What I Learned When I Let Instagram Tell Me What to Cook

Here’s a game to get you out of your quarantine cooking rut

Anchovy- and mozzarella-stuffed fried zucchini flowers. Photos: Sara Cagle

Like most enthusiastic eaters, I started the coronavirus lockdown in a culinary frenzy. I finally cooked all of the recipes I’d had bookmarked since my sophomore year of college. I used and replenished my pantry staples with great frequency. And then I hit a wall with a great big splat. After six weeks of nonstop cooking, I no longer knew what I wanted to make, much less what I wanted to eat.

So I turned to my Instagram followers. (Which is to say, my mom, my friends, my mom’s friends, and a few other people who like pictures of pasta.)

I explained my predicament in a video story and asked them all to send me one to three ingredients. Their suggestions would compose my grocery list, which I’d use to make my meals throughout the week.

A few hours later, my messages were flooded with a few of my favorite words, such as mushrooms, butter, and anchovies. I was so excited to go to the market the next day, I didn’t even care that I’d have to wear a mask and real pants.

I explained my predicament in a video story and asked them all to send me one to three ingredients. Their suggestions…