They take flour, yeast, water, and a pinch of salt and turn them into golden, crunchy, home-made bread or fluffy pizza dough. They all seem to have excellent native cooking skills and master them faster than the rest of us. A Country of BakersĪs an expat, I discovered that, in the heart of every Italian, laid a magician. As we go back to local suppliers, we learn to rebuild the relationships with our community to nurture not only our bodies but also our spirits. Now, we finally have the time to get our ingredients right from the people who produce them. Thanks to my community, I could prepare a traditional Easter lunch, and I can continue to surprise my kids with home-made treats whenever they feel sad.Īt the same time, it’s an opportunity to reflect on what we eat and how food influences our well being. This way, I could bake a cake for my child’s birthday, which we were forced to celebrate in isolation. Neighbors who work at these farms bring us fresh products once or twice a week. We’re lucky to live in a village surrounded by cultivated fields and small farms. As we used to make our bread even before the crisis and work with natural mother yeast, we opt for different suppliers, so we had the flour delivered a few weeks ago. Most of us have our favorite products delivered by our regular suppliers. Luckily for us, we don’t rely on the local store for our bakery ingredients. Another sign that the number of people who make bread and pizza at home has grown significantly since the pandemic. Suppliers struggle to produce yeast, as well. The week before, he couldn’t see any flour at all. Last time my husband went to the local store, he saw two packages of flour (about four pounds of flour) on the shelf. But their offer is pretty limited, so we had to reinvent supply chains to maintain normality inside our kitchens. In many supermarkets, the shelves dedicated to bakery products are empty. Supermarket employees and business owners even do home delivery for those who cannot leave their homes for various reasons. After that Saturday, we had to switch from the local market to supermarkets and local grocery stores.Įveryone goes the extra mile to provide people with food and other essential products. The weekly local market in our village was last organized on March 14th with less than a third of the regular sellers, in an attempt to support social distancing. How Italians Find Ingredients During A Pandemic As with many friends and neighbors, I find consolation in cooking. The truth is, I can’t even remember how long it’s been since I left the house. I try to turn my frustrations and tears into something good and tasty. What better way to wipe the tears from a toddler’s eyes behind a locked door than a warm, sticky brownie? From comfort food to fancy recipes seen during cooking shows, cooking has been my way to keep my sanity and remain optimistic for the last five or six weeks. And now, more than ever, we come back to our pots and recipes to make magic and bring a smile on everyone’s face. Here, we relax, have fun, and find pleasure while cooking. Because “ la cucina è il cuore della casa”- the kitchen is the heart of the house. People dedicate hours to preparing food for which they wouldn’t have time on a typical pre-pandemic day-such as bread, pizza, or home-made pasta.Įven before the COVID-19, Italians used to spend an average of three hours a day in the kitchen. My Instagram and Facebook newsfeed abound of photos of mouth-watering food, from traditional dishes to innovative experiments. And we’re not the only ones.Īccording to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, #food and #foodporn are the most used hashtags in Italy after the ones related to the virus and isolation. In part, because we don’t have any decent restaurant making deliveries in our small village, in part because we love cooking. Bread, pizza, doughnuts, tarts, and cakes, besides everyday breakfast, lunch, and dinner.Įver since we’re in forced lockdown, my family has never ordered takeaway. Sure, we do a lot of other things (we have Netflix, too), but mostly we cook. Even if we work, there’s still a lot of free time, and many of us spend it inside the kitchen. We’re compelled to remain indoors all day. As several newspapers report, Italians cook. But that’s not all that we do in lockdown. Images with Italians singing from their balconies have circled the world to fill our hearts with hope.
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