The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every facet of our lives, including how we cook, what we cook, and even where and with whom we eat. In our new occasional series, Community Cooks, Atlanta Journal-Constitution readers share stories of cooking during this public health crisis, as well as recipes.
Kenneth Cobb, better known as Bo, displays his plant-based dishes in photos and videos on his Instagram page, Cooking With Bo.
Growing up in St. Louis, Cobb said he started cooking as his late mother Mary Ann’s Sunday dinner “sous chef,” and later expanded his repertoire as a college student at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
But, a move to Atlanta in 2013, and the discovery of the DeKalb Farmers Market, led him to switch from packaged vegan foods to fresh ingredients and do-it-yourself plant-based recipes.
“All of my recipes are plant-based, with no processed or canned ingredients, so buying produce at a discounted price is always a bonus,” Cobb said. “During the quarantine, I have had a lot of time to create and make new recipes. I guess that’s the silver lining, to me.”
A good example is the Butter Not Meatloaf recipe he offered to share.
“The backstory to the recipe is that I was in a store getting some fresh produce and saw some butternut squash that was peeled, cut up, packaged, and only cost 85 cents,” Cobb said. “That was a deal. So, I got two, and, pondering what to make out of it, I decided to make my rendition of meatloaf.”
He said that “about 95% of my recipes are something I try for the first time. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t. But, generally, I’m not Googling recipes. I try to use my knowledge and try to create something from there.
“My goal is not to make someone be plant-based,” Cobb said, “because it wasn’t forced on me. The thing is to get a recipe, and have fun with it, and just make it personal.”
Bo Cobb’s plant-based meatloaf substitute is made with butternut squash, mushrooms and teff flour. But, Cobb noted that you can experiment with other ingredients and variations. He topped the loaf with a simple mango puree.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your cooking? Have less frequent shopping trips taught you a lesson in resourcefulness? Did you prepare a recipe that reminded you of a loved one? Send your story and recipe to comcooks@gmail.com.
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