What Kind of Cook Are You?

Do you follow a recipe or are you a cook-from-the-hip kind of cat? There’s no right or wrong way to be. Intuitive cooking, using (and trusting) your intuition when cooking rather than following a recipe step-by-step allows for more flexibility but it isn’t necessarily better. Following a recipe gives you a great roadmap. It ensures you have what you need and tells you when you need it but it does require some planning. Different strokes for different folks. If you’re not sure…or if you think you’re one kind of cook instead of the other and are having trouble staying inspired to cook, try switching hats occasionally. For the intuitive cook: Maybe you’re not a planner but you’re getting tired of pantry meals or the same grain bowls or pasta dishes with the same ingredients.

• Try one new recipe a week. Look online or in one of the cookbooks collecting dust on your shelf. See what looks delicious, something that you might never make without a recipe then jot down any ingredients you don’t have and add them to your weekly shopping. Find one night when you can relax then grab that recipe and get cooking. Feel free to adapt, but by when you follow a recipe, exploring new ingredients and techniques, you’ll strengthen your intuitive cooking skills and reignite your passion.

• If you only feel safe cooking from your favorite book or blog but feel constrained or overwhelmed with planning in advance, look in your fridge and pantry. You probably have some ingredients you’ve cooked with before. Try to imagine how they might come together in something satisfying. You’ve cooked from enough recipes and know more than you think you do. You’ll stretch your thinking, tap into experiences you may not realize you already have, and work through your fears.