As I've been sharing my recipes and this site with friends and family, people seem amazed at something I take for granted every day: Inventing new recipes.
To me, it's a natural thing, maybe force of habit that keeps me inventing new recipes. Or maybe just plain laziness, or lack of cookbooks. In some ways, it's a skill you develop over time by watching cooking shows, reading through recipe books, and trial and error.
So here's a list of tips and tricks for inventing new recipes that will help even the person who feels like an amateur in the kitchen. I feel like an amateur, but I love trying out new things. Don't be afraid!
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Have courage. What's the worst that could happen? If you keep a compost bin, you never have to feel guilty about unfinished food. So when a recipe falls short, try it, feed it to the dog, compost it, do what you must. Don't worry! You'll have learned a lot and you'll do better next time.
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Try to replicate food you love to eat when you're at a restaurant. I remember one time my mom fell in love with a cold pumpkin soup she had at a fine restaurant. She gave me a spoonful and I recognized some of the spices. For Thanksgiving that year, I tried it as a surprise dish for her to serve to the extended family. Sure enough, it was really close to what she'd had at the restaurant. I even bought sliced almonds to top it, just as we'd been served. It was a little too sweet, though. So I learned that I could get really close to the original, but by practicing and tasting as I cooked, I was able to make it just right (even better!) the second time. When you recreate a recipe, you can personalize it. It's worth a try.
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Taste while you eat. It's hard to go wrong if you do that, and you can fix your mistakes early. I sometimes find that my dishes get heavy, and the spicing is just so savory and warm that there's no aspect of lightness. When that happens, as in a soup or chili, I sometimes add a squeeze of acid or some fresh herbs to lighten things up. Or I remedy the situation by serving it with a bit of sour cream or avocados.
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There are foods that work really well as companions, especially warm and cool foods, just like colors. For instance, when I have a really spicy soup, I like to have a garnish like cucumbers or cold tomatoes to break up the flavor. It really helps you savor. When you're eating out or with friends, take note of foods that are paired in your favorite dishes, then try it, or try substituting unexpected things... like strawberries instead of tomatoes or pineapple instead of broccoli.
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Surprisingly, spicy and sweet can be an interesting combination too if done right! When I'm making salty Middle Eastern or Indian dishes, I'll sometimes add golden raisins. When people eat it, they are literally surprised and ask me what's sweet. They don't expect it to be so delicious... Just think of Waldorf salad with grapes or apples paired with chicken. Applesauce and pork are great together. And who doesn't find a little guilty pleasure in the maple syrup the bleeds over on the breakfast plate under their sausages?
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Take the time to learn which spices are commonly used in certain types of cuisine. Have those spices on hand, and then when you're cooking a Thai, Italian, or Indian dish, you can use a nearly limitless combination of vegetables and proteins with the typical spices. Thai food has a lot of basil, garlic, fish sauce, and coconut milk, which work great with shrimp, chicken, mushrooms, beans, and broccoli. Italian food has basil, bay leaf, oregano, garlic, and olive oil. Then you can make pasta with a variety of types of vegetables and call it done. Indian food is more complicated, but in my initial forays, I tend to use a lot of curry, tumeric, cumin, garlic, and basil. Keep saffron on hand to give your dishes a rich golden tone.
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There's a lot more that could be said... leave me your thoughts or share what you know as your own tips!
