Finding a recipe for recovery: What DC area chefs are stress eating right now

Sure, the clinical name of the coronavirus is “COVID-19,” and yes, the “19” stands for the year 2019 — when it was first discovered.

But the “19” could also mean pounds — as in how much weight some people may have added from stress eating during the pandemic and ensuing quarantine.

WTOP has been talking to some of the best chefs in the region — James Beard Award and Rammy nominees included — about everything they’ve been going through lately with the global pandemic. Because they’ve dealt with anxieties just like everyone else, that means stress eating and cravings, too.

So we asked, when things get stressful, what do you start eating?

In the latest installment of “Finding a recipe for recovery,” chefs such as Matt Baker of Gravitas and Centrolina’s Amy Brandwein shared their favorite comfort foods when the going gets rough.

Part 1: Coronavirus’ impact on DC-area chefs, restaurant industry
Part 2: What DC area chefs are stress eating right now
Part 3: What the DC region’s chefs can’t wait to eat again
Part 4: Ways you can improve your cooking at home
Part 5: What does the future of dining look like?

More Coronavirus news

Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.

John Domen

John started working at WTOP in 2016 after having grown up in Maryland listening to the station as a child. While he got his on-air start at small stations in Pennsylvania and Delaware, he's spent most of his career in the D.C. area, having been heard on several local stations before coming to WTOP.

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