1. For fun, because I like the food and I like it when others like the food, because it lets me try (and learn about) cuisines whose home cooking I wouldn't otherwise get to try. Also because I find it relaxing (sometimes!) and a way to unwind. It requires skill and some creativity and lots of little things to learn and get better at -- but at the same time, a lot of simpler routine steps which you can perform while giving your brain a chance to decompress and your mind to wander a bit.
2. Not systematically. I think a lot of the fun of it is seeing what you can make with the ingredients you have lying around and an art to supplementing the set of ingredients with things which will open up possibilities. Also fun to see what's marked down in the supermarket and figure out something you can do with it. That said I'll usually have one or two meals in mind for a week's shop (although might change my mind mid-shop depending on what's on offer). And it certainly helps to keep certain staples around that you know you can rely on for a lazy dinner if you don't have the energy for something more involved.
3. I like to change it up although certain things I keep coming back to in mild variations. Various indian curries, stews (particularly keen on persian and turkish), pasta or polenta with something homemade (fresh pesto, some kind of ragu, simple tomato sauce, putanesca, garlic prawns...), a classic english roast on a weekend, chinese stir-fries, attempts at thai and vietnamese, chilli, pulled pork, something vaguely spanish with chorizo and beans, or vaguely north african, salad, fish, stuffed veggies...
4. Not really. An occasional short-lived attempt to cut down on carbs and meat.
5. Don't rely too much on recipes, use them to bootstrap your intuitions about ingredients, the principles behind different cuisines and formats of dish. Try things, fail. Even if you fail most of the time it'll still be edible and perhaps even tasty. Taste things (obvious but bears saying). Learn about individual ingredients and how to use them, herbs spices and seasonings in particular. Seek out new exciting ones. Visit ethnic shops. Make use of the freezer: leftovers, stock, sauces, bargains which you snap up close to expiry. Know what freezes well and what doesn't. Get a rice cooker, they're great. Don't bother with a slow cooker, they create mush and dry meat. Stews are a great way to practise -- hard to screw up too badly, one pot, chance to try out various seasonings and cuisines and get a feel for what works together.
Get the flavour thesaurus, great little book.
2. Not systematically. I think a lot of the fun of it is seeing what you can make with the ingredients you have lying around and an art to supplementing the set of ingredients with things which will open up possibilities. Also fun to see what's marked down in the supermarket and figure out something you can do with it. That said I'll usually have one or two meals in mind for a week's shop (although might change my mind mid-shop depending on what's on offer). And it certainly helps to keep certain staples around that you know you can rely on for a lazy dinner if you don't have the energy for something more involved.
3. I like to change it up although certain things I keep coming back to in mild variations. Various indian curries, stews (particularly keen on persian and turkish), pasta or polenta with something homemade (fresh pesto, some kind of ragu, simple tomato sauce, putanesca, garlic prawns...), a classic english roast on a weekend, chinese stir-fries, attempts at thai and vietnamese, chilli, pulled pork, something vaguely spanish with chorizo and beans, or vaguely north african, salad, fish, stuffed veggies...
4. Not really. An occasional short-lived attempt to cut down on carbs and meat.
5. Don't rely too much on recipes, use them to bootstrap your intuitions about ingredients, the principles behind different cuisines and formats of dish. Try things, fail. Even if you fail most of the time it'll still be edible and perhaps even tasty. Taste things (obvious but bears saying). Learn about individual ingredients and how to use them, herbs spices and seasonings in particular. Seek out new exciting ones. Visit ethnic shops. Make use of the freezer: leftovers, stock, sauces, bargains which you snap up close to expiry. Know what freezes well and what doesn't. Get a rice cooker, they're great. Don't bother with a slow cooker, they create mush and dry meat. Stews are a great way to practise -- hard to screw up too badly, one pot, chance to try out various seasonings and cuisines and get a feel for what works together. Get the flavour thesaurus, great little book.