Looking Forward in 2019

by RogerJanuary 1, 2019

Happy New Year! I decided to kick off 2019 with a list episode of some things that have been floating around in my mind to get me, and you, geared up for another great year of home cooking. Some of these are practical (like cleaning out your fridge) and some are more philosophical (like learning and teaching to cook). The good news? None of them have to do with starting a diet or hitting the gym!

Looking Forward in 2019

I hope at least one of these ideas give you something to chew on as you start out 2019. Of course listen to the episode for my full thoughts on each of these!

Clean up the big things

Now that the craziness of the holiday season is melting away, it’s a good time to give your fridge a thorough clean up. I’m not just talking about tossing old food, but giving it a top to bottom scrub up and polish, so to speak. You’ll feel great when it’s done and you might even be inspired by long-forgotten goodies tucked in the back. The oven and freezer are also prime candidates for a spruce up too.

Clean up the little things

Ok, so there are a lot of cleaning items in the first couple points here, but you know, a tidy kitchen is a good thing. Go through your pots and pans, gadgets and utensils and get rid of anything you don’t need. I bet there is someone that could use some decent kitchen hand me downs, or donate them to charity to ensure they find a new home. You know that kitchen drawer that won’t open the first six times you try because there is a potato masher wedged in there sideways? Yeah, tackle that too.

Organize your pantry

Following on the theme here, go through you non-perishable food items. Shop from your pantry and skip a trip to the store this week, or donate items to your local food bank. Unused and expired pantry items are a huge source of food waste, so let’s make 2019 the year we get ahead of it.

Organize your recipes

With the nearly unlimited sources of recipes at our fingertips it’s no surprise that things become unmanageable quickly. Take a look at your current recipe storage system, whether online or analog, and see how it can be improved. In fact, the next episode of the podcast is going to deal directly with the topic of recipe organization, so be sure to check it out!

Break out of your cooking rut

This is an old but evergreen topic. Especially after the bustle of the holidays, we can slide into January feeling low and uninspired about our cooking options. What to do? First, go back and listen to Episode 65, then charge up and do something new and creative.

Get back to the basics

There are a lot of trendy techniques and cool gadgets available to home cooks these days. As cool as a multi-cooker like the Instant Pot is, it’s a good idea to refresh yourself on the basic cooking techniques every home cook should understand. I’ll be sharing a couple of episodes soon that will survey a wide variety of basic cooking techniques. You would be surprised how inspired you can get from simplifying.

Master one dish, or several

Take a moment to assess your cooking skills and knowledge. Figure out which types of dishes you have already mastered (meaning you can make them without a recipe, they turn out great every time, and you can modify them at will with good success). Then, decide which new dishes you want to master this year. Set goals and go for it. Want to become an expert fish cooker, bread baker, risotto maker, pizza tosser…etc.? Go deep and you will be rewarded.

Learn from someone, then pay it forward

One of the best ways to learn to cook something is to learn directly from someone else. Not online, not by reading a blog, not by watching a video, but by being in the same kitchen as them if you can. Take a cooking class, or better, find a friend or colleague who would be willing to spend an afternoon showing you how to make something fantastic. They will love to show you and you both will learn from the experience.

Also take time to teach someone about a dish you are good at. Not only will you feel great doing it, but you might actually learn as much from the experience as your pupil.

Start a new food tradition

We have all come to our interest in food and cooking in different ways. For many of us, we had home cooking in our life from early on. In many ways the food traditions we grew up with (or didn’t) made us who we are today. Starting a new food tradition, however simple, can have a huge impact on the people you love.

Treat yourself to a nice meal out

Cooking is great and all, but sometimes we all need to be taken care of. Find a great restaurant (no, not fast food) and treat yourself. Go solo, go with family, or go with friends, but go. You’ll have a great meal and probably glean a few ideas you can try in your own kitchen. Restaurant menus are a fantastic place to browse for new ideas!