1. Try New Recipes
Whether you scan
the cookbooks lining the library shelves or browse the infinite number of
online resources, there are plenty of recipes awaiting the eager cook. New
recipes add excitement and new flavours that not only add spice to the dining
room table, but also awaken the taste buds. You never know if you don’t like
something if you never try it. Why not experiment with veal or make your first
gumbo?
2. Try New Ingredients
Sometimes you can
transform an old favourite by simply substituting the ingredients you normally
use. There are thousands of different spices, meats, vegetables, fruits,
sauces, and other cooking ingredients that you are unaware of. This is also a
great chance to explore some of the different worldwide methods of cooking, as
you consider the use of cilantro, rose petals, Adobo, hummus, and oyster sauce.
3. Theme Night of the Week
To spice up the
dinnertime you have grown accustomed to, theme nights create a great break from
the norm. You may select a day of the week that is especially set aside for a
particular theme of your choice, such as "Dinner and a Movie." When
preparing a mealtime your family will never forget, you may choose to explore
another culture. A few theme night feasts may include: Italian (pizza, cannoli,
lasagne); Asian (spring rolls, chicken stir fry, fortune cookies); Middle
Eastern (pita sandwiches, falafel); or French (croissant sandwiches, quiche,
crepes).
4. Breakfast Food at Night
When you're tired
of the meat and potatoes dinner, there is nothing wrong with setting a hot,
stack of pancakes on the table for the last meal of the day. Omelettes,
waffles, French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon, all make great selections for
a dinner that breaks from the norm.
5. Fun Presentation Ideas
Perhaps the things
you cook for dinner taste great and are crowd pleasers, but you want to step up
the level of enjoyment. Enhanced presentation of food not only heightens the
interest of the meal, but also gets the conversation going around the dinner
table. One of the most attention-grabbing ideas for meals includes fruit and
vegetable carving, where radishes, apples, oranges, and melons become works of
art. Sometimes, dinner plates may showcase a bright explosion of foods,
arranged according to the colours of the rainbow.
6. Decoration, Decoration, Decoration
To encourage a more
enjoyable dinner meal, decorating the dining room table is a great way to boost
the level of delight, including colourful napkins, inviting candles, fun
silverware choices, decorative tablecloths, new cups and glasses, or beautiful
spreads of flowers and plants.
7. Change the Scenery
Sometimes the food
served during dinner isn’t the boring part of mealtime, but the monotonous
seating and setting at the dining room table sometimes becomes the problem. To
change up the scenery, make arrangements to have a picnic dinner, gather on the
patio to watch the sun set over a delicious home cooked meal, or plan a
laidback feast to enjoy in the family room. Why not hold an outdoor Hawaiian
luau, where the backyard is transformed into an island paradise with roasted
pineapple, grilled food, and leis?
Overall, if you
think coming up with your own creative meal ideas is hard, there are plenty of
cooking resources and meal planners to consider and help add life, creativity,
and imagination.
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