What inspires you to try new recipes, ingredients and flavors the most?
By Leighann on Jul 5, 2009 in What's Cooking?
Is it cooking shows, recipe books, going out to eat, learning from friends/family, creating your own dishes, health concerns or choosing a certain form of eating lifestyle……….I get so many recipes influences from varied places and I was wondering what avenue of information inspires you the most? Thank you!
I get my recipes from everywhere you can think of. A lot of recipes came from my mom at first. She in turn got hers from her mom and other family members, the people she worked for, friends, magazines, etc. The first thing I ever learned to make was scrambled eggs with ham and cheese. 
Yum.
That’s all I knew how to cook when I got married. :-O But my husband got us a few cookbooks and taught me how to cook. Most of my recipes from that era come from How To Cook Everything By Mark Bittmann
, The .98 Cookbook
1,000 Lowfat Recipes (1,000 Recipes Series)
and Joy of Cooking
Through the years, I have lived in Belize, Canada, and Germany, and my experiences there have added new recipes and categories to my repertoire like breadfruit stew, stew chicken and rice and beans, blueberry (or other fruit crumble), 50 ways to fix trout, clams, oysters, wild mushrooms, etc.
In Canada, and during a short stay in Washington I learned a lot about raw, vegan, and vegetarian cooking. Tofu, TCP, green smoothies, they’re all part of my repertoire.
When I travel, I go through terrible homesickness for Arkansas sometimes. And I look up recipes for things I crave (that my mom never made, but I had elsewhere). Things like cornbread, Mexican chicken casserole, no bake cookies, bacon and collard greens.
We have a rather eclectic dinner table. But sometimes, you just have to make something up. Like when you have a tiny bit of cheese, 2 potatoes, 5 carrots, and a chicken leg. Some of my best recipes are entirely improv.
Well, that’s how I do it. For other ideas, and amazon resources, check below.
Link Dare Advent Calendar
August Escoffier who never completed his book famous chef turn-of-the-century. Gilbert his assistant finished his book. Ho Chi Minh was a apprentice of his, but went back to help his people and country Vietnam. Escoffier said he would have been a fine chef. Ernie Gerrish a German chef who learned to cook and Germany as a young apprentice during World War II. I learned German style and French and learn how to cook what I call country French in a oven. So many young cooks are about fame and glory today. I write recipes to share.
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blakelemflyfish
| Feb 27, 2009 | Reply
I am way more willing to cook and experiment after watching the Food Network. So, if I need motivation, I watch those shows throughout the day. My most motivational is Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, 30 Minute Meals and Ask Aida.
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faces43
| Feb 27, 2009 | Reply
food network and other cooking shows. going on the internet and going on
allrecipes.com
epicurious.com
cookinglight.com
CDKitchen.com
cooks.com
and many other websites and just looking at the daily recipes and searching just random interesting ingredients. i also like to go through all cooking magazines and cookbooks. eating different things at restaurants inspires me to look up new recipes as well.
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Jac
| Feb 27, 2009 | Reply
Sometimes I'm inspired when I look at the same old ingrediants for the same old dish and decide that a variation is in order. Sometimes I'm inspired by an accidental addition of an herb or flavored vinegar etc. Sometimes I'm inspired by my own cravings for something sweet, savory and salty…..all at the same time! Or, I'll see a recipe and think " You could try adding this….or that….and it would be terrific!" It's all good….
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JennyP
| Feb 27, 2009 | Reply
Usually it is the recipes that contain ingredients I have on hand without having to go shopping first. Those are the ones I will try first. The cooking channels are definitely an inspiration, as well as magazines.Good question.
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Toffy
| Feb 27, 2009 | Reply
Oooh. I get inspired from a lot of things. Cookbooks, especially vintage cookbooks, online recipe videos, television, but most of all, just walking through the grocery store. I'll see things as I walk, pick them up, hold them, imagine how I'd cook them, and what they would be good with.
This means a lot of trial & error learning, but it's definitely worth it. ^^
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Maria Maria
| Feb 27, 2009 | Reply
top chef is by far my most inspirational show, followed by iron chef america. something about that fancy, professional food really makes me want to cook and try things like "balsamic reductions" and special food.
also ina garten's cook books. everything looks/sounds delicious
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em24guitar
| Feb 27, 2009 | Reply
Being a culinary student what inspires me is passion. I am always aspiring to try new recipes and flavor combinations even if on paper they initially look like they wont work out. It is definitely a love affair for me, and I am always looking for new recipes to try and test out. It seems to be harder to find people to taste the recipes.
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Jaded Hippos
| Feb 27, 2009 | Reply
***Various Sources Of Cooking Inspiration***
1. California
2. Family
3. Friends
4. Various Ethnic Groups
5. Cooking Shows
6. Cookbooks
7. Cooking Magazines
8. Internet (Recipes Websites)
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Person With Disabilities --- PWD
| Feb 27, 2009 | Reply
My biggest inspiration for cooking is a good sale, like when there is a nice cut of meat or a certain vegetable for an insane price. Whenever I see a good deal on tomatos, I try to make a batch of pico de gallo. The reason I wait for a sale on tomatos, is because everything else to make it is always really inexpensive. These are for versatile ordinary ingredients, where I am always building my skills for using that ingredient…I may use it as an old standby or in a new way.
I am more likely to try something new if it IS on sale, so if I don't like it, it wasn't a big waste of money to find out.
It also helps to see a demo on TV or in the store showing you how to prep or cook something that I don't know anything about…demystify it.
I am also a lot more likely to be creative in the kitchen if I have a well stocked pantry and high quality equipment. Getting a new item will inspire me to use it. For instance getting a blender might make me want to try a bunch of smoothies. Getting a wok or a bamboo steamer would make me want to try my hand at Asian. etc.
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musicimprovedme
| Feb 27, 2009 | Reply
All of the above. In the last year I've gotten very interested in the food cooking shows and have ventured into doing some more complicated dishes with different ingredients I've never used. My husband and I have found quite a few dishes we really love, and it's worth the extra time to make them and I don't mind the time it takes at all.
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Judy T
| Feb 27, 2009 | Reply