One of the questions I get asked a lot is, how do I come up with article and recipe ideas? I have to say, it’s not always easy, but sometimes the choosing of the topic can get pretty fun and creative.
You can use pretty much the same methods in choosing how you get and prepare some of your own meals. A lot of the articles are responses to people asking for a specific recipe. Those are normally straight forward and the easiest because the idea or recipe has already been determined for me, so it’s just a matter of supplying my version of how I like that item prepared. There can still be research and experiments done to come up with the final recipe, especially if it happens to be something I’ve never made, but once you have the idea, the rest is easy to find. You can use that same method after hearing about some dish that sounds good to you. Simply ask someone or Google a recipe for say, shrimp scampi.
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“Usually all it takes to vary your menu is just that tiny kick the brain needs to think outside the box.”
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There are also the article ideas that come about in a similar kind of way but with a twist. These are the ideas spawned while sipping a beer or glass of wine with friends. I’ll say I need some kind of recipe and the people around will always come up with suggestions. These ideas can be a ton of fun, and I’m not just saying that because alcohol is involved. Often its people that just happen to be sitting near us that just want to join in the fun that makes it so entertaining. This is one of the easiest ways to come up with new menu ideas and it is really surprising just how many people get excited as the ideas snowball. I’m telling you, everyone loves talking about food and the ideas you’ll hear will amaze you.
And then there are the times it’s just me with not a clue as to where to begin. These can be some of my favorite articles because they are the ones that get my brain working the most. I’ll look at pictures of plates and then start the roller decks in my brain turning as to how I can make something different. Like seeing a picture of a roasted chicken and turning it into a stuffed Cornish game hen. Or, I’ll see an article and see if I can come up with a recipe for that dish before I read it. A lot of articles will give you more than one recipe. For example, it might be an article on “Four ways to prepare chicken.” Before reading the article, see how many ways you can come up with and then compare.
Usually all it takes to vary your menu is just that tiny kick the brain needs to think outside the box. In the next issue, I’ll give you a prime example with a few recipes that came about after seeing one such article.
Smitty is a personal chef specializing in dinner parties, cooking classes and special events. Trained under Master Chef Anton Flory at Top Notch Resort in Stowe, Vt., Smitty is known for his creative use of fresh ingredients. To read archived copies of Smitty’s column, visit chefsmitty.com or TheTahoeWeekly.com. Contact him at tmmsmitty@gmail.com or (530) 412-3598.
