There are many things this crisis has done and out of all the madness, sadness and chaos, we’ve come together. The world has come together with one aim, to beat this disease and the devastation it leaves in its wake.

In these continuing uncertain times, we’ve found new ways to bring order to our lives. Who would have guessed that cooking has been the common bond that has given us so much pleasure. Spending time in the kitchen, whether as a family or alone, has reignited our love for proper, home cooked meals.

We’ve learned how to make use of everything we have in our cupboards and freezers, to stop the waste we were all guilty of, and explore recipes that will give us the best value for our hard earned ingredients. What has been so nice to see is the volume of vide0s, messages and tweets from people who are taking to the kitchen for the first time.

When we eat out, we don’t need to put much thought into what ends up on our plate. We read a menu, order what takes our fancy and enjoy the meal with someone special. Recreating this at home is a a very different story. Some have struggled to figure out how to come up with well-balanced meals. Others have fallen back in love what they haven’t had time to do for so long.

Families too are sharing the pleasure of cooking or baking. Getting the kids involved with the planning and preparation of the menus. It’s been a delight to watch all of the videos appearing of people cooking and eating together. Talking about what they made over the dining table, sharing recipes with family and friends and bringing a real sense of community togetherness to this world of self-isolation.

Now we want to take this further.

Here at SOUTH WALES LIFE we need your support in helping us put together our COVID COOKERY BOOK. Within the next few weeks we will have a full colour magazine, jam packed with your recipes, family bakes, hints, tips and pictures of you and your family in the kitchen doing all this together.

There’s a special feeling of satisfaction that comes with making your own food. Maybe it’s the knowledge that if you follow the meticulous steps of a recipe, you’ll probably end up with something pretty decent on your plate. Or maybe you’re a ‘seat of your pants’ sort of cook, throwing caution to the wind and a whole mix of ingredients into a bowl and hoping for the best. Either way, cooking is as much about the process and journey as it is the final product. 

We’re all doing what we can to make the best of this stressful period in our lives, from keeping busy with productive activities to taking the time to take care of ourselves. Cooking and baking are a couple of pastimes that help you do both. We get to chop, knead, stir, and simmer away, with the comfort of digging into your own dish at the end of it all.

So let’s get together, share those recipes and feelings, have a bit of fun and raise some money for ‘the cause.’ We’ll be left with a little memento of this period in our lives that bonded us all so closely.

For now, we just need you to drop us an email. If you have a recipe you have recently discovered, maybe a trusted family favourite you’ve all been making through lockdown. Perhaps you’ve had something sent from your friends or family members and cooked them together with a little FaceTime action. Whatever it is, get in touch and let us know what you’ve been doing, and more importantly, share your favourite recipe with us and everyone else. We’ll try and get as many of you into the magazine as possible.

In due course, we’ll pull all these together, along with some photos of you guys cooking together and we’ll produce our magazine so you can download and enjoy, with some special memories from these tough time. All money we raise will go to support the amazing NHS Charities, who continue to do a beyond incredible job.

Let’s bring each other together through our great love of food. Send your recipes and details to: RECIPES@SOUTHWALESLIFE.COM

If you’re a chef, baker, restaurant or hotel owner or a celebrity who shines in the kitchen, you know what to do. Email us and let us share your recipe with everyone else.