We’ve all been there: wanting to do something adventurous but not knowing where exactly to begin, and needing just a little push to get started. Whether it’s making a family recipe your grandmother used to whip up or attempting a dish totally out of your comfort zone, simply deciding to go for it can be the most challenging part.
The rewards of making something special with your own hands can be so much more than just a meal to be scarfed down. It can spark creativity, bring people together, and provide a little slice of comfort that we all need. Remembering what I ate with my family as a kid still brings back all those sweet memories of cookouts during summer and chilly winter nights by the fire.
From making cherry pie with freshly-picked cherries with my aunts to quiet nights in the kitchen with my dad, cooking experiences with family are memories I cherish.
So if you need a little inspiration to get you started on some exciting culinary feats, look no further: here are 10 inspiring cooking quotes to spark your sense of adventure.
1. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook
“Every meal should be a small celebration”—Fannie Farmer
Not opposed to adding sprinkles to everything.
2. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
“Households that have lost the soul of cooking from their routines may not know what they’re missing: the song of a stir-fry sizzle, the yeasty scent of rising dough, the painting of flavors onto a pizza before it slides into the oven.”—Barbara Kingsolver
So go out and see what you’re missing!
3. The Frugal Gourmet On Our Immigrant Ancestors
“There is a most serious need to remember who we are so that we may assist other people in remembering who they are. Ethnic cooking in our time is not ‘in’ just because it tastes good. It is historical and meaningful on its own.”—Jeff Smith
Important words to remember when trying new cuisines.
4. The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life
“A recipe is a story that ends with a good meal.”—Pat Conroy
And maybe something to write about too.
5. The Pollan Family Table: The Best Recipes and Kitchen Wisdom for Delicious, Healthy Family Meals
“Cooking is not a science but an art, mistakes are okay, messes are fine—the pleasure is in the creating and the sharing of the result.”—Lori Pollan
In other words, embrace your inner foodie artist.
6. Flour Water Salt Yeast
“Baking is a craft that makes you want to do it again and again… the repetition gives a warming satisfaction that comes from the familiar comfort of doing something well.”–Ken Forkish
Bread truly can heal all wounds.
7. Smoke and Pickles
“Everyone has a story and a recipe. We cherish them because they are our reinventions. There is a rich diversity in our cuisine that is defined by our never-ending search for reinvention.”—Edward Lee
Because sometimes America can be pretty darn great.
8. Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen
“We’re invigorated by meals that taste of love and heritage. The pursuit of good food has become a hobby that richly nourishes us while allowing us to nourish others.”—Rick Bayless
Why, yes, my hobbies do in fact include the pursuit of good food.
9. The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American
“The memories of what we ate as a child form a sort of patriotism that lasts throughout our life. Now, call your grandmother and ask for those recipes you have been meaning to get, and we can get started on tasting our spirit of patriotism.”—Jeff Smith
After all, American cuisine isn’t all cheeseburgers and hot dogs.
10. My Oma’s Sourdough Starter Recipe
“Now it’s perfect.”
And finally, a phrase written in the margins of my great grandmother’s recipe book after many modifications of our family recipe. This inspiring cooking quote never fails to bring a smile to every member of my family.
Making recipes that my great grandmother brought from Germany is a long time tradition in my family. Every time we make a dish from her recipe book full of dense German desserts, I’m reminded of where my family comes from, and marvel at the time she spent into perfecting every recipe she came across.
The comfort and joy that can come from cooking is like no other, especially when the recipe comes from a meaningful place. So do the research, find that recipe, and get cooking!