10 Ways to Escape a Cooking Rut

June 8, 2009

I love cooking.  When I’m cooking I can really focus; I stop thinking about anything else going on.  I like creating something new and tangible.  And of course eating the food is fun.

But I have a confession – I frequently get into cooking “ruts,” where I either won’t cook anything (just eating mac & cheese, hot dogs, leftovers, etc.) or I only make foods that I’m very comfortable making.  It’s strange.  I sometimes don’t cook anything for over a week.

Certain tactics have helped me escape this rut. I’ve compiled them here to help get me (and hopefully you) cooking again.

1. Schedule some time – When I get busy, I get lazy.  I often don’t feel like cooking.  I find, though, that picking one night in the upcoming week to cook something new or a favorite dish will get me excited about cooking again.  It also ensures that I’ll have the time cleared for it.
2. Clean your kitchen – I don’t have a dishwasher, so I often let dishes (clean or dirty) sit around and clutter the kitchen.  Walking into my cluttered, sometimes dirty kitchen drains any desire I have to cook.  It just looks like too much work.  On the flip side, a clean kitchen can energize me to cook.
3. Plan three meals – One of the most difficult parts of making new meals for me is getting all the necessary ingredients.  Like I said, I’m lazy.  When it is 7:00 pm and I am choosing what to eat, I usually choose the easy option because I don’t want to run to the store.  If I pick a few recipes at the beginning of the week, however, and accomplish the shopping all at once, I’m more excited to try the new meals.
4. Buy a new ingredient – Sometimes when shopping I’ll grab an ingredient I’ve never cooked with, waiting to find out what to do with it when I get home.  You get the added benefit of increasing your ingredient repertoire.
5. Make something up – If cookbooks and websites aren’t inspiring you, maybe it’s just time to get in the kitchen and create something with what you have on hand.  I don’t do this often, but creating your own dish can make cooking fun again.
6. Cook for someone else – I enjoy cooking for others.  I’m not sure why – maybe I like seeing them happy, maybe I’m looking to impress, or maybe I just like the added pressure.  Either way, cooking for others is exciting, so invite people over or head to their place to cook.
7. Pick a new cuisine – I frequently get stuck making classic American and Italian dishes.  Picking a new ethnic cuisine that you don’t normally cook can make things interesting and expand your knowledge.  If you’re not sure where to start, check out Ben at What’s Cooking? (Mexican) and Peter at Kalofagas (Greek).  Their food cannot be resisted.
8. Try to recreate a restaurant dish – Odds are there are certain dishes at restaurants that you love, the ones you’ll go back for.  See if their are any recipes of it online or try to make one up yourself for fun.
9. Cook with someone – Similar to number six above, cooking with someone can make it more fun and you’ll get the meal on the table more quickly.
10. Cook breakfast or lunch – My cooking usually revolves around dinner, as it probably does for most.  Finding some new recipes for breakfast or lunch can widen your possibilities and get you excited about something new.

I hope this list helps – it has gotten me back in the kitchen when I’m feeling lazy.

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