There are over 150 countries cooking distinct food traditions, and most of us only ever cook from one or two of them. The world is full of recipes that would change how you feel about dinner — if only you knew where to start.
Pick a region you know almost nothing about
If you cook a lot of Italian, try Peruvian for a month. If you live in curries, try Senegalese. The point is the discovery, not the mastery.
Buy three pantry ingredients first
Every cuisine has a handful of pantry essentials. Buy three, and a whole regional style opens up. For Thai it might be fish sauce, palm sugar and Thai basil. For Peruvian, aji panca paste, aji amarillo paste and limes.
Cook the same recipe twice
The first attempt is always tentative. The second is when you start to understand it. Don\'t judge a cuisine by one try.
Eat at restaurants for inspiration
Eating dishes made by someone who grew up cooking them tells you what to aim for. Make notes. Ask questions.
Use the internet wisely
Look for cooks from the country itself, not just food writers from elsewhere. A Bolivian grandmother\'s saltena recipe is worth more than a magazine version.
Cooking the world is one of the great pleasures available to anyone with a stove. Start with one new region, and a year from now your kitchen will feel like a different place.
