It should come as no surprise that I read a lot of writing (both online and in print) about food!

Recently, Eater (one of my go-to sites for food news) featured a great article that reflected upon short-lived New Year’s Resolutions to cook more, and how being stuck at home indefinitely can lead to a cooking rut…or worse…boredom in the kitchen!

The solution? Give yourself a challenge with specific parameters, like cooking your way through an entire cookbook, or adding a certain number of meatless meals into your rotation each week. That way, there’s a common theme, but each day brings a new recipe and a new focus to get excited about!

This is different than, say, the early-pandemic collective interest in sourdough starters. We’re not talking about fermenting a new pet, but exploring something adjacent to what you are already comfortable with but forced to approach in a new way can lead to some creative breakthroughs!

Article author Missy Frederick also mentioned a past goal she’d set where she attempted to recreate all of the foods from her childhood memories. While not all of the dishes themselves held up to the nostalgia, it served as an opportunity to dive further into her family history and have some conversations around the food’s origins, which makes for an even more enriching experience.

As someone who already loves to cook, these self-imposed challenges sound like a blast. Giving yourself permission to explore in the kitchen doesn’t require a ton of cooking experience, though! While it’s important to have the basic techniques and an understanding of how some flavors and textures work together, I think anyone can practice shifting into a more relaxed and flexible mindset that lends itself to maximum creative exploration and expression through their food! (And if you still aren’t sure about how you can become a better, more confident cook, why not sign up for one of my classes?)