Start Your Year Off Right

Jack Bishop Senior Content Advisor

Do you want to cook more in 2025? My wife and I have cooked together for 40 years. On average, we eat out once a week, which means the rest of those dinners (12,480 by my math) have been prepared at home. Here are my secrets to all those home-cooked meals.

Build a Repertoire
At any given time, I keep five to 10 weeknight dishes in heavy rotation. As a result, I’m more likely to have the right specialty ingredients on hand. And I’m more efficient because I know these recipes so well. I turn to Spaghetti al Tonno when I want to keep things really simple. The ingredient list is almost all pantry staples. Make sure to buy one of our top-rated brands of oil-packed tuna.

Learn Something New
Trying new ingredients and mastering new techniques always gives me a sense of accomplishment. We love tacos and our youngest is a vegetarian, so Vegan Baja-Style Cauliflower Tacos have become my go-to when she’s home. I would never have thought of coating cauliflower florets with panko and shredded coconut and then oven-frying them—but this novel recipe is a winner.

Cook with the Seasons
While I keep my repertoire of weeknight meals to a modest number, I’m always adding dishes as I learn something new and then adjusting the list to cook with the seasons. This keeps me from becoming bored and means that I’m relying on in-season produce. Sicilian White Beans and Escarole is a wintertime favorite, as is this oh-so-simple Bulgur Salad with Curry Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas.

Make Meal Planning a Shared Activity
On nights when I’m solo in the kitchen, I ask my crew what they want for dinner, usually giving them two to three radically different choices such as Sesame-Glazed Meatballs and Broccoli or One-Pan Mediterranean Shrimp. Letting everyone vote is a great way of getting them invested and motivates me—when my crew is excited about dinner, I’m happier in the kitchen.

As we start the new year, I encourage you to spend more time cooking. Put on some good music. Put away your phone. And do something good for yourself and for the people you care about. There’s so much happiness to unlock in your kitchen.

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