6 Tips for Cook From Scratch More Often

6 Tips for Cook From Scratch More Often

Do you long to cook more of your family’s food yourself? Are you inspired by food bloggers and cooking shows? Does the idea of making things by hand in your kitchen sound enjoyable? Many people decide to cook from scratch more often but end up stuck in a rut making the same recipes every week. Cooking from scratch is an art and it takes practice to excel. If you want to improve your cooking skills and enjoy spending more time in the kitchen, here are some tips to help.

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  1. Find Your Inspiration

Cooking from scratch is much more enjoyable when you are passionate about it. If you are excited to try a new recipe or technique, there’s a much greater chance of success than if it just feels like a chore. Find things that inspire your cooking creativity, whether it’s food blogs and cooking shows, or physical cookbooks with beautiful pictures. Goals are often helpful too, such as cooking your way through a famous chef’s recipes. You could even join a cooking group, either in your local area or online to find inspiration or participate in fun challenges.

  1. Plan Ahead

Nothing kills your motivation to cook like realizing dinner is in an hour and you have to figure out what you can cook with the ingredients in your fridge. Meal planning makes it much easier to cook more often as you’ll have your recipe chosen and know all the ingredients are readily available. Some people prefer to plan using a physical notebook or binder whereas others use an online system or app. The key is to find a system that works for you and then actually use it.

  1. Start a Blog

If you enjoy spending time on the computer, consider starting a food blog. It could just be a private thing for yourself, or you could publish it openly. You may find the blog inspires you to cook more often or try ambitious recipes. You could even join blogging groups such as The Daring Kitchen to participate in fun challenges. You don’t have to worry if your cooking or photography skills aren’t professional level as you’ll improve with practice. You may even inspire others who also want to cook more from scratch.

  1. Try Your Hand at Plating

One thing that makes food prepared by professional chefs stand out is beautiful plating. While you don’t have to fold your home napkins into swans or buy fancy dishware, taking the time to serve your food in appealing presentations has many benefits. A beautiful presentation often makes food taste better and it can help boost your confidence in your own cooking skills. Plus it makes for pretty pictures if you have a blog or Instagram account. The easiest way to learn plating skills is by watching cooking shows or looking for tutorials online.

  1. Branch Out From Your Normal Fare

Another way to inspire more cooking from scratch is to challenge yourself to try recipes outside your comfort zone. The easy way to start out is to choose dishes that are relatively simple and rely on some pre-made ingredients. For example, there are several unique dishes that use flavored mayo from HamptonCreek, and you can find the recipes and even video demonstrations on the company’s social media channels. Starting off with simple recipes like this can help you find out what flavors you enjoy and give you the practice to work up to expert-level dishes.

  1. Be Patient

It’s important to remember that learning to be an excellent cook takes time. Professional chefs spend years in formal training to learn their craft, so be patient with yourself. Every time you cook from scratch you’ll get better and improve your own confidence. It’s also good to remember that cooking is supposed to be fun. If the recipes you are choosing aren’t inspiring your passion, look for something different until you find the right fit for yourself.

Cooking more homemade foods is a worthy goal and one you can achieve with a little dedication and practice. Finding inspiring recipes or joining an online community can help you maintain your motivation to cook often. You may even want to start a blog to showcase your accomplishments. For many people, the biggest challenge is planning ahead and getting everything in place so cooking often isn’t a stressful experience. There are many meal planning tools that can help you organize better. Choosing new recipes and plating them in an attractive way can also make the whole experience even more enjoyable.

Catherine Avatar