Arts
It happens to everyone—don’t panic—and there is hope to escape. We’re talking about cooking ruts. Even Anne, a chef and foodie pro, has known a rut or two in her time and assures us it’s not just the pandemic that is causing this bout of malaise. In this episode, Anne diagnoses two common cooking ruts and gives specifics on how to get out. Anne details how to take your most successful meals—the mainstays, the favorites—and make strategic swaps to give new life to your staples that you don’t want to forgo. You’ll get new ideas for the regulars that are sure to return the spark to your meal planning. Do you know your base palate? This mental experiment is sure to give you food for thought and explain some of your habits and tendencies for your cooking. Anne walks producer Catherine through the concept of a base palate—try it yourself to get some insight about how your base palate might inadvertently lure you into a cooking rut. Finally, Anne suggests how following a recipe can actually be a step to breaking free of a cooking rut and set you back on a happy cooking path. Mentioned on the show: - To the letter! Try Ottolenghi’s Seared Salmon with Pine Nut and Currant Salsa. Watch Anne prepare this dish on Red Stick Spice Co’s Facebook Live. - Anne gave Ottolenghi’s cook book Jerusalem a shout-out; learn more on Ottolenghi’s website. - Inspired to try Anne’s swaperooni? Red Stick Spice Co. has some fabulous flavored oils, including Roasted Garlic Avocado Oil. Experimenting with acids? Select a balsamic to compliment your meal. - Intrigued by the Taco Tuesday blend Anne mentioned? Or adding cinnamon to savory beef stew? There are so many Red Stick Spice Co. spice blends to choose from—you can also find beautiful saffron threads for the Seared Salmon with Pine Nuts and Currant Salsa. We have a spice for you! - Anne drew some inspiration from Deb Perelman of Bon Appetit in a post (authored by Kelsey McKinney.) Read the post, titled, I Fell Into a Deep Cooking Rut—Here’s How I Got Out. - We are so excited for our C’est Si Bon subscription boxes! Get the goodness of Red Stick Spice Co. each month with a C’est Si Bon subscription—it is so, so good. Makes an amazing gift. C’est Si Bon! Did you need this ep? Have you been in a cooking rut as of late? Did you get some unstuck ideas from the show? Let us know! Hit us up on any of the Red Stick Spice Co socials, including Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Hear all Smidgen episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your browser, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.