Thread by @TheCounter

#Thread: When we first asked for Eating In essays, we had no idea that we would get as many responses as we did—or that the pandemic would continue to rage as long as it has. thecounter.org/series/eating-…

With gratitude for your stories and dismay at their continued relevance, we’d like to share more of your experiences, beginning here, and running for a few more weeks.

To start, we have an essay from science journalist @yeahyeahyasmin, who has been reporting on coronavirus all year, and turning to cooking to provide solace. Until it all fell apart. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

Samantha Weber wanted to share a wild, magical birthday party with her friends at a roller rink, replete with @doriegreenspan’s Lisbon chocolate cake. Because of Covid-19, only the cake remained. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

When his roommate wouldn’t stop going to the deli during the pandemic, Italian expat @PetroniAgostino started teaching him how to cook like he did back home. An elegant safety solution for all. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

"There is nothing artisanal about Bisquick. Egg Beaters are about as far from free-range farm eggs as you can get. But you know what? Bisquick makes waffles that help my children smile." @aqstokes, on making do during a pandemic: thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

When Covid-19 struck, @HeideWrite had to shut down her Irish pub and eat through all the reserve ingredients with her co-owners. Weeks later, she never wanted to see corned beef again. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

"Meal planning is my placebo. It’s a small assurance that—as everything around us seems to be falling apart—there will be a tomorrow to plan for still."

@AdrienneMahsa on coping with pandemic-era uncertainty through food: thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

"We had been on the cusp of adulthood. The pandemic kicked us straight back into childhood."

A recent college grad on the stress of returning—with great reluctance—to her childhood kitchen: thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

“When I cooked Eppie’s dishes, I forgot parsley for the chicken noodle soup and bought pre-made pie crust for the apple pie.” @KatieCReilly1 writes about using cooking during the pandemic to connect with her last living parent—and failing at it. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

Isabel Adler lived in a sliver of Los Angeles where neighbors didn’t know each other, or even say “Hi.” Then Covid-19 hit, and food exchanges helped build a community. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

Sylvia Grove's first job was at Kathy's Deli in rural Pennsylvania, which closed forever during the pandemic. Now, Sylvia is looking back wistfully on her formative years in the kitchen. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

After a decade struggling with body issues, 39-year-old @NateBrownBrown has finally started to lose weight. He wishes it hadn't taken a pandemic. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

“It’s a little ethnically confused,” I told my partner in a feigned lighthearted tone, tapping each part of the dish with my chopsticks. “Japanese soba, Chinese wontons, Korean broth.”@cindythou reflects on cooking with substitutions during the pandemic. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

After Evangeline Neve's husband died 3 years ago, cooking her husband’s favorite pancakes became too painful. During the pandemic, she finally decided to try again. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

.@DMoloney22 was coming up on 10 years of maintaining healthy weight using a calorie-counting app. During the pandemic he started stress-eating—now he can't bring himself to log on. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

When @morozy headed to Trader Joe's in Gainesville, Florida, she did not expect to be reminded of the Soviet bread lines of her youth. And yet. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

It's pick-your-own season, but crowds are down. Masks are on. And many in the agritourism industry are on the verge of giving up. thecounter.org/covid-19-safet…

Before the pandemic, @oliviafaybox taught sustainability classes, lived in a co-op called The Beet, and dumpster dived at Trader Joe's. Now that she 's moved back in with her parents, she is getting schooled on next-level composting. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

When @ElmazWrites' grandmother escaped Lebanon during the pandemic of 1918, she smuggled out a dab of yogurt culture on her handkerchief. A century later, Elmaz is making yogurt at home to help get through this pandemic. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

During the pandemic, @LianaAgh has been cooking food she learned from the Armenian Women's Guild at her local church. But something is missing.

"Making this food alone, and then having to eat it alone, goes against cultural instinct." thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

Friends used to tease @LaurieWoolever, calling her a "Parisian housewife" for her habit of grocery shopping every day. Then everyone went into lockdown, and suddenly it didn't seem so funny. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

For over 100 years, @TomVenesky's farm sold milk, eggs, and grains in northeastern Pennsylvania. Now, during the pandemic, his family has focused on growing food for themselves. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…

.@AmandaHWriter turned in her thesis right before the pandemic hit, a research project on how cowboys coped with scarcity. Facing ingredient shortages in quarantine, she tried cooking like them. thecounter.org/covid-19-essay…