Tried and True or Tired Food?

Is there really such a thing
as unique green beans?

I don't know about you, but I tend to
cook in phases. Every few weeks I get re-inspired by a cookbook, a new season in the air, or new ingredients at the market or in my garden, or a meal at a friend's house.

I still remember the lunch a dear friend made out of leftovers years ago using quinoa, ground pork, and a variety of fresh veggies and herbs. Ever since, I feel that quinoa and ground pork are naturally complimentary, like cheese and apple, bread and butter, eggs and arugula, chocolate and orange, bacon and Brussels sprouts...

Unfortunately, whenever I am on the far side, the down slope, of a cooking whirlwind I know the doldrums aren't far away.

"Sorry dear, it's soup again."

And so every other few weeks I get into a cooking rut. I seem to buy the same old vegetables and fruit when I shop and I lean heavily on my standbys (which means we eat more Mexican, more perogies, and more soup). As it is, I typically make soup or stew once a week even though it's not hubby's favorite. It's easy, nutritious, and I often freeze the leftovers for a rainy day and I like it. Perogies are the one frozen convenience food that I nearly always have on hand, and Mexican is anything with tortillas, beans, and salsa - again, requisite staples in my pantry.

During these stale, humdrum times I assume that I'll slide out of the rut as effortlessly as I slid into it, and this is usually the case. Other occasions, the rut is deeper and longer than I can stand and I have to propel myself out of it. It's these latter times that get me thumbing through my old copies of food magazines with Post-it notes or perusing sites like Foodgawker and Pinterest in search of an irresistible image or culinary combination that piques my interest enough to inspire me to saute, steam, boil, broil, poach, roast, simmer, and braise all over again.

My latest favorite food blogs are 101 Cookbooks, Serious Eats, and Lip Smacking. How about you? I want to know where you get your edible enthusiasm, your cooking creativity, your grilling genius. Do tell.