Foodspiration

To me, cooking and eating go hand-in-hand. By cooking, you can appreciate the time and effort that went into making a delicious meal; by eating, you can learn what properly cooked food tastes like. I'm not talking about ostentatiously elaborate dishes you'd find at a pricey restaurant– oftentimes, the best meals are made simply with fresh, quality ingredients.

For me, the question usually remains of what to cook. So, to help me with my "Baker's-block" (if you will), I like to download menus from top-rated restaurants to find inspiration. It's especially helpful to look at the ingredients and combinations they use– like endive (a bitter leaf often used in salad), roasted pear, Roquefort (a blue cheese), and walnuts.

Dinner menu from Le Parisien in NYC

Recipes aren't necessary to use these menus; it's all about the inspiration. Because, really, where else would I get the idea to make a roasted artichoke salad with cherry tomatoes and lemon tarragon vinaigrette?