Ten delicious dishes we’ve been cooking in lockdown

1. Chocolate cake

Nelisiwe Maseko

To celebrate my social distancing birthday, I discovered a sea of yellow flowers behind the University of Sussex. Once I’d finished exploring, I decided to bake myself a chocolate cake, which made the day extra special!

2. ‘Che Khuc Bach’ Vietnamese soup

Trang Nguyen Minh

Cooking has never been one of my favourite things to do at home. My life has always been too busy with work, love, friends and random dates to spend time in my cramped kitchen.

However, lockdown and the additional time spent at home has given me the opportunity to experiment with recipes and I’ve realized just how fun cooking can be!

This is a popular sweet soup in Vietnam called ‘Che Khuc Bach’. I had low expectations when I started out, but it ended up tasting amazing! It’s a perfect meal to accompany the UK summer sunshine.

3. Carrot cake

Governor Manganye

I’ve always loved the kitchen but my busy schedule studying for my masters degree often means I don’t have as much time to cook as I’d like. However, lockdown has unleashed my culinary creativity. Despite one failed attempt at a Victoria Sponge cake, I persevered and successfully baked my first ever carrot cake!

4. Pancakes

Dito Adisuryo

There is so much to experience when it comes to food in the UK. Back home, I only tend to eat rice-based meals but here, there’s always something new to try.

One of my most memorable food experiences took place on British Pancake Day. A friend from my course, Sarah, taught me how to make pancakes! Mixing the flour, eggs and milk was easy. The biggest challenge was learning how to master the pancake flip! Thankfully my classmate is a pancake expert and she taught me well.

Once the pancakes were cooked on both sides, we served them with hazelnut spread, jam, cheese, and slices of fruit. They were delicious!

5. Pizza

Moses Mugisha

After trying a delicious slice of my flatmate’s margherita pizza, I thought I’d have a go at making one of my own from scratch! It all starts with a swirl of lukewarm water, some yeast, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Then, I gradually added the flour.

It was fascinating to see how the dough bloats when it’s left to set. Although I was unable to keep the pastry soft like they do at the famous UK pizzeria, Franco Manca, it was very satisfying to eat my first ever homemade pizza. I honestly can’t wait to try this back home over one of our Sunday family gatherings.

6. Pastries

Iulia Serbinovici

Lockdown meant that I had to postpone my dream trip to Scotland, but I was nevertheless determined to make my Easter special. That’s why I decided to travel into the world of traditional Moldovan baking.  In Moldova, where I’m from, pastries are traditionally served on Easter Sunday.

I’ve never made them before, so I was determined to acquire this new skill. I spent an entire day on Good Friday in the kitchen baking sweet delights. Although there was lots of time and preparation involved, it was great to organise something special for me and my friends to enjoy during lockdown!

7. Almond brownies

Bojana Nikolic

When it comes to food, I love trying new things. I enjoy preparing food almost as much as I love eating it! Cooking takes my mind off other things and nothing beats the pleasure of eating a good meal with friends and family.

I’ve spent my days in lockdown experimenting with new recipes. I began by baking Serbian dishes which helped me cope with the fact that I wasn’t able to go home for Easter. After that, I took inspiration from London’s cultural diversity and began making an array of new dishes, from chili con carne, moussaka and crepes to spaghetti, pulled pork and fried rice.

8. Cream puffs

Takehito Kawakami

During my breaks from studying, I’ve been putting a huge amount of time and energy into cooking foods I’ve never cooked before. The first idea that came to my mind was a delicious dessert: cream puffs. After sourcing a recipe from the internet (and with a little help from my wife!), I think I managed to do a pretty good job for a first attempt!

We think so too Takehito!

9. Banana pancakes

Kanykei Kadyrova

I celebrated Pancake Day in my Chevening year by learning to make banana pancakes! They taste even better with Nutella, fresh fruit, honey or maple syrup on the side!

10. Slow roasted chicken

Tian Yan The

Cooking is a past time I enjoy to unwind from the pressures of studying. As a masters student cooking in a shared kitchen, I’ve managed to find creative hacks to produce delicious dishes using everyday utensils and equipment.

Here is one of those creative hacks. By moving the baking tray to the top of the oven and using an “S” hook from my local B&Q, I slow roasted a chicken. The end result was a chicken with delicious, crispy skin and potatoes roasted using the chicken’s natural juices and some tarragon butter. It made for a gorgeous Sunday lunch for two, plus leftovers for the rest of the week.