In both the first lockdown (what a distant, yet now familiar memory!) and the current third lockdown, many people across the country have taken to the most joyous activity of baking and cooking. From a crusty loaf of delicious homemade bread, to some intricately assembled (and incredibly fussy) macarons, I have, like lots of other pupils, I’m sure, truly begun an unstoppable streak of lockdown baking taking inspiration from online chefs and home cooks.
Cooking and baking is a therapeutic activity that offers a much needed break from the negatives of a global pandemic. The kneading of bread is like punching out your anger at missed sports fixtures, or visits outside; the frosting of a decadent chocolate cake with a rich icing is incredibly satisfying to the eyes and the soul. And then, after that effort, you end up with beautiful, delicious homemade food that you can be proud of.
So, when Mrs Charlesworth-Jones announced a ‘cooking championship’ within Gifford house, I was all ears – before the house Zoom meeting had finished, I had already posted 11 photos of my lockdown cooking experience! Aside from me, other Giffordians such as James Walton, Brian Liu and Mark Bo have been cooking up a storm, with pasta, brownies and some beautiful mung bean paste cakes, respectively.
In addition, Gifford received some extremely impressive contributions from none other than Mr Balkham! In the self-titled ‘Balkham’s Bake-off Blitz’, we have seen apple pie, scones and biscuits of laser-cut precision (looks like DT came in handy there!)
My other lockdown cooking ventures have been fresh pasta, tandoori chicken, pancakes, pizza, pumpkin pie, cinnamon rolls, chocolate chip cookies, brownies and more. All in all, I would highly recommend you start cooking during lockdown (and continue after) – no matter your diet or your skill level, there are countless numbers of wonderful homemade meals that you can make in your kitchen. Also, learning various cooking techniques now, will always benefit you in life, as you will have already gained both skills, confidence and experience.
If you would like the recipes for any of the food that I have cooked, feel free to email me.
