Yesterday I purchased some Rapini, which I’ve never eaten before let alone cooked with. I grabbed it as it was there, figuring it would make a good side for the duck legs I had found in my local butcher. When I got to checkout of the grocers the girl asked me what I was going to do with it. I replied that I didn’t know as I had never eaten it. The checkout girl looked shocked, I didn’t know what I was going to do with it? I was buying something I had never eaten? What the hell?!
Her reaction got me thinking about my attitude towards cooking and how it differs from others.
I enjoy wowing with food, and that includes wowing myself. There is a thrill and sense of accomplishment when a dish turns out and people enjoy it. To do this I’ve learnt a trick, not being afraid to fail when cooking a dish. With this I am happy to leap into trying new dishes, new techniques, so I regularly cook with new ingredients or untried recipes.
Too many people are afraid to fail when it comes to cooking, so they don’t try and the lack of variety leads to boredom and cooking being a chore. I still get annoyed when a dish doesn’t turn out as I had wished, but that just means I take another crack at it later. Rarely will there be an inedible disaster, so guests are rarely left hungry even if I have to apologise for such and such not quite working.
Cook one thing a week that you have never tried to cook, I dare you.
ps. I did sort of know what I was going to do with the Rapini and that was add butter and garlic, if in doubt use butter and garlic, you can’t go wrong!