GEORGE TOWN: The movement control order (MCO) is having unexpected spillover effects in the home.People all over the country are finding their social media feeds filled with daily snapshots of food but with a twist – almost all are home-cooked.

Culinary snapshots of Instagramable cafes and restaurants are nothing new but citizens staying at home to adhere to the MCO are now trying their hand at cooking to refrain from going out.

Millennials, who have until now relied on outside eateries and hawker fare, have been pushed into the kitchen.

From homemade bak kut teh and wonton noodle to variations of spaghetti and sandwiches, reluctant amateur cooks are posting their creations online.

“Before this, I could cook Maggi mee. Now, I’m trying to at least add things to the instant noodles like fresh chicken and vegetables.

“I even bought a bottle of tom yam paste!” said TY Lim, an electrical engineer working in the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, who had been ordered to work from home.

School children, now enjoying extra 10 days off, are also getting into the mix as baking proved to be a go-to activity to burn off their energy and time.

Andrea, a freelance writer, found an added bonus in an afternoon cookie-making session.

“I’ve had this batch of pre-packed biscuit mix in the fridge for some time.

“So, I whipped it out, added an egg, butter and a dash of cinnamon and my kids had a blast using cookie cutters to shape the dough, ” she said.

Finding herself with excess dough, the mother of three decided to give the popular French dessert recipe a try – an apple tarte tatin.

“I saw (celebrity chef) Gordan Ramsay demonstrating how to make one during an episode of MasterChef, so I thought, why not?

“I told my husband ‘it’s your turn to watch the kids, I’ve had them all afternoon.

“With the biscuit dough already made, I only needed a few more ingredients for the topping, ” she said.

Andrea did not burn the caramel and baked up a pretty dessert.

“There should be more caramel and it should be darker. I did not try to deglaze the pan or flambé anything because I don’t want to set my house on fire.

“It’s definitely not your traditional tarte tatin but it’s a good start, ” she said.