I’m a Culinary Student on Lockdown in Italy
Here’s how long days in isolation are changing the way I cook
I thought that living through a pandemic would change my priorities.
Maybe I’d ponder the brief and instantly changing nature of life, or embrace the chance to explore things I’ve always wanted to learn about, like the deep sea or the cello.
Maybe I’d reconsider my line of work, which relies on freelance pay that’s unstable as it is.
Or maybe I’d at least consider sending out the postcards I wrote a month ago.
And, yeah, that’s all happening. A little.
But I’m still thinking about food, pretty much more than anything else.
My mind wanders to the subject of dinner minutes after I eat lunch: “OK, I’ve got tons of rice. Should I make risotto and add pancetta and parmesan? I’ve also got tons of fresh herbs to use before they turn black, so maybe I should make something a little lighter.”
I’ve been on coronavirus lockdown in my apartment in Florence, Italy, for about 10 days now — and unable to go to my culinary classes since my university closed two weeks ago. My thoughts (when not focused on pressing matters like breakfast, lunch, dinner, and shopping for breakfast, lunch, and dinner) have grown…
