10 Ways to Make It a Delicious 2014

As a list geek, I will admit that I fully embrace all those end-of-year "Best of 2013" wrap-ups, but the optimistic "Kick Off the New Year" January task lists are a bit daunting. I'm not ambitious enough to tackle Apartment Therapy's January Cure house clean-up assignments, nor do I have any interest in a "bikini bootcamp" diet and fitness regimen. However, 10 easy tips to make this year the tastiest one yet?  THAT I can handle. Pick one, pick eight, but let's all agree to do what we can to make it a delicious new year. 

1. Give up fat free yogurt. I know, you rely on that daily cup of 0% Chobani or fat free Yoplait as a decently healthy afternoon snack. But if you find enjoyment in the weirdly chalky fat-free Greek yogurts, or the chemically Nutrasweetened fat-free Yoplaits, you will discover yogurt nirvana in a good, natural, full-fat yogurt, whether you buy it at the supermarket or even make your own. Not ready to take the leap? Even 2% is a big upgrade in taste and flavor.

2. Clean out the spice cabinet. This one is so hard for the thrifty, practical-minded "hey, there's still some left!" Midwesterner, but I assure you, that curry powder you bought in 2008 and that jar of basil you inherited from your grandmother are doing nothing to enhance the flavor of your cooking. If it is green and leafy and over a year old, toss it. If it doesn't smell like something you'd want to eat, toss it. If you literally haven't used it in over two years, toss it. 

3. Toast your nuts. Whenever you are reaching for the hazelnuts to mix into your biscotti batter or grabbing the walnuts to top your salad, turn on the oven to 350 degrees and toast those babies until they are fragrant and, well, toasted, usually 6-8 minutes (just don't forget about them!). This small step will dramatically improve your final dish. 

4. Know your salts. Instead of table salt, keep a jar of kosher salt by your stove for general cooking, as it is generally less processed than table salt, and the larger size and shape of the salt "sticks" better to meat and other foods. For baking, most bakers use table salt because it distributes better, but truth be told, I use kosher salt because I'm lazy and have it nearby - just remember that kosher is double the volume of table salt, so adjust measurements accordingly. For finishing dishes, invest in a soft, flaky sea salt. 

5. Make your own vanilla. If you are still buying imitation vanilla because you can't bear the price of real vanilla extract, I feel your pain, but making your own vanilla is cheap and easy. Just invest in some vanilla beans (they can be found online at a reasonable price) and a jug of vodka - I'll let Joy the Baker tell you the rest. 

6. Get rid of "hydrogenated" and "high fructose." Check the ingredient label - see these words? They are signs of highly processed food-like products that do nothing good for you, and generally don't taste all that great either, at least when compared to real food. As with anything, though, moderation is key - an occasional Oreo won't kill you. 

7. Upgrade your fats. We already know butter is better than margarine, but what about your other oils? The truth is refined oils like soybean oil (often sold as "vegetable oil") and canola oil can withstand more heat, but they don't taste like anything and aren't really good for you when compared to minimally processed oils. If you have to fry something, grab the canola oil, but for everyday sauteing, find a good extra virgin olive oil (I look for "First Cold Pressed" on the label) and start exploring other oils too. I love walnut oil on salad and sesame oil on stir-fry. And if you are cooking with duck fat, you are my new best friend. 

8. Try something new (often). The other day in the produce dept of my local grocery store, I was stocking up on kale as a child next to me was asking her mom to buy kohlrabi, apparently having tried it at school. "It's good!" the kid encouraged her parent, who looked at the vegetable with some mild trepidation. She didn't buy it. Don't be that mom. Buy the kohlrabi - with gusto. 

9. Cook a book. Not literally - I mean find a cookbook that interests you and start cooking the recipes, one by one, page by page, even the ones that don't immediately appeal to you. You won't love them all, but you'll find some pleasant surprises and expand your kitchen know-how by trying out new ingredients, flavors and techniques. 

10. Grow something (or at least buy from others who grow it). A pot of basil. A few tomato plants. If you have a windowsill or a patio deck, you have space to grow something of your own. Meanwhile, support your local farmers, CSAs, ranchers and others working to provide you with the freshest food possible, grown right there near your own community. It doesn't get better than that.