Can YOU Compose Your Own Symphony of Ingredients? Here's how...

Lately, I have literally been in the kitchen all the time, and surprisingly I have enjoyed every minute of it. Why? Because I get to experiment in many different ways. I feel like a mad scientist at times trying to get things to work together that have never even mixed before.

If you are creative, passionate or just tired of eating the same thing... you just might want to think about creating your own recipes!

Playing around with food you certainly come up with some amazing and some interesting combinations that you will never forget!

Creating recipes takes a lot of planning, behind the scenes prep and many hours of hard work. But believe me... it is totally worth it! I tell the story of my biggest kitchen disaster in my cookbook "Cook Your Way to Health." A lesson learned, and not forgotten. However, out of that unforgettable disaster came my now most popular recipe for black bean brownies.

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” 
― Thomas A. Edison

 You have to somehow get all the details of a organized kitchen to come together in a beautiful stunning meal.

Many of you already are designing your own recipes on a daily basis without you realizing it! A pinch of this, a dash of that... and the dish you were creating just turned into something completely different. All you have to do is plan ahead a bit more and write it down, because people are going to want to replicate your dishes if they are well planned and thought out!

So, how do you compose your own recipe? Strive to find aspects of food that harmonize well together. Contrasting flavors, textures and colors are three big things you want to start off with.

Chile Chocolate Smoothie

Think about some of the classic music symphonies. Using unique instrumentation in a variety of ways letting the soaring melodies take you to amazing places with just a simple variation of the theme. It is the same with cooking. Let your ingredients do the work for you and just add in the things that are going to pull all the main components together in a symphony that will tickle your taste buds.

Starting off with a blank sheet of paper and a bunch of empty measuring cups can be a daunting task but don't try to do too much. Simplicity is key.

First think, what do you want the main flavor of the dish to be? For an easy start, think of a few things you have on hand. I have a lot of broccoli right now. Broccoli? Ok. How can you twist broccoli up a bit? Let's use a more non-traditional part of the broccoli. The Stem. What other ingredients can we add in? Not too much... we want to stay SIMPLE right?! Butter, minced garlic and black pepper. The butter will let it cook nicely in a sauté pan, and the garlic and pepper will add in some extra uniqueness. The end product ended up very tender, flavorful and defiantly something I hadn't tried before.

To hear more about my cooking thrills... and spills, check out my cookbook here.

What are you creating? Let us know! Share a picture on Hannah's Food Journey's Facebook Page

First Day On the Job - Becoming a Personal Chef

Whew! What a busy... fun... filled day.

After a full day I can relax and know that everyone around me has great food to eat.

Hannah's Food Journey has taken yet another turn. What has happened most recently? I am starting to cook as a personal chef. I am really enjoying it because I get to cook more and I get to try out more ideas and recipes!

This morning I went to the store to get the needed groceries, then back to the kitchen to cook Squash Casseroles, Chocolate Chip Muffins and Hummus.

 This afternoon, I had a great trip with my dad to go shopping at a local used bookstore for cookbooks! I lost track of time as I buried my nose in countless cookbooks getting many ideas. To finish the day I headed home to fix dinner and get stuff ready for tomorrow morning's first food delivery!

Aside from the actual cooking part of it, I am really getting to know the people. Everyone sits down to three meals everyday. Anything I can do to make mealtime a more exciting experience for the diner is thrilling to me.


Tomorrow is another busy day. I will be making many menus, plans and lists for the upcoming weeks. As I add more people to my lists I stop and wonder... how did I get this privilege?

Even though I had a busy day, it was a great day as a personal chef!

Need some extra nutritious meals? Email hannahsfoodjourney@gmail.com for details.