Free-form poetry tends to be terrible. We all know this. Same goes for meals in a state of dietary permissiveness. If you can eat anything in the world in any manner you choose—and most people in affluent regions of the world could if they really wanted to—why is it that we all end up scarfing down fast food hamburgers, fried chicken, and various forms of deep-fried potatoes behind the steering wheel?
All that to say, there is a lot to be said for the concept of removing options to increase creativity. The form of the sonnet presses the poet to struggle with the words and ideas in a sometimes magnificent triumph of verbal expression.
Just so, if you’re utterly stumped about what to have for dinner, consider inspiration from the vegetarians. Blogger Erin Gleeson of The Forest Feast pairs simple vegetarian recipes with watercolor paintings of fruits and vegetables. What is it about books with watercolor? Bursting with inspiration!
Gleeson, a photographer who, after a stint in New York City, returned to her native California to live a charmed and agricultural woodland life, offers simple and attainable vegetarian recipes. The volume for children and their parents is splendid good fun.
Many of the recipes involve fewer than five ingredients but suggest interesting combinations and flavor experiences. There’s also the build-your-own grilled cheese suggestion and any number of tasty snacks and appetizers that get your mental wheels turning about what to make for dinner.
Several recipes involve store-bought pie crust or pizza dough, which is a great idea to reduce overwhelm and get something on the table. It would be easy to swap these premade versions with their subtle metallic flavor of preservatives with homemade options that introduce bread-making to young kids. Or you just make it for them.
The accomplishment of most of the recipes seemed within the capabilities of many 8- to 10-year-olds. Whether you’re 2 or 102, gleaning colorful inspiration from a charming vegetarian cookbook is a fine idea.
