How do you pick a new recipe?

I've been pondering this question for a while. Perhaps it would easier to ask why we tend to eat the same repertoire of recipes. Old favourites are comforting, they remind us of past happy memories – Sunday roast lunch with Grandma, a warming stew on a winter evening, bread and jam for tea. That’s why it’s called ‘comfort food’. There is safety in sticking to the routine.

So, when we decide to branch out and try something new, how do we decide which recipe to choose out of the shiny new book, or the thousands out there on the internet? I asked myself this question recently, when I bought two new recipe books from the Deliciously Ella philosophy. I was able to disprove my original hypothesis that I only ever cook four recipes out of a new cookbook, but it was a struggle. I have to admit that most of the new recipes that I’ve adopted are for sweet treats, like energy balls and brownies, or new cooking ideas such as chilli salt and spicy quinoa.

My internet research did not throw up any useful pointers about the psychology of recipe selection. It did come up with some links to services offering to deliver the precise ingredients for a week’s worth of meals, together with full cooking instructions. Clearly France is still some way behind as they have not really embraced even Click and Collect yet. There are also lots of apps to help you find a recipe based on the ingredients in the fridge. This is a great hack and one that I often use to save waste or if I’m lacking inspiration. But, what actually attracts us to try a new recipe? I’ve tried to analyse a few of my own reactions. Why does one recipe attract my attention whereas I’ll just flip or click to the next page past another.

 

Key factors:

·         Some familiar ingredients – I usually discount any recipe that doesn’t contain at least a couple of ingredients that are already in the kitchen

·         Some ingredients that we like – our favourites: chillies, basil, garlic, limes, avocados, pasta…

·         No unusual ingredients that will be difficult or expensive to source – I think this is something that prevents many people from trying recipes from glossy celebrity chef cook books. I love Rick Stein’s TV series and we have got most of his earlier books, but he does have habit of including a long list of mail order ingredients or referring to some quaint little deli in Notting Hill

·         Time is a factor – as a general rule I like to be able to cook our main meal in half an hour. I don’t mind a bit of prep or using the slow cooker, but I don’t like fiddling around for too long

·         Long lists of ingredients or separate lists for different parts of recipes – sometimes I have managed to push through this mental obstacle, because often the list is simply spices, half a teaspoon of this, a tablespoon of that. But, at first glance it can be a deal-breaker

·         Too many saucepans – I don’t like washing up. One-pan meals are ideal, two is OK and three is too many. And as for breakfast recipes, no saucepans

·         Recipes written in large quantities, for example serves eight – actually, I can cope with this, as I often double, halve or reduce the quantity I cook, but I think this puts off an inexperienced cook

So, all of these factors combine to influence my decisions about whether to try out a new recipe. Most of us have a few favourite meals and rotate these for the routine everyday menu. (Ours is anything pasta.) When I want to branch out and try something new I’ll be looking for ingredients that are, in fact, not too many steps out of our existing comfort zone. If we’re already familiar with a few of the ingredients the chances are that the end result will suit our palate. Sometimes I have to force myself out of the culinary comfort zone and I am usually pleasantly surprised. That’s why tofu is now a regular on our weekly menu plan.