[ams21]

And if so, what do you do to get out of your "funk"?

 

[cheflayne]

Too busy with new ingredients, new techniques, new cuisines, etc. to get into a funk, so basically I have no advice. Sorry :~(

 

[millionsknives]

Get out of the supermarket.  Go to a farm, go to the docks, go forage in the woods. 

 

[chefwriter]

     This has happened to me several times over the years. I've come to recognize that it means my vision has become limited. As the others have noted, various cuisines, cooking methods and techniques and food sources are all sources of inspiration. 

     The next time you are at the supermarket, take a closer look at the products you take for granted. Pickles, relishes, condiments, breads and pastries. Do you know how to make every item from scratch?  How difficult would it be? Pick one and try it. 

     Visit any nearby ethnic markets to see what they offer. 

     Take a food based road trip. Visit the source of whatever is available in your area.  Take a winery tour. Visit a farm during the growing season. Ask to see the kitchen of a small, locally owned bread maker. 

     Ever done decorative sugar work or used salt dough? 

This is not a comprehensive list of all the different food based interests there are. But it's a place to start. 

 

[chefbillyb]

This happened to me all the time in the food service business. When I first started moving up in this business, I was more like "Just show me how and I got it". I picked up everything fast and moved on to bigger, better and more important things. The everyday same menu didn't keep me motivated. I was board stiff in no time. Then I got back into Catering where I could work with different logistics, menus and people everyday. Catering always had a special place in my heart. It gave me a chance to challenge myself daily. Catering gave me a chance to dig deep and explore my culinary skills to new levels. 

 

[eastshores]

Great advice from others. As a cooking enthusiast I have run into this brick wall several times over the years. For me, and I think this is a very individual issue, I draw on the energy that I get from others that enjoy food. I wish I had more people in my life that really understood food and had a passion for it. I would love to have friends that cured meats or pickled often, baked, etc. Those artisan crafts are a big part of food culture.

So maybe you could find some people that are passionate about cooking and draw from that energy. There are dinner clubs where typically couples (being single sucks in this regard) get together at each others homes and host dinners. Foodies are a thing and there are more and more groups that are establishing themselves. It might be worth checking meetup.com

 

[chefwriter]

Great suggestion, Eastshores. To that end I'll offer this. I just discovered the International Center in my area is still around. You can sign up to host dinner in your home for a foreign visitor. My parents did this when I was young and  we got to meet people from all over the world.

    I will be stopping by today to sign up.  As I live alone, I will have friends over when I host the visitor. So I get a chance to cook what I want and enjoy it with old and new friends.