Creative cooking is not the sole preserve of chefs and restaurant dining. You can get creative in your kitchen by getting out of your comfort zone to cook up a storm. People are often discouraged by the fear of cooking a new recipe that may not end upright. But you know what they say, practice makes perfect. With growing interest in cooking videos, you could say people are willing to try, and 110% watch time is an impressive percentage. These are some tips as you embark on your creative cooking journey.
Focus on seasonal produce
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Creative cooking can get a bit too challenging when specific produce is unavailable. Using out-of-season produce would mean buying them at a higher price. This is why focusing on seasonal produce can make a difference in your dish. In-season produce tastes better, is fresher, and has more nutritional content. All three elements contribute significantly to how the food turns out.
Did you know there is more variety when produce is in season? This makes it even more convenient to experiment with a wide range of seasonal foods. The overall objective of creative cooking is to prepare new tasty dishes. What better way to achieve this than using the best in-season produce? While the main purpose of frozen foods is to make them available at all times of the year, they usually lack the freshness of in-season produce.
Try new things
It’s easy to get bored with the usual when you’ve been cooking for yourself and the family for a long time. And this is especially true if your family members have a limited food preference. However, you can turn things around by trying out new things. For example, have you ever tried creamy oven-roasted mushrooms? It can be combined with steak, avocado, rice, etc. The options are endless if you’re willing to try. Even better, the addition of Crème Fraiche can make this dish a delicacy for your kids. Trying out new things requires going out of your comfort zone. You may want to see it as a personal challenge to cook something you’ve never had before.
Using a recipe book or an online cooking channel can help you achieve this. Thankfully, there are several cooking channels you can learn something new from. Another idea worth considering is to dine out at a fine restaurant if you can afford it. Choose something exotic on the menu and take note of the ingredients and the presentation. On a free weekend, you can attempt recreating that exotic dish. You have the freedom to add a twist. That is the whole point of creative cooking.
Start little; do not cook in bulk the first time
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If it’s your first time trying something new, you may want to start small. If it fails to turn out like how you imagined, you wouldn’t feel too bad discarding it. The economical approach helps you to save up on ingredients. Moreover, starting with a little helps you manage your time in the kitchen. On the other hand, if you’re pretty sure about your cooking skills, maybe a little more is ideal.
Creative cooking can be a fun learning opportunity and a way to test your culinary skills. So, whenever you have the chance, try your hands at it.
