Curated by KOHO: Quarantine & Cook

From near stampedes for even the worst toilet paper (looking at you single ply) to dressing your dog up in people clothes and having a chat about why it’s important they wash their paws, things are a little ‘different’ right now.

So of course, the thought of a bucket of fried chicken delivered to your door for $17.99+HST with no delivery fee sounds like heaven. If that’s what you need right now, go for it, we support this cause (both emotionally and with 2% cash back if you have a KOHO Extra account, ahem). But for the most part, our budget is saying “you need to quarantine and cook, hunny.”

Hear us out. While we’re indefinitely social distancing, cooking might just be the best thing for your soul, and your pocket. Think about your favourite food films: The Hundred-Foot Journey, Chef, or, dare I say, Chocolat? There’s something so comforting about watching the progress of a dish, from the moment John Favreau fries the garlic, to Scarlett Johansson’s first slurp of aglio e olio, you don’t turn away because you’re lost in the sauce (pun very intended). Food movie plots are forever nourishing because they speak to a more vulnerable, nostalgic part of ourselves. It also helps that cooking at home, with few exceptions, saves you those dollar dollar bills. I think we can all agree it’s important to be cautious with our money in these turbulent times (unless you’re Galen Weston Jr. or Drake, in which case, escargot and filet mignon every night for you).

To quote the great Chef Gusteau from Ratatouille, “Anyone can cook!” So do your soul and your bank account a favour, and cook up literally anything. Peruse Google or Pinterest for a recipe with the ingredients you have. Or better yet, think of your favourite childhood dish and call up your grandma (she’d love to hear from you). No ingredients? No problem. Canada’s largest grocery chains have home delivery. Can’t decide what to cook? No sweat. There’s a number of companies delivering ready-to-cook meal kits, and most of them provide the first few meals for free.

Pro tip: Order from Chef’s Plate with your KOHO prepaid Mastercard and you’ll receive an extra 3% cash back.

My grandpa used to say “How do we build bridges? We break bread.” During the great quarantine of 2020, don’t let your bridges fade to dust...cook with friends on FaceTime, send your coworkers pictures of your foodie masterpieces, or invite your roommate to your instant ramen Michelin star experience. Whatever food journey you undertake, we hope this playlist inspires you from chop to charbroil, stomach to soul.

Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram: @getkoho! We love to see all the food please and thank you.