Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Inspiration

Growing up I never really considered myself an overly creative person. I couldn't draw a straight line if you paid me and loved the concrete formulas and solutions that maths such as algebra and calculus offered. I dabbled with writing poetry, but was always overshadowed by my more talented older sister. I learned to play guitar and sang in small coffeehouse performances (I was only boo-ed during my first performance ever), but wasn't talented enough to make the school musical at my very competitive high school. Perhaps that is why it shocked no one more than me when I decided to go to culinary school because I wanted to become a recipe developer and food editor and be a part of the conversation of creating recipes and food content.
My mother always had magazines and cookbooks that we would contentedly leaf through over a mug of tea in the afternoons and evenings. I remember reading Canadian Living when we were in Winnipeg and then Southern Living when we moved down to Dallas. With such a big family to cook for every day, she was always looking for something new to add to the dinner rotation and I loved being surprised by new ideas, ingredients and flavors. A casserole with black beans, Tex-Mex flavors and a cheesy lasagna-esque layer...sweet almond kissed butter cookies...the million dollar winning cake from the Pillsbury Bake-Off that featured a can of pears as a secret ingredient...so many great ideas!
It has been a bumpy 11 years since I decided to enter the work study program at ICE and eventually obtain my Culinary Arts diploma, but I am now contributing to the food world with ideas and recipes and techniques and still get a bit of a thrill when I see my recipes in print, or read a positive review online from someone who really enjoyed the meal and better yet, plans to add it into their usual dinner rotation to shake things up.
Now that I am contributing, I face a new dilemma. I sometimes find myself needing some inspiration. Every person who cooks has a favorite item they use all the time, whether it's oregano, hot sauce, balsamic vinegar, or even ketchup. When I am brainstorming for projects, however, I have to be careful to not always go to my own culinary comfort zone but branch out and try to offer flavors that will appeal to a wide audience. It's not always easy. For example, I really do not like anchovies, but sometimes it is just the right addition to a dish that will really have wide appeal and I must put my own personal tastes aside and judge it in a neutral, almost detached, frame of mind.
I am lucky to work with great people who offer tips, thoughts and ideas and I read as much as I can to try and think about ingredients and techniques in new ways. Between those two sources of help and inspiration I can usually find my way through my blocks and stumbles . It is my own kind of creativity I can offer and I'll take it. I may have to since I still can't draw a straight line but I can roll dough to an even thickness or slice uniform pieces of chilled cookie dough. Maybe not an even trade, but it works for me.