Adventure

I love the Zen saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." I have worked in colleges for all my professional life and I find it to be absolutely true. It is only when the student feels the need to know that the lessons sink in.

I think I was ready for this advice:

Be Adventurous

Eating is like a great odyssey and you are surely missing out if you’re not willing to try new things. Each time you go shopping, try and find something new that you haven’t tried before. If you don’t know how to eat or prepare your new finds, ask for assistance. Often, people are more than willing to help if you just ask them a simple question. Also, don’t be afraid to modify any dishes that you like to suit your personal tastes.

This was written by a woman named Holly McCarthy, who was a recent guest on Katie's blog, Thyme for Cooking, one of my daily favorites. I enjoy cooking and especially feeding my loved ones, but I have to admit that I'm not a very adventurous cook. If I make something unusual, it's as much by accident or thrift as for the pleasure of trying new tastes or textures.

So, I've decided to take Holly's advice and try one new thing each time I go shopping. I haven't eaten kale since my mother forced it on us as kids; maybe it's time to try it again. I've never known what to do with tomatillos; I'm going to buy some soon. I bought a softball-sized celeriac at the store today; stay tuned for whatever I find to do with that!

Maybe all I needed to cure my food blog blahs is some new material to work with and a little mental readiness to experiment.