inventive with bread for lunch or dinner, a bit like smørrebrød in Danemark.
Amélie Nicklaus, Project Manager
I have always enjoyed cooking, especially trying a new dish. I am by nature inventive and creative using a lot of fresh herbs and ingreadients when cooking, but I go back now and then to find an old cockie recipee that I used to make when the kids where still living at home. Now I need to freeze them if I do not want to eat them all. For me baking is much more the pleasure of sharing with my friends and neighbors and it is a great passtime when I am in the mood.
Danielle Faubert, Director of Globalization Solutions
Different cuisines have different ingredients, which are sometimes not used up in the process. I cooked a couple of meals made from leftover ingredients, that resulted in “interesting” fusion dishes. Thai curry with beetroot is my favorite invention so far.
Daniel Nad, Project Manager
During lockdown I’m ging to the supermarket way more often. I got used to buy more fruits and salads. Something hasn’t changed though: I cook double portions to have something to eat the next day 😉
Sebastian Binarsch, Senior Project Manager
A lot of foods were initially missing in our supermarkets here in the UK so we have had to get creative and replace one thing with another. I stocked up on dried herbs and spices and products in tins and jars so I could make sure I got flavour into our cooking. Different types of rice have been hard to find so paella and risotto had to be made with Basmati and green olives seem to have appeared in a lot of dishes!
Caroline Strappazzon, Research Assistant
3. What foods are you missing the most?
I miss the Entrecote “saignante” from the restaurant in our street, and of course the recipes from my parents in France.
Amélie Nicklaus, Project Manager
We are not missing any food yet in Quebec, Canada, actually everyone is buying more. Yes, some days, an article might be missing, but you can get it on another day.
Danielle Faubert, Director of Globalization Solutions
A pizza and a tiramisu from places like “W”. I’m not able to reproduce that kind of quality.
Daniel Nad, Project Manager
To be honest I do not miss any foods. In the office I was used to eat a lot more comfort food.
Sebastian Binarsch, Senior Project Manager
My guilty pleasure is an occasional Big Mac so I’m starting to crave that now.
Caroline Strappazzon, Research Assistant
4. Have you found yourself eating more comfort food or turning to recipes from childhood or your home country?
We have tried out new recipes actually, for specific chocolate cakes or beignets, and I try to get or cook French comfort food whenever possible: chocolate mousse, cheese, rillettes, crêpes, fish etc.
Amélie Nicklaus, Project Manager
Well, I have made homemade french fries, which I do every 10 years LOL!
Danielle Faubert, Director of Globalization Solutions
Yes, from time to time. My parents had a couple of meals they would cook when in a hurry. German and Hungarian cuisine both have quick and cheap meals which I do from time to time, although they tend to be quite heavy.
Daniel Nad, Project Manager
My mum shared some reciepes with me. Before lockdown I didn’t really have much time to turn to these recipes. I always try new receipes to have varied food.
Sebastian Binarsch, Senior Project Manager
I am lucky because my husband is a chef who grew up in rural France so he often cooks dishes from his childhood. Our comfort food of choice is crêpes, sweet and savoury, and before plain flour disappeared we ate lots of the sweet variety. Fortunately we have a good supply of buckwheat flour so savoury crêpes are still on the menu.
Caroline Strappazzon, Research Assistant
5. Please share a simple recipe if you have time.
Savory crêpes recipe from my mother:
- 250g buckwheat flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 egg white beaten until stiff
- 1 pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 coffee spoon oil
- 500 ml of water
- 2 coffee spoon of all-purpose flour
Mix all together and let rest in the fridge for 1 hour
You can then use savory toppings, like cheese, smoked salmon, crème fraiche – you can actually be very inventive and it’s fun to do with children
Amélie Nicklaus, Project Manager
One of my favorite meal is French Bouillabaisse and my favorite local cook is Ricardo. Give it a try https://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/recipes/2019/02/11/french-bouillabaisse-is-easier-to-make-than-you-think.html
Danielle Faubert, Director of Globalization Solutions
Shakshouka
Very simple, for proper recipe consult “Jerusalem” by Yotam Ottolenghi
Red pepper, tomatos, garlic, onions and cumin slowly cooked until it’s almost like a thick sauce with chunks of pepper. Make little wholes and add eggs until they are poached. Optionally you can add goat cheese or Turkish stile Feta cheese. Serve with a hot slice of bread.
Daniel Nad, Project Manager
Savoury Crêpes / Galettes de Sarrasin
- Ingredients (makes roughly 8 crêpes)
- 120g Buckwheat Flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 50g salted butter, melted
- 300ml milk (semi-skimmed)
- Salt and pepper
Method
Put all the ingredients together in a bowl and use a blender to mix thoroughly. Take a large, flat based frying pan and heat. Use a ladle to pour a small amount into the middle of the pan and tip the pan to fill the surface with the mixture so that the crêpe is nice and thin. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Flip to cook on the other side.
Suggestions for fillings:
- Ham, grated Cheddar or Comté Cheese, Roasted Tomato and a Fried Egg
- Caramelised Onions, Goat’s Cheese and Spinach
- Pan-Fried Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Onions and Crème Fraiche
Caroline Strappazzon, Research Assistant
