While the rest of the world has ditched alcohol and filled their fridges with kale, we’re busy thinking about how to make this year our most delicious yet. If you’d like to expand your culinary horizons, here are some New Year’s resolutions for foodies that you’ll definitely want to stick to.
Eat outside your comfort zone – If your Friday night curry has lost its appeal, maybe this is the year you try Korean BBQ or get some friends together for Afghan or Sichuan instead of Italian.
Cook the books – Set yourself a challenge to cook one or two recipes a week from all those cookbooks you rarely use. It’s a great way to add new dishes to your repertoire or dazzle some dinner guests.
Try somewhere new – Stuck in a dining rut? Make this the year that you actually check out those new openings, tick a celeb chef restaurant off your wish list, or finally try that great dim sum place you read about.
Support a food charity – Why not make a donation to your local foodbank or get involved with charities like Action Against Hunger? It’s good food karma!
Take a class – Love to cook and fancy a new challenge? Get hands on with a bread making class at The Bertinet Kitchen or make a weekend of it with a course at the Padstow Seafood School. Londoners can take a speedy lunch class at L’Atelier des Chefs or master the art of dim sum at School of Wok.
Take a foodie road trip – Head to the coast, visit a food festival in another city, or go further afield and visit foodie destinations like San Sebastian, Paris, Bologna, or Vietnam.
Meat-free Mondays – There are lots of good reasons to eat less meat, from saving money to helping the environment, so why not commit to a couple of meat-free days each week? Browse food blogs and magazines for recipe inspiration or leave the cooking to the experts at one of these top vegetarian restaurants.
Clear out your spice rack – Dusty old cloves and forgotten five spice have no place in your kitchen. Ditch the out-of-date stuff and splash out on the fresh, fragrant spices your dishes deserve.
Sharpen your knives – A sharp knife is safer than a blunt one and will make meal prep feel effortless.
Eat the seasons – Buy fruit and vegetables when they’re at their best – it’s cheaper, tastier and makes eating your five-a-day so much easier. The Eat the Seasons website is full of info to help you.
Swap supermarkets for farmers’ markets – You might not be able to do the full weekly shop but it’s a great way to support small producers. You might find their veg is cheaper and lasts longer too.
Have you made any food-focused resolutions? Let us know in the comments.
