Any ideas on how to get enthusiastic about cooking again?

Question

I really enjoy cooking. I'm married but have no children. Recently I've begun to consider it a real drag. I do go through phases but I just need some tips and inspiration for rekindling my enjoyment of it! Any ideas please?!

Answer 1

I went through that stage a while ago.All i needed was to move away from my comfort zone and try something new.For me it was italian and french cooking that got me going.
I loved italian because it was simple and delicious.Making your own pasta is so satisfying.
French cooking was great for totally opposite reasons,a bit more challenging,great for entertaining or special occasions and gives a real "aren't i clever" factor.

I hope this helps.Reccommend Raymond Blanc "cooking for friends" and Jamie Olivers italian recipes especially the rissottos.

Answer 2

I suggest throwing OUT your cookbooks, they can be so stifling.

Instead learn the methods for how to cook all the basics, stock up your pantry, and then mix and match combinations of ingredients that you have not tried before. Some of the best food is very simple common ingredients served in a new way.

Get creative. A really good way to get your creativity going, honestly, is to let the groceries thin out a bit, then challenge yourself to make great food with what you have on hand.

Sometimes all it takes is a new condiment or spice or herb addition to spark some creativity. Learn how to work with rubs, marinades, etc and try something new...or try to flavor your food with twist of another ethnicity or country, browse a new aisle. You can also try an ingredient in a different form (vanilla in the bean, or fresh where you have always used canned, or a new kind of potato, or a new kind of sugar) or challenge yourself to cook healthier or cheaper.

There are ways to shortcut in the kitchen, time management strategies. You can prepare a lot of food in the kitchen in double or triple batches and freeze it. Your own homemade convenience food. Then if cooking still is a drag, at least you save some time. Don't forget to clean up as you go.

And last, is to have a clean functioning kitchen and the highest quality gear you can afford. Nothing like using a great knife or pan in the kitchen, maybe a new serving piece or a really functional gadget like a food processor or foreman grill. And knowing where everything is.

Answer 3

Hang in there honey....I really do find soups inspiring. Paired with a nice bottle of wine and a loaf of crusty bread, can make for a very nice night....especially if there are no children!
Seriously though, I see cooking as the only art form that involves all the senses...taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound. Pay attention to what you're doing when you're cooking...listen to the knife cut through vegetables, taste what you're adding to the pot or pan, pay attention to the texture of the food, look at the vibrant colors, smell the aroma....very few things better than cooking, seriously.
I hope that helps!

Answer 4

We feel your pain, sorta, we all get that way some times. Here's what I do, think nothing, go to the market and look, just look and something will just jump out at you, something different, what can I do with that, now start thinking, get the creative juices flowing, what can I make with that and how do I want it to taste. Before you know it your baskets full and your heading home to your Laboratory, your kitchen, the place that you've made so many meals that made others smile and say, wow that was really good, may I have the recipe? When that happens again you can wink at them, say no, and just tap the side of your head, that's where it is, remember it makes you smlie as well.

Answer 5

We all go through those funks. I read recipes everyday for work. It makes it kind of tough to keep making new things at home sometimes. On my off days I still read recipes early in the morning to decide what's for dinner, actually even the night before so I can go to the store and start cooking all day.

Other things that help me are browsing a bookstore for new cookbooks to re-energize. Or picking up a magazine at the check out. My brain gets stuck too!

Answer 6

Watch the food network channel.

"Emeril Live" might get your creative juices flowing again.

"Rachel Ray" makes 30-minute meals all the time and can really make some seriously good dishes in next to no time.

"Semi-Home Made" is another great choice - how to "almost" make something from scratch that nobody will ever know you "cheated" to make.

"Ham on the Street" will add humor to anything you make in your kitchen - and can give you a few things to talk about over dinner that will entertain your partner.

"Good Eats" will give you a ton of history for the foods you eat - including origins and best way to prepare. Ya gotta love the way Alton Brown talks about foods.

All this and more await inquiring minds like yours on the food channel.

Answer 7

Maybe you can experiment a bit. I've started cooking more lately instead of always eating out or ordering in. I look for recipes to dishes that I like to order the most at my favorite restaurants. I then see how closely I can make them. I love PF Chang's Mongolian BBQ dish. So, I found the recipe and made it for dinner one night. It was quite good. But the best thing was that it made me feel good about preparing restaurant quality food at home.

Or maybe you could find something fun. I just picked up a good book on making tamales. I've wanted to learn how to make them and will do so for Christmas. It's time consuming so you could do something like that and get your husband to help!

Answer 8

Try reading a few cookbooks, preferably with colour pics of the food too! Getting enthused about cooking depends upon what aspects got you enthused in the first place. If it's ingredient-based, try going to a farmer's market, if it's creativity-based, reading a cookbook will give you a few ideas, and get the creative juices flowing again. Think about the kinds of food you love to eat and cook, and make time for yourself to treat yourself. Most of all, have fun!!

Answer 9

Try something new-a challenge. Perhaps make something special just to give away?? or....take a break...let your husband do the cooking...and you might find that his lack of experience and knowledge actually prompts you..when you find that your experience is needed, and appreciated.
Other than that, order out until you feel like getting back in the groove....cuz...I cook for 5+people everyday of my life just about....so I completely understand!

Answer 10

try to change where you shop you could be just bored with cooking the same old thing get some tips on a few recipe websites get some new ingredients and experiment have fun