About Jes Watson
For editor Jes Watson, happiness is a perfectly poached egg, a vase filled with fresh-cut peonies — or just getting out of dishes duty. From furnishing and decorating her new house to hosting the perfect dinner party, she shares a slice of her domestic adventures with you each week.
5 Ways to Get Creative About Your Food
home slice: finding food inspiration canada
(Jan.12.12)
One of my goals for 2012 is to avoid getting into "food ruts" — those awful, deep grooves where I find myself cooking the same thing day after day (and sometimes even week after week).
This year, my cooking plan is to keep light footed and fancy-free. An easy enough commitment, but how do I plan to actualize it? Quite simply, in fact. I have five simple rules for keeping me inspired, and so far they're working like a charm:
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Eat More
No, I don't mean piling my plate with more food. I mean trying out new restaurants, new styles and new cuisines. Scoping out what the best chefs are doing is bound to help me get more imaginative in my own kitchen.
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Go Back to School
While my high school knapsack will remain (quite permanently) in storage, I am planning on heading back to cooking school. Getting the inside scoop on new ingredients and brushing up on my technique will get me pumped to test them out at home. Ergo, no food rut.
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Hit the Books
I love skipping off to my local bookstore and flipping through the cookbooks. I always get lost in the glossy photos and breathtaking presentations, and I find I can pick up so much without committing to a purchase. (Of course, I always shell out for a cookbook that really captures my heart.)
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Surf the Web
Food sites and bloggers always inspire me, and I love scrolling through the candid shots and step-by-step instructions. (Oh, by the way — have you checked out our amazing recipes lately?)
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Dine with Friends
Hosting a dinner party (or attending one) is one of my favourite ways to get up close and personal with different cooking styles. I find that even just asking my friends about their preferences can mean cooking in a whole new way, and attending an intimate dinner lets me glean insight into how a dish was made. Definitely inspiring.
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Image: ilmungo
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