Do you feel like cooking is more of a chore than a joy? Food should not only be delicious and nutritious, but it can also be a pleasure to make. You don’t need to be a chef to enjoy your time in the kitchen, but you do need a little inspiration. Whether you are feeling burned out from feeding a family, hate cooking for one, or have misplaced your passion for cooking, here’s how to ignite your passion for cooking.
Stock up on cookbooks
If you feel like you are in a rut and cooking the same tried-and-true meals week after week, it might be time to change things up. While you could look up some recipes online, there is something so inspiring about cookbooks. Even if you don’t make a single recipe from the pages, looking at the photos and reading the stories behind the dishes is sure to get your imagination working. Look for cookbooks that feature cooking styles that you have never tried, from cultures that draw you in, of that feel nostalgic to you.
Install an outdoor kitchen
Who says all your meals need to be made indoors in front of the stove? An outdoor kitchen opens up a whole new world of cooking options. Whether you fall for backyard kitchen designs that feature a grill, a wood-burning pizza over, or even a stove and oven, cooking outdoors puts a new twist on meal preparation. Plus, cooking outdoors allows you to bring the whole family into the action, or to invite the neighbors over for a casual lunch in the sun.
Subscribe to some YouTube channels
Passion is contagious, and an excellent way to tap into the excitement of other home chefs is to spend some time watching cooking videos. Head over to YouTube and subscribe to some of the best cooking channels on the internet. On top of sharing a love of cooking that you can latch on to, watching YouTube videos is also a free way to learn some valuable new skills. Even better, the content shared on YouTube is often created by home chefs, in real kitchens, with ordinary equipment, which means that you can recreate what you see in your own home.
Clean and declutter your kitchen
Are you constantly hunting for your tongs in a cluttered drawer of gadgets? Is looking for the right knife slowing down your dinner preparation? A cluttered workspace can make cooking miserable. To reignite your passion for cooking and fall in love with your kitchen again, set out on a decluttering mission. Go through every drawer, pantry and cabinet a get rid of duplicate items, gadgets that don’t work well, things you have never used, and anything that is broken. Once you have pared down your kitchen to only things you love and actually use, give everything a deep cleaning. With every surface scrubbed and organized, your kitchen will feel like a fresh place to cook up something tasty.
Upgrade your ingredients
An easy way to ensure you are inspired to cook is to stock your kitchen with the best food products. Getting great tasting ingredients doesn’t mean you need to run all over town to specialty shops, search for obscure food items or overspend on your grocery budget. You just need to know which items are worth upgrading. Start by heading to a local farmer’s market to shop for locally-grown fruits and vegetables, or opt for organic versions at the grocery store. Both options will pack more flavor than commercially grown or canned versions. High-quality flavored oils are an easy way to dress basic salads or sauté vegetables and fresh herbs will offer more flavor than jarred spice blends.
