There’s only so much we can do to occupy our minds and bodies at home as we stay home in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus in Australia. So far, we’ve made it through each item on this list of ways to keep busy in self-isolation, we’ve engaged in many a Zoom chat with family and friends, and we’ve cleaned and disinfected our homes to within an inch of their life.
Now, though — as week whatever of quarantine rolls around — we’ve turned to cooking elaborate comfort foods as a way to kill a few hours. And it seems many of our pals on Instagram are doing the same.
Below, we’ve rounded up the “crisis foods” gaining popularity as people spend more time at home, plus our favourite recipes for making these yourself.
Pancake cereal
It’s far from a nutritious breakfast food, but pancake cereal sure looks tasty. The food trend is exactly as it sounds, and involves tiny, bite-sized pancakes drenched in syrup and served in a bowl — milk optional.
To make them at home, simply whip up your usual pancake batter. Carefully spoon a teaspoon’s worth of batter into a pan, or use a piping bag to dollop little circles of batter across the pan. Turn once golden, and repeat the process until you have enough pancake discs to fill a bowl.
Before serving, douse with mini pancakes with maple syrup to taste. You can also add fresh fruits, jams, and whatever additional condiments take your fancy.
Dalgona coffee
Galgona coffee or whipped coffee hails from South Korea. The Instagram-worthy beverage gained viral popularity on TikTok recently, and has become something of a global mascot for iso food trends in the time of coronavirus.
The drink asks only three ingredients: instant coffee, sugar, and hot water, that combine to form a caramel-coloured, fluffy and light-weight foam when mixed vigorously — for as long as 20 minutes. The mixture is then spooned over either hot or cold milk with ice, and enjoyed with a spoon. Check out our recipe for dalgona coffee here.
Banana bread
Delicious, yes, but also a great way to use up us those overripe bananas on the countertop or frozen ‘nanas from however many months ago. Perhaps that why everyone’s making banana bread lately; to make room for other foods in the freezer.
That, or because it’s comforting and delicious, and makes you’re having a cafe experience at home. Our favourite banana bread recipe comes courtesy of NY Times Cooking.
Sourdough bread
Making your own sourdough at home is a lot of work; we’re talking days of folding and proving every hour or so, and the commitment to keeping a starter alive. Normally reserved for the “too hard” basket, we’ve seen countless friends take up bread-making on Instagram in the last couple of weeks. If you’re interested to give it a go, we recommend Bon Appetit’s Best Bread.
Pancakes
Usually reserved for a lazy Sunday morning, pancakes are now making an appearance on just about every dining table on any given day of the week. Recipes vary, but generally speaking pancakes require little ingredients, almost all of which can be found in your pantry at any given time.
You can look for a pancake recipe that suits your dietary requirements, or go outside of your comfort zone by adding greek yogurt, sourdough starter and more, but these One-Cup Pancakes from Jamie Oliver is a great place to start.
Lasagne
Both bolognese and lasagne are seeing a major resurgence during iso times, perhaps for the fact they’re both super comforting and go a long way in feeding a household for more than a couple of days.
This three-cheese and slow-cooked bolognese lasagne from GoodFood is nothing if not wildly rich, and with a few levels of complications, will consume more of your time than other, simpler recipes.
The current health crisis is evolving rapidly. If you suspect you or a family member has coronavirus you should call (not visit) your GP or ring the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.