playing the ‘what’s in the fridge game’

the rules
1. You can’t duck out to the shops to pick up an ingredient. It all has to be things you already have in the house and garden.
2. There is no need to eat a failure. If it doesn’t work out, be nice to yourself, order in some Thai food, or make something else to eat.

begin with the end in mind
For me this is the most important step in inventing a new dish. I always take the time to survey the ingredients on hand and then imagine what I’m going to cook. Until I have a picture in my mind, I don’t start cooking. Sure the picture can change, but it’s really important to know where you’re heading before you start.

learn the classic flavour combinations
I recently saw a demonstration by the pastry chef from cutting edge New Youk restaurant, wd~50. And one of the things that surprised me the most was his comments that he tends to avoid ‘out-there’ flavour combinations. His logic was that you didn’t need to reinvent the wheel and that there’s a reason that the classics are classic. Wise words.

Here are a few of my favourite combos to get you thinking:
§ tomato & basil
§ bread & cheese
§ beans & dill
§ lamb & mint
§ peanut butter & jelly (or honey!)
§ lime & chilli & coriander
§ fennel & fish
§ zucchini & mint
§ chicken & tarragon
§ salmon & dill
§ fish & lemon
§ apple & cinnamon
§ strawberries & balsamic vinegar
§ chocolate & mint
§ chocolate & orange

remember to keep it simple
Apart from burning things, I find my biggest kitchen failures occur when I get carried away and add to many elements to a dish. And end up with a muddled mess.

back to solve your dinner dilemma [fresh ideas] overview