At this time of year, when your to-do list gets longer and longer by the day, you may be battling cooking fatigue. Webster’s Dictionary would probably describe this phrase as “cooking so often that you’re bored, tired, and completely out of your depth.” While I can’t speak for Martha Stewart or Ina Garten, I think we’ve all wanted to break away from our kitchens at one point or another.
But cooking doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact, cooking should be, dare I say, fun. This might be the weirdest thing about me, but I rarely get tired of cooking. In fact, I purposely don’t meal prep so I can cook a full meal every day. Don’t mind my humble bragging, but it is the happiest part of my day. However, I didn’t come out of the womb with a pan and spatula excited to cook (yes, I hated that image too). There are a few key strategies I use to make cooking always feel exciting, fun, and stress-free. Read on for seven kitchen tips that help me get excited to hit the kitchen day in and day out.
Start With Seasonal Ingredients
Figuring out what to cook is possibly the worst part of cooking. If you don’t know what to do week after week, rely on what’s currently in season to make your decision for you. For example, the fall and winter months are the best time for produce like Brussels sprouts, squash, potatoes, and pumpkins. Spring and summer bring fresh ingredients like bell peppers, melons, tomatoes, and peaches. Pick an item that sounds good and try a new recipe based on that ingredient. Bonus: Fruits and vegetables are usually cheaper (and easier to find) when they’re in season.
Recreate a Dish From Your Favorite Restaurant
We all have that takeout order that always sounds good. Instead of giving in to the temptation to order, challenge yourself to recreate that dish at home. Maybe you constantly crave chicken parmesan from your favorite Italian restaurant, or maybe your comfort food order is pad thai from a certain local spot. Whatever it is, find a similar-sounding recipe (or experiment with your own version) and try to replicate the magic at home. If you don’t get it right on the first try, try it again the next time you need an idea for dinner!
Use Meal Delivery Kits
Between finding the recipes, making the shopping lists, going to the grocery store and preparing the ingredients, of course you will run out. One of my tricks to keep cooking interesting is to use a meal delivery service. Not only do these kits give you a (much-needed) break from grocery shopping and meal prep, but the included recipes serve as great cooking inspiration. You just might find a new favorite recipe or cuisine that you might not otherwise have thought of making for yourself! Plus, the meals are usually easy enough for even beginning cooks to handle.
Read Cookbooks
Maybe Instagram is your go-to source for meal ideas, or maybe you’re heavily influenced by TikTok trends (feta pasta, you’ve got my heart). While I love social media for inspiration, I attribute my unwavering love of cooking to cookbooks. That’s right, those old-fashioned things your mom keeps on a shelf aren’t just meant to be given away when you need a fancy housewarming gift. These books are also full of cooking tips that can make meal prep more exciting.
While others may read thrillers or romance novels, I devour cookbooks (yes, that means reading front to back). Immersing myself in a kitchen and delving into each recipe makes me that much more excited to cook them. Bottom line: reading a cookbook turns cooking from a chore into a learning experience. Not sure where to start? Here are my favourites.
