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Chances are you’ve been cooped up in your home for at least a few days, and you might be starting to look at the contents of your fridge and your cabinets with that eternal question on the tip of your tongue: “What should I fix for dinner?” When a casual run to the grocery store isn’t necessarily an option, it’s best to make do with what you have—and luckily there are plenty of pros who are lending a hand with that challenge in this uneasy and stressful time. All you have to do is grab your phone.
When you’re not sure what to do with that bag of frozen peas, an almost-stale loaf of bread, and your steady stockpile of beans, you can get the advice of a food expert by simply sending a text or watching an Instagram Live. Here are the best resources available right now that are just a tap or swipe away.
If You Need Specific Advice, Text a Hotline
Have no idea what to make with all your ingredients, which now feel totally random? Cookware brand Great Jones is offering suggestions by text through its “Potline” at 1-814-247-2848 from noon to 6 p.m. EST every day this week, and Equal Parts has made its text-a-chef service available to all. On its Instagram Stories, Pineapple Collaborative is doling out suggestions for what to make depending on what’s in your pantry.
If You’re Feeling Lonely, Tune In to an Instagram Live
Maybe you have some time to spare and could do with some company—enter: Instagram Live. There are a few different ways you can learn how to cook from a safe distance. Olive oil brand Brightland is offering a slate of live events over the next few days, from a cake-baking session to a natural wine 101 lesson. The community-based cooking organization Provisions is hosting two evenings of “dinner and a show” on Friday and Saturday on the social app. And tomorrow, chef Sophia Roe is sharing her tips for both pantry cooking and staying positive over on Cherrybombe’s account. Though it is a time for social distancing, that doesn’t mean you have to do it alone—anyone up for a FaceTime happy hour?
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