Cooking isn't rocket science. Anyone can do it, but if you want to stand out as a cook, be open to new ideas, ingredients and ways to prepare them.
Experiment with Ethnic Cuisines
If you're into cooking, you've probably already cooked Chinese, Indian and Italian food, perhaps Thai and Greek, but there are many more intriguing cuisines than just those. What about Persian, Spanish, Cambodian, Ethiopian or Peruvian?
These days you don't even need to go and by a cookbook - Google is your friend. After you find a cuisine you like, you can always combine some of their best ideas into your own homestyle cooking.
Try out New Ingredients
Are there any vegetables or fruit you haven't yet tried? What about nuts and grains? Spices? Now that you can Google up recipes and tips, there are no excuses not to try new things. You could well find yourself loving amaranth, sea buckthorn or almond milk. New spices could transform your favorite dishes into something even better.
Savory or Sweet? It Doesn't Matter
We tend to see foods as savory or sweet, but usually such distinction does not really matter. For example, in Asia beans are often used in desserts. On the other hand, you might well use strawberries, chocolate or dried fruit in a main dish.
Even the distinction that the main dish has to be savory and the dessert sweet can go. In some parts of Asia desserts can be either sweet or savory.
Give Old Enemies a New Chance
Try out ingredients you haven't liked before. It can take a few tries to really learn to like a new food, but often the reason people don't like a food is because they've never had it prepared the way they like.
Hate Brussels sprouts? Try them roasted instead of boiled/steamed. Not a fan of mushrooms? There are dozens of different kinds of mushrooms and not all of them are "slimy", if that's what you object to.
A New Twist to Old Recipes
An easy way to adapt recipes is to switch ingredients to similar ones. What about using mint and pecans in pesto instead of basil and pine nuts? Maybe grandma's peanut butter cookies would taste even better made with cashew or almond butter. And who ever said you can't make hummus with black beans?
New Types of Dishes
Molecular gastronomy is a super fancy school of gourmet where food is often served in peculiar ways, such as lollipops and foams. You don't have to go that far, but do try out something new. A main dish can be cold - even frozen. Instead of a mash or a soup, what about a mousse?
You could even try adapting your favorite recipe into a new form. Fan of Pina Colada? Try making a Pina Colada cake. Peanut butter and jam smoothie? Who knows, it might just work.
Enjoy Cooking!
Remember that you can't go "wrong" with cooking. Everything is allowed. Every once in a while a brilliant vision might produce something inedible, but that isn't the end of the world. Throw it out and eat Ramen noodles for dinner - it won't kill you. You'll laugh at the whole thing the next day.
See Also
How to Make Homemade Herbal Teas
