When I Talk about Quarantine and Cooking

This week marks the 8th week of quarantine, and I'm not sure if it's only me or this current lifestyle is becoming more familiar to you too? It doesn't seem normal yet (not even close) – only less strange. Of course, it goes without saying that boredom is inevitable and feels too much to bear at times. There are days when time passes so slowly, inducing nostalgia for life before the corona and leaving nothing but the pain of longing. Fortunately, most of the time, I'm able to assuage my disappointment with my gratitude. The fact that I'm here, close to my beloved people –  and we're all healthy. The fact that I stay in a comfortable place and have enough stuff to support my everyday life. I have hobbies that keep my sanity and lift my mood from time to time. And for so many other things that I can't explain here. I'm not trying to brag about how lucky I am despite the current situation where million of people are living on the edge. I just think that it's very important for us to embrace our mundane lives by not taking anything for granted. Only then we can continue helping those who are impacted most from this situation.

Among the many important lessons I've learned throughout my life, one of them is definitely this: practising gratitude without doing self-care practices is futile. What I've done to stay sane during the quarantine is by devoting my time to a couple of pursuits I had put aside when I was busy, and one of them is cooking. 

Cinnamon rolls w/cream cheese icing

I often heard that there are people who eat or cook just out of necessity for living, but I never really experienced it myself before until last year. At that time, I had lost my appetite (not to mention the desire to cook) because I was under the gun to finish the thesis. I spent most of the year finalising my PhD (and preparing my wedding in between). As I had to eat to stay alive, I only cook the kind of foods that took 15 minutes at most. It didn't feel right, particularly for me who appreciates eating and cooking as the forms of indulgence and not merely activities. Yet, I had no choice. 

And that was the reason why I never take any free time and proper home-cooked for granted ever since. 

Batagor + Siomay Bandung (with peanut sauce), all from scratch

Salmon and spinach lasagna 

Banana cake

For those of you who have followed me on Instagram for a while might have known that I like to post my home cooks on the Stories. But it happens way more often during quarantine – I'm now literally like a young mom who posts nothing but her newborn photos! While I've been stuck in my apartment, I must say cooking and baking has been one of my main sources of comfort and entertainment. They've also become my ways to turn my anxieties and boredom into happiness and contentment for some reasons. Sometimes it's because of my first attempt at making some dishes that are effortlessly (or complicatedly) amazing, both visually and taste-wise. In other times, I'm happy because I've made some dishes several times already but the results only got better. Other than these, cooking also a way to pass the hours and makes me feel productive, particularly when I'm not in the mood to do anything. 

What about you? What things that keep your sanity the most during quarantine? 

Chicken with creamy mushroom + sauteed green beans + mashed potatoes


Chicken noodles (Mie ayam ala abang - abang)


Homemade donuts (ala donat kampung)