- The Lazy Gastronome - https://www.lazygastronome.com -

Making The Most Of Your Kitchen: Easy Ways To Expand Your Repertoire

Do you enjoy cooking but find that you create the same dishes over and over again? Are you eager to try new things but apprehensive about straying from tried and tested recipes? If so, you’re not alone. Many of us would like to be more ambitious and adventurous in the kitchen [1]. If you’d like to expand your repertoire, here are some easy ways to hone your skills and make the most of your kitchen.

Trying new recipes

Even the best chefs in the world use other people’s ideas as inspiration. If you tend to make the same dishes all the time, get some recipe books down from the shelves, order some new titles or take a look online [2]. If you type the word recipes into a search engine, you’ll come across hundreds of pages with all kinds of dishes on offer. It can be daunting to be faced with pages of links, so it’s a really good idea to tailor your search. Perhaps you’re looking for simple, quick recipes or you’re a fan of Italian, Chinese or Indian cooking. Use filters and specific words and terms to find recipes that match your preferences. Once you’ve done a recipe a couple of times, you may find that you want to adapt it slightly. This is the beauty of cooking at home. You can add or take away ingredients to suit your palette.

 

Exploring different ingredients

Do you tend to buy the same types of meat or fish every week? Do you serve the same sides or create similar sauces? If you want to be more adventurous, why not give new ingredients a go? If you’re used to cod and talapia, why not switch things up a bit? You can find seafood here [3], and there are hundreds of great recipes online. You could create a seafood paella or swap cod and fries for a classic fish pie with smoked haddock, salmon, and shrimp. If you buy chicken or beef all the time, why not opt for lamb or turkey or go for something even more exotic like ostrich or crocodile?  I’ve had them both and they were quite a treat!  It’s also a fantastic idea to experiment with different herbs and spices and to try a variety of vegetables. There’s an enormous range of ingredients on offer at grocery stores, organic shops, and markets these days, so be daring, and have fun when you’re cooking.

Using different methods

The way you cook food can have a significant impact on taste. If you usually fry or bake food, why not try firing up the barbecue for a rustic feast? Oven roast vegetables with garlic, oregano and lemon juice instead of serving steamed veg with every meal or swap baked carrots or potatoes for purees to experience a range of textures.

Are you an enthusiastic cook? Are you eager to try new things in the kitchen or would you like to be more ambitious when it comes to the ingredients you use or the methods you use? If you’d love to expand your repertoire, why not have a look through some books, check out some recipes online, experiment with different ingredients and switch up the way you prepare your favorite foods?

I think you’ll be glad you did!!