I am not a chef, and I feel that I should probably add that disclaimer to every recipe I post. Many of the dishes I make are tweaked from originals, or created in the grocery store (sometimes around the clearance bin), or are hardly recipes at all. I do love food, though, and I really enjoy working with it. Sometimes I think it’s the best way to shift gears, especially if you have a particularly emotional or cerebral job. I like to use my hands to slow down my brain in the evening.
I interviewed a chef once, who told me that he only creates recipes that use six ingredients or less. I asked him why six was the magic number, and he said anything more than that and you start to mask individual flavors. I liked that approach, and even though I’m not strict about the magic number, I started to cook more simple and straightforward meals. And as a result, I’m getting better at identifying flavors and deciding which ones I like to pair together. Win, win.
Another thing I use sometimes when I’m making things up is the flavor star. I don’t know who invented it and I definitely can’t take the credit, but it’s kind of fun to use it in experiments. I used this recently when I made up a spicy chicken recipe for the slow cooker. It was pretty cool to start with an idea (chicken), pour on some flavor (can of tomatoes with green chilies), add some salt and creaminess, and viola! A new favorite was born. When I think of a name for it, I’ll post the recipe. I’m sure it’ll be something really creative like Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken.
If you are the head chef of your household, keep fighting the good fight. And if food isn’t fun anymore, just start over and see what you can make on your own, maybe with six ingredients or less. Or just read this article, which is great. Happy chefing!
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