13 easy recipes to cook in quarantine

Wherever you are in the world, I hope you're safe and sound at home. As we all navigate the global COVID-19 crisis, it's important that we're still nourishing ourselves - not just our stomachs, but also our minds, our hearts, and our communities. As my colleague Brinda's grandmother texted her today from Singapore, "Don't get depressed. Sing, play on the piano, read novels, learn knitting and sewing, meditate - all these help."

I don't know if I believe that the simple comforts of cooking will indelibly cure the ailments of today and tomorrow, but I do know that walking into the kitchen to make yourself something to eat — no matter your situation and how you feel about it — is always a good thing, a nourishing act.

At Food52 we've been sharing our quarantine meals on social media with the hashtag #f52community. We invite you to do the same. What are you cooking right now? And how are you doing?

I cook brussels sprouts like that but add garlic. Then when they come out of the pan sprinkle them with parmesan cheese. Cook brussel sprouts and cabbage the same way.

I'll make em on the grill, make a little double-thick tin foil pan/boat. Throw in whatever, raw bacon (cooks with it), onions (usually get their own boat though), chunks of fresh garlic, chunks of butter, maybe some coconut oil, then a mess of basil/oregano/marjoram/savory/sage/cumin/coriander/powdered ginger/dry garlic/smoked paprika/chipotle powder/etc/etc (pick several, I don't do all of em every time), and then splash some Worcestershire sauce on top. Mix often while grilling till it's all soft and deliciously browned, add some more Worcester or butter or coconut oil if it's getting dry.

Comes out delicious, but not much straight brussel sprout flavor like many recipes. Also, same recipe works for onions, or squash/zucchini (minimal spices, mostly green ones), or many other veggies.

To make a tin foil boat/pan thing, roll off a square or rectangle of foil, then pull out double. Fold in half. On the folded side, put your finger an inch or two in from the corner, then grab the corner with your other hand, pull up, and twist on itself, then fold the corner in/out. Do the same for the other folded corner, then do the double-edge corners. four fingers pushing the bottom of each corner will help flatten it out. You can fold a 1/8in of the edges over to help prevent tearing when carrying it, especially for the three double-edge sides.

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