Kitchen Resolutions
Happy New Year!
It’s a brand new year…a clean slate…365 days of possibilities. So many of us take this opportunity to reflect, recharge, and renew. Some people make a long list of resolutions. Typically, these resolutions are difficult to maintain, like a consistent exercise schedule but I do my best. I gave up making resolutions years ago. Instead, I focus on adding things to my life. Things to enrich and enhance my life. Things like spending more time with my family, spending less time on my phone, and, yes, moving more and sitting less.
Since I do spend a lot of time on my business, In the Curious Kitchen, I have five resolutions and I challenge you and your curious kitchen:
1. Cook at home more, eat out less.
This might be the toughest for me, and it could be difficult for some of you, too. We all have busy lives and sometimes it is just easier to pick up dinner. Also, I love eating at good restaurants…so there’s that! But this year, I am going to make more effort to accomplish this and I encourage you to try as well. I have several In the Curious Kitchen recipe favorites that I think would be fabulous to start things off. The Kentucky Hot Brown is an easy way to use simple ingredients that most of us keep on hand. Prepping also helps us all eat at home. Preparing the Braised Pork Shoulder on Sunday can provide a couple of meals, including tacos.
2. Explore new cuisines.
Get out of your comfort zone—food wise. Experiment with new flavors, textures, and types of food. Most of us love Mexican food so take it to a different level and try Spanish or Portuguese. Italian is a favorite cuisine of mine so I am going to explore the different regions and the different dishes that hail from each. Try making Thai at home or other types of Asian dishes. For Christmas, I gave my daughter Lily two cookbooks for her to master her Asian cuisine cooking skills. My friend Annette is planning on making a new French dish each week. There’s a whole world out there and so many wonderful regional recipes to try! It’s fun to learn, be curious.
3. Organize and inventory your kitchen.
Things have been hectic the past few months and I know my kitchen has suffered from it. So as we start the new year, why not re-organize your kitchen. Maybe move things around a bit to be more efficient. Keep all of your baking things together. Stage your kitchen to enhance the way you cook. Also, take note of all of the things you have on hand. When reorganizing your pantry or cabinets, see what you have multiples of and plan a menu based on using that ingredient. If you are like me, there are things in your pantry that you bought and have forgotten about, and this might prompt you to make that recipe you bought the ingredient for in the first place. And do not hesitate to toss out expired things or donate items that your family will not use. Do you really need 8 cans of creamed corn?
4. Cook the book.
Yes, cook the book…the cookbook, that is! This is my absolute favorite way to get to know a new ingredient and techniques. Some of you all are in Book Clubs, I am in a Cookbook Club and have the best time. Pick your favorite chef or your favorite cookbook and cook everything in it. It is a fun way to practice creating new dishes and trying recipes. You may discover that a new chef has a new spin on an old favorite. There are hundreds of chefs out there and even more cookbooks. Pick a chef or a cookbook and begin at the beginning or skip around. Start a journal of your own making notes about each recipe or how you might make a change or two. Make a new recipe each week or make an entire meal using new recipes. It’s educational on so many levels.
5. Entertain more.
Entertaining at home isn’t just for special occasions. Why not host a Friday happy hour at home. Set up a quick bar or, even better, make a signature cocktail and have a pitcher or two on hand. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. Check out my website for ideas on cocktails and appetizers. Be bold with a Bourbon Sangria. It is easy and oh so delicious, and a Bourbon Iced Tea is equally as tasty. Make a pitcher of gin and tonics or blend up a batch of yummy margaritas. Or keep things really quick and easy. Open up a few bottles of wine and ice down a few beers. Nibbles can be easy, too. Try my Mushroom and Sausage Puff Ups or Party Meatballs. Bake up a batch of Spiced Pecans. It does not have to be fancy. Afterall, it is really all about spending time together. So have a ladies night at home or invite over a few neighbors and enjoy a wonderful evening.
I challenge you to come up with your own entertaining resolutions. Take some photos or share your stories with me. I would love to hear from you. Always feel free to reach out to me at mk@inthecuriouskitchen.com
Cheers!
MK
