Goodbye March and Good Riddance

For one reason or another I’ve found it difficult to motivate myself to write recently. Maybe that’s because March 2020 has been a very weird month for me. I guess that goes without saying, it’s been a weird month for all of us because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused schools, museums, restaurants and countless other businesses to close. It’s resulted in the cancellation of the olympics and most other sports, but most importantly has killed thousands and is likely to kill thousands more before all this is over. 

It’s a scary and weird time for everyone and it’s been an especially weird time for me. March 2nd was my last day at the company I’ve been with for the past 5 years. A few days later I went to France with my girlfriend, and a few days after that my girlfriend became my fiancé. Then just a few days later we heard some European countries were closing their borders and the US followed with similar restrictions forcing us to consider quarantining in Europe or rushing home before it was too late.

I assumed that a vacation in France would be a perfect opportunity to eat well and write about it. I certainly ate well but for whatever reason I didn’t write about it. Then, when we had to cancel plans and come home to self-quarantine, I thought maybe I’d be inspired to devote more time to cooking and writing. I certainly have been cooking more but for whatever reason I didn’t write about it. I’ve been in a funk, there’s no other way to say it. Luckily March is over and I’ve decided that April will be different. 

Since coming home and quarantining, food has been one comfort that hasn’t yet let me down. I’ve been inspired by the amount of bread being baked, the creative ingredient swaps suggested online, and the ingenuity of the food community to adapt wherever possible to survive this crisis. 

Food is one thing that has always had a profound ability to bring people together. Even though we cannot gather around a table together I’ve seen virtual dinners and recipe swaps and cooking projects keep us connected. While I hunt for a new job I plan to continue to use cooking as a comfort. I hope to write more consistently as a way to stay sane. If you want to chat about food or cooking or want me to write about anything in particular let me know. After all, time isn’t the issue. I’ve already sunk at least a dozen hours into two failed bread-making attempts, I might as well keep trying! If someone has any leads on where to find flour though, let me know...