happy new year!

well, i’m not quite sure how that happened but it’s 2008 – happy new year everyone!

inevitably it’s a time of contemplation, both looking back over the past twelve months and forward into the coming year. i’m always more interested in what’s around the corner and have particularly been thinking about how i want to develop my cooking in 2008.

healthy eating is a theme of eat the right stuff and this will continue, particularly in the early months of the year as i start on a health kick. i also want to continue exploring the incredible variety of foods that different cultures create. i had this as a resolution last january and am ashamed at how little i achieved, so this year i shall redouble my efforts.

i want to make better use of my collection of cookery books. the final months of last year were very busy and i got into a bit of a rut, cooking old favourites or dishes rooted in familiarity. this year i want to broaden the way i approach cooking and learn new ways of putting dishes together, particularly different ways to use herbs and spices.

i want to visit as broad a range of shops and restaurants as possible and regularly have “how to” cooking sessions, hopefully some of which will be shared with friends (this is in lieu of expensive cookery classes as 2008 is also going to be a year of increased frugality! if you want to get involved, let me know). my participation in the daring bakers will also help, pushing me to make dishes i wouldn’t otherwise consider.

i also want to explore the huge range of food-related careers that exist, giving us all a peek into the many ways that people integrate their love of food with their work. the first profile will go live next week, if you know anyone who should be featured, let me know.

finally, and this is specifically related to blogging, i want to broaden the range of things i write about. you’ll know that i regularly contribute to the daily tiffin, focussing on nutrition advice and i want to build on this as i continue my studies in nutritional medicine.

i’m feeling really excited about 2008, i hope you’ll have fun exploring these ideas with me.