Waiting for dinner to cook is one of those “no man’s land” periods of time. You can’t do too much in case you need to deal with food-related emergencies. If you start something, you might forget you’re cooking and ruin dinner.
The thing is, in this pocket of time, once you’re prepped and don’t need to devote your full attention to what is going on, and you’ve cleaned up, what do you do? This time, despite its briefness, is the ideal time to engage in some things you can do in a short period.
Let’s be honest, you’re not really going to be giving it your full attention, and you’ve probably already consumed most of your social media feeds. So if you’re avoiding falling into the doomscrolling trap and want ideas of how to make yourself smile while you wait for food to land on your plate, we might have exactly what you need.
Play a Game
You’re already likely standing there with your phone in your hand or close by. So while you’re supervising food cooking, check out a quick game. It can be an online game or an app on your phone, but it’s a great low-effort way to kill time.
The reason they’re perfect is that quick games usually have a set beginning and end, meaning you’re not wandering away halfway through. And these sessions are usually fast, right?
We are not talking about complicated games or anything too tricky, but a quick round of something like wordle, a game of online solitaire, a crossword, mahjong, and even Candy Crush if you wish.
Playing a quick game keeps your brain occupied while you’re waiting for the pasta to boil or for the sauce to heat up, or while you’re browning something off in the oven. They do not need hours of your time or even much concentration, but they’re perfect for that time when you might otherwise find yourself down a rabbit hole on social media, questioning all of your life choices.
Find a Recipe Built Around One Ingredient
If you want to stay in the zone and remain focused on all things cooking-related, this is a great one to try. Pick one ingredient, anything. It could be your favorite food, something you’ve always wanted to try, or something you dislike but know is good for you, and you want to see if it’s more appealing in other ways.
The ingredient doesn’t matter, chicken thighs, duck breast, pomegranates, anything. Pick something you have in your cupboard already or something you’ve not been brave enough to try yet.
The thing is, you’re not planning tonight’s meal or even tomorrow’s; you’re simply looking for inspiration. Find some recipes, and check if you might want to try them.
If you do, great, add the ingredients to your shopping list. If not, no harm, no foul, move on to a different ingredient.
Scroll Recipes You’re Not Likely to Cook
There’s no shame in admitting you like the look of a recipe, but there’s no way you’re making it. And honestly, if you don’t already have a bank of saved recipes you haven’t looked at since you saved them, have you even been on social media lately?
Every blog reader, cooking enthusiast, or beginner browses recipes they’ll probably never make. It’s the long, elaborate baking projects, the multi-day ferments, and dishes that require equipment you don’t own.
Whether you’ve always dreamt of creating the perfect Beef Wellington or if you have always wanted to attempt the perfect soufflé, check it out, read the recipe, watch the videos, and take notes. Then turn it off and get back to something you want to cook, also don’t forget to check your dinner isn’t burning. That’s important.
The result? No grocery list, no buying expensive equipment, just appreciation for the recipe and an acknowledgement you’re not quite ready to commit, yet.
Browse Kitchen Gadgets You Don’t Need
Honestly, do we even need any or all of the gadgets on offer these days? The thing with gadgets is that a lot of them come with big promises and even bigger price tags.
And while they claim they’ll make your life easier and you’ll “use them all the time,” for the most part, once the novelty wears off, the gadget gets relegated to the back of the cupboard, never to see the light of day again.
Pancake makers, waffle makers, the fancy cocktail slushy machine, all the influencers have. Yep, all have great potential, but not all have the staying power that makes them an invaluable purchase.
But that’s the fun here. You get to see what’s on the market, you get to imagine what life would be like if you owned it, then you get to move on, grateful you don’t need to go through any complicated cleaning processes or find space to store yet another gadget that’s not as useful as you were told it would be.
Wander Google Maps
Not literally, you are cooking after all. But open Google Maps on your phone, pick a city you’d like to visit or are planning on visiting, and then check out all the food hotspots.
Zoom in, see pictures posted online and images captured on Street View, then browse menus, read reviews, and get a feel for the place.
It’s like armchair food tourism. You get a feel for a new place, but without actually going there at the moment. And you never know, you might find your next trip/favorite new cuisine/food you absolutely can’t live without (delete as appropriate).
Create a Recipe
We’re not talking about using this short window of time to create a new recipe there and then. But if you’re already in the kitchen, go through your cupboards to see what you have that’s been languishing there for a while, and then create a new recipe for another night or check online for recipes that would use these ingredients.
You already have them there in your cupboard, so why not see what different ways you can use up what’s there instead of buying more food?
There are plenty of creators online who currently do this, so you can use them as inspiration if you wish. But instead of finding something new to cook, look at what’s already at your disposal and then whip up something new and exciting from your own cupboards, not the store.
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