I propose that there aren’t too many truly new ideas when it comes to cooking. Most of the time a new idea is really just new to us. Sometimes a new idea, or discovery, is simply a wonderful twist on a familiar favorite. Other times, it’s something BIG, like discovering a whole new cuisine. In either case, I find great satisfaction in taking culinary discoveries and recreating the dishes at home. From home cooks to the best of the best restaurant chefs, we can all use everyday inspirations to generate a seemingly endless production of ‘new’ recipe ideas. If you are looking for ways to get your culinary creativity all revved up, I’ve got a few ideas for you!

A lesson on invention from your refrigerator.

Necessity, or perhaps, possession, is the mother of invention. Pop open your refrigerator door and see what’s inside to begin your creative cooking lesson. Perhaps necessity will dictate a creative need. Is the fridge running on empty with just a few eggs and leftover ravioli primavera from a recent visit to the local Italian restaurant? Well, time to take a chance and see if pasta and scrambled eggs go well together. Lucky you, they do! Maybe you have a lot to choose from, and you just want to change up the usual delivery method for a familiar favorite. A few weeks ago I put this suggestion to the test. I had been practicing making pulled pork with not a lot of taste testers. Of course that meant I had a whole lotta shredded pork leftover, and I had hit my quota of pulled pork sandwiches for the month. I started wondering if this deliciousness might taste just as good reinvented on a plate of baked nachos. I hopped online and found some ideas on my favorite cooking websites. Within a few minutes, I had a game plan and a new favorite dish.

Recreate restaurant favorites at home!

I am sure we all have a dirty little secret when it comes to, say … a fast food favorite. While I do agree with contemporary nutritional wisdom that says we’d all be better off seriously limiting our drive thru excursions to the local quick-y chick-y restaurants, widsom is pushed aside with my tummy in the driver’s seat when it comes to my hard core craving for cole slaw from one of these famous establishments. I’m talking a “hold the chicken and double down on the slaw” kind of addiction. Well, twelve step no more, inspired invention is coming to the rescue! I hop on my computer and within a few clicks I found a knockoff recipe of this fast food favorite that has 5 star support from the readers! With a head of cabbage and a few carrots in hand from the local farmers’ market and my organic mayo and sugar ready to be measured and mixed, I recreate a healthier, preservative free, nothing but the real thing, improvement on this fast food starlet. SCORE!

For my last tip on inspiration, rewind back to a favorite dish you sampled on vacation and recreate the memories. I was lucky enough to take a European cruise where we meandered our way from Rome to South Hampton and sampled so many delicious Mediterranean meals. One stand out favorite was a paella dish that we had at a little sidewalk cafe on Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Anytime I want to whisk myself back to that perfect day strolling through the streets of Barcelona and soaking in the Mediterranean sea air, I can call it up from my memory banks by making a rendition of this famous Spanish dish!

So go ahead. Soak it in. Anything in life can be your guide.

Get Inspired!