Dear home cook,
Tonight President Obama will present the State of the Union. You might be asking what that has to do with cooking. I say… everything!
What is the state of the union speech? It is a reflection on the past year’s good stuff and not so good stuff. It is also a presentation of the plan for next year and what direction he wants to take us.
I am a big fan of personal development and goal setting. When it comes to cooking, a state of the “kitchen” perhaps, would be a reflection of what was good and not so good in the kitchen. It would also be a plan for the direction of kitchen activities for next year.
What would be considered in a state of the kitchen address? Well, if you’ve spent any time at all on this site, you know I am a fan of having fun in the kitchen, and being adventurous. So, how much fun did you have in the kitchen this past year? How were you adventurous? What new foods did you try? What new techniques or skills did you learn? And when it comes to planning, what would you like to do in this coming year? How many new foods would you like to try? How many new tips or techniques wold you like to learn?
For myself, I had a lot of fun in the kitchen this past year. I experimented with a lot of new techniques, and tried several new foods. For example, the first two foods I became much more aware of, and used a lot more, are kalamata olives and quinoa. A friend gave me a kalamata olive spread as a Christmas gift. I was very timid about trying it. An olive spread? Boy was I in for a wonderful surprise! Spread some on a French baguette, enjoy it with a glass of white wine, and I was in a very delightful mood! It was extremely tasty with a strong and slightly salty flavor. On good bread, it was a real treat. I started buying whole, pitted kalamata olives and eat them with some goat cheese. Now that is a real treat. The goat cheese mellows out the intense flavor of the olives.
When it comes to the quinoa, that is one I will enjoy for the rest of my life. I heard about quinoa being rich in protein, so I wanted to try it. I found it in my favorite store, and bought some. I was very pleased with the slightly earthy taste, and small size. Since I am more aware of it, I’m seeing it in a number of restaurants as side dishes mixed with black beans, corn, onions, squash, and other nutritional foods. If you see it somewhere, check it out.
For the coming year, I plan to introduce at least 5 new foods into my routine. I don’t know what those 5 are yet, but I’m excited to see what they are. I’m also looking to have some great adventures in the kitchen by doing more steaming, roasting, braising, and definitely more brining. I started brining this past year and have quickly become a raving fan of brining.
So what can add some adventure and fun into your kitchen? How many new foods would you like to try and add to your routine? What cooking tips or techniques would you like to do more of, or try for the first time?
Add a comment to this post with your “State of the Kitchen” plans for next year. I’d like to hear from you.
I’ll add more posts about this topic and how I’m coming along during the year. Until then…
I wish you great adventures having fun cooking!
Mark
About Mark Jala
