Cooking Up a Storm

When we think of creativity, we usually think of the arts side, acting, dancing, painting, writing etc. I like to think I am quite creative when it comes to the last of those, but there is one area where my creativity really comes to the fore, Cooking.

It’s Christmas Day as I write this and I am looking forward to cooking my 36th Christmas Dinner in a row, having promised Janet when we got married that she would never have to cook one as she never enjoyed it when she was living at home. Every year I try to improve and every year I try to think of a new element to introduce. This year, for example, I am going to be cooking a carrot and parsnip loaf to go with the turkey along with my usual salads. Even that changed last year though as I made my pasta salad with pesto instead of mayonnaise having seen the recipe in a magazine in Australia, where we spent Christmas 2024 for my cousin’s 80th birthday. I brought the recipe back and I will be making it today.

When I do cook something for a second or subsequent time I am more than happy to experiment with the ingredients to make it my own dish and I have a real feel for what will work. That’s where my creativity comes in, because to me you never follow a recipe slavishly unless it’s really complex. Where is the challenge in that?! So, today I will be using my own mix of vegetables when making my pesto salad, concentrating on what I think will really lift it. I also change up the spices to give an extra kick to my dishes. A few years ago I started making cucumber relish and I tweaked the recipe each year until I was happy with it. My version definitely has more of a kick than the original as I have substituted cayenne pepper for the milder paprika I used when following the recipe.

Whatever you do, do it with flair and give free range to your creativity. Good luck and enjoy yourselves.