I like eating. And I like eating good food. But my budget and my waistline only allow me to eat out so many times a month. And 2020 taught us all about eating at home.
One of my favorite restaurants to eat at is an Italian chain. But it’s pricey. Pasta at the grocery store is not. They also took one of my favorite salads off the menu. It was time to make this meal at home. I did some research – someone else liked this salad and wrote about it. I found some pasta recipes that looked like what I like to order and gave them a try. Then I invited over some friends and put it all together. It was fabulous.
If you want to eat some restaurant food at home – here are the steps I followed.
- Choose what you want to eat – You may want to start with something that is like something you have made before or has ingredients you don’t have to go to a specialty shop to buy. Or go for it and try something new!
- Research for recipes – Be specific when using your search engine to get your best recipe options. Use the name of the dish and the restaurant.
- Make your grocery list – If you already have some of the ingredients at home check that you have enough. I often forget that part.
- Read your recipe a couple of times – I forget this part too. I think I know what I’m doing and then realize I missed an important step and must wing it a little. Don’t be me.
- Eat with an open mind – Hopefully, you are happy with what you have cooked. It may be the same – sometimes it’s even better. Sometimes it’s not. That’s okay. Try again or try something different.
Making your favorite dishes at home isn’t hard. But it does take research, planning and preparation. And the willingness to act. Cooking, like most things, is a skill you learn to do because you try, learn, and try again. Act and try something new.
