We are limited to the virtual world right now. From get together with friends to professional meetings has started happening on zoom or google hangouts. Working from home has started working so perfectly that people are well adapted to the current situation which is not bad. We do a lot of brain work and eye exercise on the screen these days. But what are we doing to involve ourselves physically or what are some warm up activities that we do off screen? Some of us do yoga, meditation and other physical exercises. I am sharing what warm up activity worked best for me during this pandemic.

My mom has been a chef of the house most of the time. She knows all of the typical and traditional Nepali dishes from Kodo ko dhido to crispy fried chicken. She is perfect at making Daal, Bhaat, a famous staple food of Nepal. She knows how to make dry mango pickle with mustard paste and mustard oil in summer. We sit outside in the sun and have rice and daal with that mango pickle. It gives the best taste till winter. These are just a few memories I have shared but there are many more unfolding stories of her.

Since I started cooking at a young age I loved cooking but wasn’t a regular cook. It was a special day or my day off from my school if I cook at home. I used to when mom had her period or she had a lot of work to do. It has been eight months that my mom and I haven’t seen each other. I came to my home in Surkhet from Kathmandu three months ago due to the lockdown that was happening in all  Nepal. My mom is in India with my dad and small brother. They got stuck there due to COVID-19 situation. They couldn’t travel back to Nepal. Now my mom’s face is limited on the screen and I miss her physical presence, a tight hug. All the responsibilities of my home that my mom used to carry have transformed me. I have to show up in the kitchen every day, clean the courtyard every morning and do other household chores. I am missing my mom for so many reasons. But I have to be strong especially in such situations.

So I have been thinking of ways to engage myself that is fun, interesting and also a little exercise for my body. I have found that cooking during pandemic has become my best warm-up activity during this pandemic. I am actually loving working in the kitchen. The cooking activity gives me good food, extra energy for my work and a little break from my computer screen. The flexible working hours have given me some time to explore my cooking skill. Whatever I learned from my mom has really got a place in my cooking diaries. I try recipes that I learned from my friends. Not only that I am experimenting with my own dishes.

Cooking During Pandemic and Cooking is my Hobby

I stay with my brother and grandma. My day starts from my kitchen. I make it a good morning with masala milk tea for everyone in my family. I always give an extra flavor to my tea and a company by cooking one extra dish for breakfast. I put slices of pancake aside that is made up of organic eggs. I have learned to cook pancakes recently from youtube. A cup of tea and pancake with banana has been my favorite breakfast these days. But sometimes I also try different varieties. I cook hot pakoda, nimki, mada roti (a chapati made of semi liquid rice flour with a little bit of cooking oil) or just popcorn. I have learned to make a perfect circle of mada roti now. We eat our breakfast together. My grandmother and brother give me feedback. They like it most of the time. Of course it gives the best taste but it gives more. When I work in the kitchen early in the morning- move my hands here and there to pick up things, walk around, it energizes my body and brain for the rest of the day. I prepare our traditional lunch and dinner i.e. daal, bhaat and tarkari everyday. Besides that I do a lot of cooking during the day. When I want to take a break from my computer screen I just go to my kitchen and start cooking something I want to eat. My snack time is interesting as well. I always drink masala tea in the evening. But before that I also want to eat something spicy during the day. I cook spicy noodles, chowmein, french fries, aalu chop, aalu nimki, puri tarkari. I often have the best chatpate. I tried to make mango pickles like the one my mom made. I think I have done a great job!

It’s the best feeling when your belly is not empty. In fact your full stomach helps in concentration. Eating is very important and I am sure eating is a favorite thing for most of us. We just love eating delicious and yummy food. Some of us might be dependent on restaurants for our favorite food. But these days due to COVID-19 we are on our campaign to stay home and stay safe. We are also trying to maintain social distancing with people. We are spending maximum time with our family members. We want to eat great food but we might not know how to cook those foods. But do you know what great news is? We can try all those ways to make it possible. The good thing is that there are technologies which can help us. Just start with a simple dish. Watch videos on YouTube. Also, we can get connected to our friends or far relatives if they can help and you can plan a cooking party! Even our family members at home could be part of our plan. I am taking a lot of help from my mom, dad, and friends even virtually. It’s so much fun!! I don’t even realize how quickly the day passes.

This way cooking during pandemic has been the best part of my day during this pandemic. Cooking has diverted my mind from getting bored, a little exercise to my body, freshen my brain and the best warm up activity to get back to my work.

Let’s share what has been your best warm up activity during this pandemic.