When I started planning out this series of posts, I had every intention of moving from music to visual arts. As I actually got to writing, however, it occurred to me that there was a sense being totally left out -- taste. What with tomorrow being Thanksgiving here in the US, the creative act of cooking seems an appropriate one to look at.
Many of us will spend most of the day today and tomorrow preparing a vast array of dishes, a quantity of food far greater than could possibly be eaten by those we expect to gather around our kitchen tables. We all are secure in the knowledge that we will be eating leftovers of this feast for days to come.
The sheer quantity and variety of dishes we're preparing gives us a great opportunity to get a little creative with things. Many of us go to our recipe box and pull out the same time-honored recipes that have been made in our family since our mother's mother's mother first started doing things that way all those years ago.
But why should it always be so? I'm not saying you have to throw out every traditional recipe you use, but that recipe exists in the first place because someone, at some point, got a little creative with preparing food and hit upon a combination that works taste-wise. Why should we fear to be creative with how we prepare things today?
One of the easiest ways to get creative is with spices. For many of us, our spice choices extend as far as salt and pepper, perhaps with a bit of oregano or garlic mixed in. Yet the grocery shelf is positively packed with spices of all sorts. Adding a bit of rosemary to green beans can yield a totally different taste sensation. Parsley can be used for more than just a cutesy garnish at the edge of a plate. Even something as radical as chili powder on the turkey can create new taste vistas.
And once the feast is over, must we be doomed to eat the same leftovers in the same way for the next five days? My wife and I have used leftover turkey in a myriad of ways, from hearty soups to an extra topping on homemade pizza. Leftover mashed potatoes can be the foundation for a nice shepherd's pie. Even desserts can be played with creatively -- puree a slice of pumpkin pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for something a little different.
The ways to be creative in the kitchen are countless. When you're working on your Thanksgiving meal this year, dare to be spontaneous and creative with what you prepare and how you prepare it. You may just find that doing so sparks the imagination in ways you never dreamed possible.
Here's hoping you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving.
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