Sometimes, you eat because you’re hungry. Other times, you eat to enjoy yourself truly. If you’re a big foodie, more often than not, you probably identify more closely with the latter. With so much amazing food to try, it can be fun to try new cuisine. But with so much to try, making time for everything can also be challenging.
If you want to commit to being more adventurous with food, use your calendar. Here are five ways that your calendar can serve as a guide for exploring new types of cuisine.
1. Plan Trips to Exciting Destinations
If feasible, plan more travel to new destinations across the globe. The easiest way to explore new cuisine is by going to the place of origin. The best part? Traveling to different countries means so much more than trying new cuisines. It means experiencing a new culture, going on fun excursions, shopping, and sightseeing. Yes, you’re trying food, but make a trip out of it!
Look at your year at a glance using your calendar and figure out when you can comfortably take vacations. Start scheduling events in your calendar after you pick a time of year. Block off the trip dates, create events for big pre-travel to-do list items, and schedule important appointments.
It’s also important to remember that traveling may require you to budget. If you’re serious about budgeting, you can do it (anyone can). In fact, you can use your calendar to budget by keeping you organized and, thus, your finances in order. Use it to remind you about payment due dates, schedule days to put money into savings, etc. A calendar can be used for much more than planning travel; it can be an excellent budgeting tool as well.
2. Schedule Dinner Parties With Friends
Dinner parties are easy to schedule on your calendar, and getting together with friends is so much fun. However, instead of having just a typical potluck, get creative with your planning. For example, plan a Greek-inspired dinner party if you’re interested in trying more Greek cuisine. With decorative pieces and all the food, you can bring the feel and taste of Greece into your home.
When planning dinner parties inspired by different cuisines, create calendar invites and share them with friends. Sharing the event serves as an invite so that everyone remembers the day and time of the get-together. Shared events also serve as a helpful planning tool. Within the notes for the event, you can add potluck assignments. For example, on Greek night, assign invitees different dishes. One friend can bring hummus, another can bring tzatziki, and one can make a Greek salad with feta and olives. Tag people next to their respective dish to notify them.
While you’re sharing dinner party events with friends, consider sharing your calendar in its entirety. Shared calendars have many benefits, and when utilized properly, they can yield excellent results. A calendar makes communicating with people in your work and personal life easier and more efficient. It also helps you stay organized to quickly achieve any goal, whether exploring new cuisine or something else.
3. Make Time to Try New Restaurants
Every city, big or small, has different restaurants to try. Explore your own surroundings to see what cuisine you may be able to try in your own backyard. You might be surprised by what you discover. But you do have to be committed and make time to try these unique spots. When you’re in a rush and grabbing a bite to eat, it’s easy to get fast food or visit a fast-casual spot.
If you want to try new restaurants offering various cuisines, start by doing research. Simply type “unique dining experiences near me” into a search engine. Read news articles, blogs, or Yelp lists. Or, search “restaurants nearby” in your maps app on your phone. Look through all the restaurants that you haven’t been to before. Visit websites, look at menus, and read reviews.
Once you have a list of restaurants you’d like to try, make reservations and add the events to your calendar. This is the best way to ensure that you actually make time to try new cuisine. Plus, it gives you something to look forward to!
4. Sign Up For Cooking Classes
Looking for a unique date night? Or are you just searching for new hobbies/activities? Consider cooking classes. They’re fun, you can learn something, and, best of all, you’ll get to try all types of cuisine! Cooking classes aren’t just about learning techniques and skills to use in the kitchen. They also allow students to try new foods they otherwise wouldn’t have tried.
The benefits of cooking classes include more than just trying new types of cuisine. You will learn about all types of dishes popular in other cultures. This may spark inspiration and give you ideas to try in your own kitchen at home. In addition, you’ll also get to socialize, meet new people, and gain confidence in the kitchen.
When signing up for cooking classes, determine your interests and what you’d like to learn more about. You can take a sushi-making class or master the art of Italian cuisine. Or, perhaps you’d like to learn how to make Mediterranean or Middle Eastern cuisine. Consider some of your go-to orders when dining out, and try to recreate them. After all, once you learn how to cook a cuisine, you’ll want to be able to enjoy it.
You can also focus on some basic cooking skills, like knife skills. You can learn which knives work best for different types of prep. Chopping, slicing, and dicing are fundamental. You should also be able to break down a chicken and peel various vegetables. A pasta-making class or baking can teach some essential basics as well.
5. Try a Food Subscription Box
Food subscription boxes have risen in popularity in recent years. People love them for the convenience, affordable price, and variety of meal choices. By subscribing to a meal kit service, you can make a different selection of meals each week based on your preferences. This means trying new cuisine if you choose to do so.
A food subscription box can help you diversify your weekly menu and be a time saver. Maybe you just use your subscription box to free up more time for researching recipes and meal planning. Because let’s face it, unless you’re a professional chef, cooking cuisine from another culture can be challenging. Use your meal kit to help in a way that makes sense.
When signing up for any subscription service, adding the payment due dates to your calendar is a good idea. So many types of subscription services are available nowadays; it can be easy to forget that you even have them. Use recurring events in your calendar as a reminder to make your monthly payment on time. This can also help you decide if the subscription is still worth it. When you get the monthly notification, think about if you’ve been using your subscription service. In some cases, you may be able to cancel or scale back a bit.
It may require some planning if you want to please your palate and take your taste buds on an adventure. However, a simple tool like your calendar can greatly help when exploring new cuisine. By adding the right types of events to your calendar, you can try new food more often.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio; Pexels
Abby Miller
Student at UC Berkeley, currently working on a degree in Electrical Engineering/Computer Sciences and Business Administration. Experienced in CSX, productivity management, and chatbot implementation.