Cooking During Quarantine by Katherine MacPhail

A collection of recipes and essays ...

Cooking During

Quarantine

Katherine MacPhail Lauren Kuchnir Olivia Fink Sarah Goodstein

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CONTENTS

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CHEF KATHERINE

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH LEMON TAHINI DRESSING

EGGPLANT PARMESIAN

CHEF LAUREN

8 10

STRUGGLE PAELLA ALMOST VEGETARIAN THREE BEAN CHILI

CHEF OLIVIA

Co-ops and the Loss of Communal Eating

VEGAN THUMBPRINT COOKIES

New and Old Diets: Transitioning to Veganism

VEGAN PECAN TACOS

Quarantine Body Image, Fatphobia, Toxic Diet Culture…

The Internet, Adele, Tik Tok

MARTHA MAY’S HOMEMADE GRANOLA

CHEF SARAH

RED LENTIL SOUP WITH LEMON

MULBERRY JAM

iii

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CHEF KATHERINE I’m Katherine, a second-year Theater and English major at Oberlin. I love food but I’m a hesitant cook. After moving into an apartment for the summer to social-isolate with my girlfriend, Aly, I have found renewed joy in making food. Picking recipes that I’ve never tried before and committing a couple of hours to cooking for our little household of two has been a very fulfilling way to spend time. Neither of us had much time for food prep before now, but now our routine includes sitting down for home-cooked meals together every evening and appreciating each other’s hard work. Making food is one of the ways that we try to support and take care of each another. I would encourage anyone who is stuck at home — either alone or with housemates — to dedicate some time to making a meal that you find comforting or a brand new dish!

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ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH LEMON TAHINI DRESSING (VIA BUDGETBITES.COM) PREP 15 MIN | COOK 35 MIN | YIELD 4 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1 head cauliflower

Preheat the oven to 400ÂşF. Chop the cauliflower into small florets and place them on a large baking sheet. Slice the red onion into 1/4-inch strips and place them on the baking sheet. Drizzle the cauliflower and onions with olive oil and season with a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Toss the cauliflower and onions until coated in oil, salt, and pepper.

1/2 a red onion 2 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Tabouli, or Â˝ bunch parsley

Lemon Tahini Dressing 1/3 cup tahini 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/4 teaspoon cumin 1/4 teaspoon salt

Spiced Chickpeas 15 oz can chickpeas 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1/4 tsp garlic 1/8 cayenne salt and pepper to taste

Roast the cauliflower and onions in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then stir, return them to the oven, and roast for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and browned on the edges. Let the cauliflower cool slightly. While the cauliflower and onions are roasting, make the lemon tahini dressing. Add the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth, then refrigerate until ready to serve. Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas. Add them to a skillet along with the olive oil, smoked paprika, cayenne, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook the chickpeas over medium heat for about ten minutes. Remove the chickpeas from the heat. Pull the parsley leaves from their stems and roughly chop the leaves into small pieces (about 1.5 cups loosely packed, once chopped). To build the salad, combine the roasted cauliflower and onions in a bowl with the spiced chickpeas and the tabouli or chopped parsley leaves. Drizzle the lemon tahini dressing over top and toss to combine. Serve warm or cold.

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This first recipe is one of my personal all-time favorites. The tahini dressing has an incredible flavor and is super creamy (and vegan!). My mom’s side of the family is originally from Jordan and Syria and I often eat a version of this dish at my grandmother’s house. It’s been great to share some of that experience.

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EGGPLANT PARMESIAN (VIA ALLRECIPES.COM) This is one of Alyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite meals, and so I was inspired to try and make it at home. Although eggplant parmesian is often fried in restaurants, I found that roasting it in the oven had a similar effect. This pairs great over pasta!

PREP 1 HR | COOK 35 MIN | YIELD 8 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

2 large eggplant, peeled and sliced around 1/4 inch

Sweat the eggplant by coating each side in salt and leaving it to sit for 30 minutes in a collander. Rinse them clean and dry them thoroughly.

2 eggs, beaten 4 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs 8 cups spaghetti sauce 18 oz shredded parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes on each side. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

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CHEF LAUREN Hello, my name is Lauren and this is me in my natural state: carrying an ice coffee. I walk into every morning class clutching my coffee like a lifeline, in summer I am a Starbucks regular, and in the Fall I am a huge fan of the pumpkin spice latte. I am new to cooking and I have been going vegetarian for about three years (I’m almost there!). I am currently home with my parents in suburban Massachusetts, where I went when the Pandemic sent us all home from college at Oberlin. I took a few cooking classes as a kid but I was never expected to cook growing up so I am by no means experienced in the kitchen. Between restaurants closing, being asked to work from home, and grocery stores being scavenged, I am not the only person taking up cooking on the fly during this pandemic. It has been kinda fun for me, but also frustrating and disheartening. I have found some cooking videos series that have helped me out, such as Struggle Meals, and my mother is always there to help me, but there is a real learning curve. So, for all the new home cooks out there I just want to say: I’m proud of you. It’s ok if your veloute is lumpy! No one was born knowing how to fry an egg, you are allowed to learn things, even if someone thinks you should already know them. The first time it becomes relevant to you that both butter and milk can burn will be a stressful day, but it will get better! No one chops an onion for the first time into perfectly diced little cubes in seconds! Keep trying! I’m proud of you!

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STRUGGLE PAELLA

(VIA TASTEMADE)

COOK 30 MIN | YIELD 4 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil • 8 ounces smoked sausage • 1 large onion, small chopped • 1 red bell pepper, small chopped • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1 1/2 cups medium grain rice • 2 cups seafood stock • 1 cup water • 1-15 oz can diced tomatoes • 1 pound frozen fish • 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper • 1 teaspoon turmeric • 1 cup frozen peas • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

METHOD In a cast iron, on medium high heat, add oil. When hot, sauté chorizo until brown on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add onion, pepper, and garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice and stir to toast, about 3 minutes. Stir in seafood stock, water, diced tomatoes, with all juices, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Stir until combined. Bring to a boil. Top with fish. Cover with foil and let simmer, until all liquid is absorbed. Remove foil. Top with peas and sausage. Stir and sprinkle with parsley.

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This paella recipe was one of the first I made that truly came out awesome and it makes a ton of food!

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I mentioned before that I have been trying to go vegetarian for about three years and at this point I’m almost there. I have been trying to go vegetarian for environmental reasons. It takes far more energy to grow a pound of cow than a pound of chicken, far more energy to grow a pound of chicken than a pound of fish, and far more energy to grow a pound of pasta than a pound of fish. However, I believe that life is not a zero-sum game, ie. everytime you choose chicken over fish you make a good environmental decision. So for the past three years I have been making more and more environmental decisions to the point at which I am not, with very few exceptions, a vegetarian. However, my family is not. My mom is supportive but they buy meat, they eat meat, and they make dinner every night with meat so it can be hard to stick to my convictions and hard not to get on my high horse and talk about how everyone should be a vegetarian. It’s also annoying to make food for people who think that any meatless meal is “Lauren’s weird vegetarian crap”. I’ve tried a few different things and this Almost Vegetarian Three-Bean Chili is what went over best with my crowd. (It would be vegetarian but I used beef stock because we had beef broth cans in the cupboard since the millennium and, at some point it is more environmental to honor the cow and not let the can get thrown out. But if you wanted to make it totally vegetarian, just replace it with vegetable stock)

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A L M OST VEGETARIAN TH REE- BEAN C H I L I (VIA SIMPLEVEGANISTA.COM)

PREP 5 MIN | COOK 25 MIN | YIELD 4 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1 tablespoon olive oil

Saute: In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat, saute onion for 7 minutes, or until tender and translucent. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili and chipotle powder, cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.

1 large white onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder) 2 jalapenos, seeds removed and diced 3 tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon chipotle powder 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes, with juices 1 small piece of dark chocolate (about 1/2 oz.), optional 1 1/2 cups beef broth Water to supplement salt & pepper, to taste

Best accompanies with: Diced onion Sour cream Shredded cheddar cheese

Simmer: Add the beans, tomatoes, chocolate, and liquids, bring to boil, reduce heat, cover askew, and simmer for 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Add more water as needed. Taste for flavor, season with salt and pepper, and add anything else you feel it needs. Serve with the diced onions, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

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CHEF OLIVIA Hi! My name is Olivia Fink and my chapter revolves around a few topics relating to food in quarantine. I’ll discuss my narratives on communal eating versus isolation, navigating old and new eating habits, along with the overall disappointing rise of diet culture over the internet. I’ll of course also be sharing a few of my favorite recipes and the chefs / vegan influencers who made them. At the end I’ll also compile internet memes and tik tok videos to supplement some topics mentioned in the following pages. Obvious disclaimer: most of these narratives are spoken out of my own personal experience and emotions surrounding food during covid-19. Any information that is not mine will be linked and referenced.

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Co-ops and the Loss of Communal Eating My first year at Oberlin, I took an exco called “Chakras and Candle Making”, as one does. Naturally during my first year, I still didn’t know who I was and felt like I was trying on a million different versions of myself wherever I went. I didn’t really know where to call home, who to call my friends, or what exactly I should be doing myself. During our exco’s first week, we discussed the Root Chakra located at the base of the spine, the first of the seven chakras. Our lovely exco instructor, Devyn Malouf, asked us to discuss what made us feel at home, rooted, and full inside. Right away, almost laughing to get her answer out, someone replied “Co-op food.” Turns out that someone was named Julia. They would end up living down the hall from me in Tank co-op, which I applied to soon after this exco began. After living and moving into a co-op, I realized I could never go back. OSCA stands for Oberlin Student Cooperative on our campus and involves ¼ of the student body during any given semester. Students cook meals together, clean, and work elected positions within their respective coop (seven dining!) and those lucky enough to live in a co-op (four housing!) get to room alongside those same people. Some co-ops have themes or dietary restrictions. TWIC (“twik”) is for students of color. Farikid is vegan, Harkness vegetarian; Keep, Tank, and Pyle no restrictions. Each one is so different. I now know what Julia meant when she said co-op food felt like home. Knowing that love and care went into making wholesome (not to mention locally grown, and by default extremely healthy) food by a group of people warms my heart. Sitting criss-cross in the grass or elbows bumping with each other at the roundtables were the highlights of my day. It was actually in Harkness where I found out we would be leaving because of Covid-19. I was sitting in line for dinner when we all got the emails. That was one moment I could remember not exactly having an appetite. Since coming home because of the coronavirus, I mourn the loss of community I had in my co-op. I would see friends of mine everyday who I weren’t necessarily close to, but felt fulfilled socializing with. It was nice to catch up on how our days had been, really anything. It didn’t matter. The joy I’d feel on Thursday lunches with Alex and Ry listening to 80’s aerobic music while twisting and pulling mounds of vegan bread with smiles (and usually cinnamon powder) all over our faces was really like nothing else...gradually hearing the buzz of students grabbing their plates, peeking their heads in and out of the kitchen to see if we needed any help. I miss people. I miss making food as a form of joy and friendship. I even miss sliding sriracha and soy sauce across the table. I don’t really know half of the people in Harkness, but I know their faces, I know their smiles; I know their recipes! Making food for one is a skill I have yet to learn when I’m more accustomed to accompanying multiple pairs of hands carrying buckets of stew, rice, and beans fit for a hundred people. It’s an adjustment. It’s not the same.

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VEGAN THUMBPRINT COOKIES (VIA LOVINGITVEGAN.COM)

PREP 45 MIN | COOK 16 MIN | YIELD 20

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Cookies:

Add the vegan butter and sugar to an electric mixer and cream them together. Then add in the almond extract and mix in.

1 cup (225g) Vegan Butter 1/2 cup (100g) White Sugar 1/4 tsp Almond Extract* 2 Cups (250g) All Purpose Flour 1/2 tsp Salt 1/3 cup Raspberry Jam

Glaze: 1 cup (120g) Powdered Sugar 1 Tbsp (plus a few drops) Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk) 1–2 drops Almond Extract

Add in the flour and salt and stir in by hand until it forms a thick dough. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and break off pieces of the dough, roll into balls and place the balls onto the tray. Use your thumb to create thumbprints in the balls, the dough may crack along the edges, just use your fingers to try to smooth out the cracks as best you can. Try and get the thumb indents as uniform as possible. Place the tray with the cookies into the freezer for 15 minutes so that the cookies can firm up before filling the indents with jam. After 15 minutes bring out the tray, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and fill the thumbprints with raspberry jam. Bake in the oven for 16 minutes until the edges of the cookies are slightly browned. Let them cool for at least 30 minutes before glazing. For the glaze, add the powdered sugar, soy milk and a drop or two of almond extract (just enough to get the flavor but nothing overpowering) to your electric mixer. A tablespoon of soy milk is too little, so you need just a few extra drops of soy milk to get the right amount. Drizzle the glaze over your cooled cookies, or use a piping bag to pipe it on.

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A recipe that reminds me of my co-op is actually one made by my previous roommate, Natalie. We were randomly assigned together first semester junior year and ended up becoming such great friends. She’s someone I miss all of the time; having what felt like a sibling to sit and just exist with me in my room was a small comfort I never really enjoyed with anyone else. We’d make tea, oatmeal, sketch, trade and haul thrifted clothing for each other. As an only child, Natalie truly felt like my sister. Not only that, but she was the (BEST) tasty-things maker in Harkness. An infamous recipe she made were vegan thumbprint cookies that lasted maybe a few hours. (For reference; tasty things makers make sweet things for the co-op to enjoy outside of meals during the week. Makers send an email out after the food is free to take from the dining space. Natalie would send an email out and… they were gone!) I made these over quarantine when I missed her. I have a distinct memory of me walking into Harkness with two of my friends and swiping nine cookies total. I felt I deserved it. After all, cool Natalie was my roommate.

(Natalie telling me to go to sleep. Spoken with love)

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New and Old Diets: Transitioning to Veganism In the vein of Harkness, the co-op is technically vegetarian, but overall makes vegan meals. I of course felt so nourished by Harkness because of the love that went into the food, but also because the food itself is extremely healthy: lentils, chickpeas, tofu, beans, rice, vegetables, sweet potato, beets, fresh bread and granola, nutritional yeast galore. I always felt like both my soul and body were fed. That being said, I’ve missed how my body felt being at school. Granted I was moving much more, but I also was reaping the benefits of co-op food. Each head cook for a meal is trained to adequately prepare nutrients covering grain, starch, protein, and vegetables. Some of my favorite meals have been mushroom and tomato vegan bread twists with greek salad, a simple lentil stew, tofu scramble and oat pancakes every Monday lunch, and pickled carrot Lox. I have the time to experiment with different recipes at home, and honestly, cooking meals for myself helps me feel more like an adult now that I feel like I’ve transitioned back to high school all over again. With added time, I’ve been slowly transitioning to veganism. I haven’t even been a vegetarian, but I’ve felt totally fine giving them up in tandem. I’m not pushing myself to be a vegan, really; my body intuitively just wants the food that makes me feel happy. I want the food I of course associate with being happy too, food that comforted me on blustery winter nights in the midst of finals, in the midst of heartbreak, of pandemics. I feel happy putting food that has care in it into my body, and also knowing that I’m saving lots of animals! Away from school, watching other people making vegan recipes or even “What I eat in a week as a vegan: college student edition” are so soothing to me, connecting their life to mine in a similar way. That being said… this has caused a divide between my family and I. They eat meat; they love meat. They have the warmth and love of a traditional “American” family; getting lobster rolls and clam bellies in the summer, roasting hot dogs and lamb chops on the grill. On top of that, my mom is a charity baker for Feeding America’s No Kid Hungry and makes all the best traditional goodies— whoopie pies, cake, cookies, shortbread, biscotti, brownies, etc, most of which have lots of eggs and butter. I think she appeals

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to those with peanut allergies, and that’s the extent of her restrictions. My mother always pokes fun of my co-op because it’s so unconventional to her. Since switching to no meat and slowly to no eggs and cheese… I feel a divide in my family, especially from my mother since she relishes in making food for a hungry, happy family. I know she’s slightly heart broken when I can’t eat the salmon she’s made or brownies she’d thought I’d like. It’s all done out of such good intention, and I struggle with trying not to feel bad for feeding my body the way that I choose. Cooking or baking someone food is like handing your love to them, and I think this is why my mother loves food. She is the most selfless, giving woman I’ve ever met. It’s been difficult being home because of how I am reluctant to eat the same food as my parents even though it’s not at all personal. I feel sad sharing my food with people who don’t enjoy it as compared to the past few years with everyone around me excited about it! I wish my parents were open to maybe altering their recipes for their daughter. And I know they will, sure… but it’s not out of the same excitement. I fear they see it as a declaration of separation from them when that’s really not it. I’m just trying to take care of myself the way I want to. What’s more, both of my parents are on weight watchers and consistently log every single thing they eat. I have my own opinions on weight watchers; how actual nourishment for your body and counting calories aren’t the same, how public weigh-ins and discussion of your weight can be traumatic, and how the language they use like, “I’ve been good today,” “I didn’t eat anything really at all for breakfast”, “I blew all my points”, “It’s a guilt-free snack!” “I’m celebrating because I lost .8 pounds when I weighed in today” of course severely impacts me. I know they’re just trying to eat healthier and lose weight, and none of it comes from an intended emotional toll on their daughter. I think we all want each other to be happy with food but have different ideas of what that looks like. That being said, a vegan recipe I tried from one of my favorite influencers @iamtabithabrown are vegan tacos with pecans as the meat substitute. They were amazing. Mouth-watering good. I felt so happy when my parents ate them with me.

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(Some of my favorite youtubers, vegan influencers, and Tik Tok accounts) Sadia at Pick Up Limes Youtube Website I am Tabitha Brown Tik tok Instagram Stevie Moon @thehealthcurator Tik tok Kate Goodell @kate.ate “eating the rich is ethically vegan” Tik tok Angie Quibrera Tik tok

Photos courtesy of tasty.co

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VEGAN PECAN TACOS (VIA TASTY.CO)

PREP 20 MIN | COOK 5 MIN | YIELD 12 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Unsalted pecan halves

Boil in water the pecan halves with an “eyeball” of liquid aminos, garlic powder, taco seasoning, and garlic powder for 10-12 minutes.

Liquid Aminos Garlic powder Taco seasoning Garlic powder White mushrooms Red pepper Onion Taco shells (soft or crunchy) or a bed of lettuce Guacamole or avocado Salsa Other desired garnishes

Drain, add to the food processor, and then add a few sliced white mushrooms, red pepper, onion. Add more liquid aminos for the “meaty” flavor and blend. Saute the “meat” in a sauce pan with olive oil. Add more garlic powder, taco seasoning, etc for taste. After it’s turned slightly more brown, add to taco shell with desired toppings. In the video, Tabitha uses guacamole, mango salsa, regular salsa, and cilantro.

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Quarantine Body Image, Fatphobia, Toxic Diet Culture… For a lot of the world, our normal day-to-day lives have been interrupted by covid-19. The daily amount of activity we’d typically have has reduced severely and we find ourselves not as busy, not moving as much. For the majority of March, it was still raining and snowing in New Hampshire, so it was difficult to find happiness outside for the first month. What’s more? We have full access to our kitchens the whole day fully stocked with food, and in the time of a global pandemic, it’s natural to whip up our comfort foods more often or seek solace in eating the foods that make us happy. Yet commercialism, media, and this staunch view of “productivity above all else” has created a toxic diet culture during covid-19. Catch phrases like “quarantine 15” and “the covid-19” have surfaced in reference to the apparent horror of gaining weight over the course of three months as if somehow worse than catching a deadly virus. The fear of fatness, also known as fatphobia, is ingrained into a large portion of society. Fatphobia can take many forms. People who suffer from anorexia have internalized fatphobia; they don’t want to be overweight. Bullying other people because of their weight is fatphobia. Treating a thin person objectively kinder than a fat person is fatphobia, etc etc. Diet culture itself has never been healthy in the first place; it’s rooted in “classicism, body shame, and a multibillion dollar industry that stands to profit from all of us hating ourselves.” (McCarthy, 2020). More than that, it tells fat people who are present-tense happy with themselves that they shouldn’t be, that their appearance should be feared, abhorred. We can dive into how perceptions of body image in regards to desire and attraction vary across countries and have wildly changed over time — which is another discussion in itself — but essentially, one day the media industry told us we need to fix ourselves. They profit off of people — especially women — who buy products and feed into programs based on the principle that there’s something wrong with their bodies. When in reality, if it’s not coming from the mouth of a trusted health care professional or doctor, it’s a lie; “Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem literally would not exist without stoking fears that the couple of extra pounds that come with disrupting normal life will transform everyone into fat, shapeless monsters.” (McCarthy, 2020)

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Also, not every family has the luxury of eating healthy or taking the time to prepare food. I recognize and acknowledge the privilege I have in having time to research about food and recipes I like and slowly experimenting day by day in my family’s huge kitchen. There are workers who still work fulltime because they need money; not every person right now can work from home and do pilates every morning and make themselves an agave smoothie bowl. Shaming someone for eating a box of ramen or drive-through food based on their time and what they can afford is classist and also an unspoken part of diet culture. More significant to me is how triggering this experience can be for those who have overcome severe mental illnesses and eating disorders returning to a place of isolation, and perhaps even the same home where their behaviors developed. To keep this short, as someone who had disordered eating during middle school, being back in the same house mimics who I was many years ago; without friends, not much to do, unlimited access to the internet, feeling guilty for not making more of myself, scrolling through insanely beautiful people posting pictures on the internet and feeling terrible about myself… etc. I feel with returning to any sort of familiar place that my brain snaps back to how it functioned in that place before. One of the reasons quarantine has been so difficult for me is having the time to think myself into these downward spirals that feel exactly the same as when I was younger. They’re terrifying, and as a twenty year old I tell myself I should be over it by now. I work out every day for a normal amount of time. I feel great doing it and know that yes, it’s healthy and does great things for my body, sure. But I would be lying if it didn’t feel slightly compulsive; I need to do this. I can’t get through the day without working out or else I’ll feel guilty. I feed right into the quarantine fear of gaining weight and the need to be productive with my body since I guess I have the time. I am painfully aware of this and actively work towards undoing my own internalized fatphobia towards myself. I empathize deeply with any person who feels like they’ve gone in a time machine back to a place they worked so hard to move out of.

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The Internet, Adele, Tik Tok Adele, an astounding vocalist of the twenty-first century recently posted on social media for her birthday on May 5th, 2020.

Photo courtesy of @adele instagram Anyone who has seen Adele before knows she is not traditionally thin. Her size was never her main “narrative” —at least, not to us— because of how incredibly talented she is. Not that her weight had to be overshadowed by something, but it wasn’t the hot topic. When she posted this picture just a week ago, the internet melted into chaos, and more so, it confirmed what I already knew but feared the most; society praises and awards thin bodies. People came out saying that she looks like a million dollars, it was her biggest accomplishment, just look how happy she looks, “glow-up”. This made me furious, as if her fifteen Grammys are somehow less of an accomplishment than losing weight. As if we all know exactly how she lost the weight, as if we know it was done in a healthy way. As if a sudden, drastic weight loss doesn’t trigger every person who has ever suffered from disordered eating; as if this doesn’t encourage those people to keep doing what they’re doing, confirming that losing weight makes you loved, accepts you, glorifies you. And for this to happen in quarantine has so many people already examining their weight, and then cross-checking that with how the internet is rewarding it. And most people right now are on the internet. Why wouldn’t this make us feel awful about ourselves? Of course, Adele may have lost weight in a totally healthy way. She has a trainer and there’s a chance she feels fine about herself right now. But I saw this post and after the shock, I was worried. The media is already commenting on her story before she herself has even spoken about her own weight loss, and the silence on her end also has me worried.

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What’s more? People of all ages, but especially young, impressionable teenagers, are bored in quarantine and probably have access to the app Tik Tok. The “For you page” on Tik Tok is essentially an endless feed of videos from people recording all around the world; people have been known to become “tik tok famous” overnight since anyone can come across someone’s video regardless of how large their following is. Based on an algorithm, your feed can also show videos it thinks you’d like. Unfortunately, there’s been a rise in eating disorder trends that have seemingly been lumped together with vegan influencers, nutritionists, and people whose accounts are dedicated to losing weight. Cyberbullying on the basis of appearance, but especially weight, is also extremely apparent on this app. I thought we were all past that, but it breaks my heart to see so many people making fatphobic comments “you would look prettier if you lost weight”, “go to a gym”, “lose twenty pounds and maybe you’d be more attractive”, “you can’t wear that.” etc. It astounds me. There will always be people who fear and are repulsed by fat bodies. Some other trends on tik tok are “skinny legends” and raw vegan “what I eat in a day” videos of purely fruits, vegetables and fiber. There’s also ‘perspective’ trends like “what I look like ‘on top;” “side profile ‘check’”, “Looks attractive from the front but fat on the side ‘check’” “big nose check” “huge thighs check” etc… which in a way I think was made to poke fun at areas people don’t like about themselves in a way that’s humorous and overall done out of good intention; it promotes accepting yourself for who you are. But I CANNOT imagine what 12-13 year old me would have done on this app noticing all of the things I never thought needed to be fixed or “pointed out” about my body, my face. I would have crumbled. Overall, there are some brilliant people on Tik Tok who sincerely make my day; I love seeing what recipes they make to nourish themselves, their inspiring messages for self love and what that even looks like person to person. I try to view those influencers more than the triggering shit that pops up on my For You Page. At the end of this project, there’s a 10 minute compilation full of fun recipe videos, body commentary, and examples of this toxic body image and diet culture. The final thing I’ll mention is conducting. I study conducting at Oberlin, and that field of classical music has been dominated by men for as long as classical music can remember. For the past few years now I’ve come to terms with how my body has naturally contorted itself in nearly every resting position to be small, to take up as little space as possible, to cower. This is both in part by years of internalized fatphobia and also life as a woman. I’ve had to undo the years of this painful muscle memory publicly. It feels unnatural for me to take up space, to spread my arms out as wide as they can, to wave them hysterically. Body confidence is taken to a whole other level when it’s a part of the job description, in front of all the world to see, and when standing on a literal podium. This realization has been difficult and a journey of its own. But I am untying the knots I made for myself, rewiring my body to feel good, to feel big. They can both go hand in hand… I’m sure of it.

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MARTHA MAY’S HOMEMADE GRANOLA For this section, my recipe will be my mother’s home-made granola. Not only is it an easy vegan recipe, considered a delicacy in OSCA, and overall profoundly delicious; it makes me feel healthy, whole. Home. At peace with my body, nourished.

PREP 10 MIN | COOK 30 MIN | YIELD 2 FULL BAKING TRAYS

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

4 cups whole oats

Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

1 cup sliced almonds

Over medium heat, pour in the oil to a pan followed by the honey and vanilla extract. Take it off the stove just as it starts to bubble and pour over the oats.

½ cup brown sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon (Martha says to eyeball it) 1 teaspoon salt (eye ball it;) 6 tablespoons olive oil 4 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar for vegan) 9 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300F and bake for 30 minutes, making sure to mix the granola every ten minutes or so.

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Mrs. Martha May

(Granola in the shape of New Hampshire)

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These are photos of the light of my life in quarantine, my dog Milo. <3

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CHEF SARAH Hi! My name is Sarah and here I am in my preferred/ not-inquarantine habitat â&#x20AC;&#x201D; i.e. nature. One of the most difficult struggles in pandemic times has been finding supplies in empty supermarkets, so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve decided to present two pretty simple recipes that rely most heavily on natural, found-inthe-garden ingredients and can be stored for quite a while. My request is that these recipes be carried out with joy and love, whether you are quarantined by yourself, or like me in a household with representation from three generations. Cooking is so much more than a chore or a necessity, it is a way to appreciate the simple things in life. Enjoy!

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RED LENTIL SOUP WITH LEMON (VIA MELISSA CLARK AT THE NEW YORK TIMES) With people feeling the frenzy of a pandemic and translating that into hoarding, ingredients have been pretty hard to come by at the supermarket. Week after week of empty shelves, or if you’re in a big city like me and have had to restrain from going to the market yourself, grocery orders half filled. Hoarding is not the answer! Buy what you need and not more, I promise the supermarkets get restocked every week. There will be more of that thing you thought you needed but will have to go without. My family has compensated by buying things that last and using them to make meals that can be stored. Dried beans, lentils, and peas can be stored virtually indefinitely, with the nutritional shelf life being around 2-3 years. As such, my dad has been buying as much as possible without any thought of just how much soup one can stand to eat with temperatures rising as summer approaches in sunny Southern California. Anyways, leftovers can be frozen and stored for as long as you want. And as someone who can be pretty lazy in the kitchen, the most involved part of this recipe is soaking the lentils (which can be replaced with any bean you want) beforehand. Soup is one of the simplest meals out there, because it will almost always turn out good no matter what you throw into the pot. Please enjoy this recipe, which I’ve eaten five times in the past two weeks… save me! COOK 45 MIN | YIELD 4 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling

In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.

1 large onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Pinch of ground chile powder or cayenne, more to taste 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth 2 cups water 1 cup red lentils 1 large carrot, peeled and diced Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.

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Picture of my cupboard, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so many beans!

Photo credit: Joseph De Leo for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini

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Mulberries! From tree to bowl to jar, all natural and homemade.

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MULBERRY JAM

(VIA LAUREN ROTHAM AT SERIOUSEATS.COM) One of the best things about quarantine has been my community coming together to support one another in their mealtime endeavors and the barter system that has developed to facilitate that. My family is blessed with a number of fruit trees in our backyard and we have traded bags of grapefruit, lemons, and oranges for everything from yeast to toilet paper. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just say we can be sure no one in the neighborhood will be getting scurvy this year. One of the neighbors has a beautifully large and blooming mulberry tree and wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t planning on harvesting the berries, so one hot afternoon found me and my mom stretching to pick tiny berries from barely reachable branches, the juice staining our fingers purple. If you plan on picking mulberries, I suggest going in with a plan of attack, because an hour of picking got us just about 2 cups. On the other hand, I think this new experience might just turn into a tradition because, damn! is that good jam. Two purple thumbs up for homemade jam! PREP TKTK MIN | COOK TKTK HR | YIELD 2-HALF PINT JARS

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

2 1/2 cups mulberries, rinsed (the tiny green stems do not need to be removed)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Drop heat to medium-low and add jars and their lids. Simmer for 10 minutes to sterilize. Using tongs, remove jars and lids and place on a clean towel to let cool.

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 3 tablespoons water

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat, combine mulberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil, boil for one minute, then drop to a simmer. Cook fruit, stirring occasionally, until foam subsides and mixture thickens slightly, about 7 minutes. Using a ladle, carefully transfer hot jam to sterilized jars. Wipe mouths of jars clean and screw on lids very tightly. Let cool at room temperature for at least 8 hours before using.

A COLLEC TION OF RECIPES FOR COOKING DURING A TIME OF QUARANTINE.