Does this sound like you? I want to celebrate a world of flavor, the theme for National Nutrition Month®, but there are some problems.
One, I just started cooking and my skills aren’t the greatest.
Two, I live in the Midwest, traveling across the world is outside of my current budget, and local restaurants that specialize in cuisines based on regions of the world are few and far between. So, what should I do?
If this sounds like your situation, this episode is for you.

Hi, I’m Dr. Hamilton and I’ll be your host today on Fresh Focus. I am a Dietitian here at the VA.

I have a simple recommendation for those who are just beginning to get into the kitchen and are looking to celebrate National Nutrition Month®theme of a world of flavor.
My unorthodox recommendation is, spice up your diet with potatoes. Yes, you heard me, potatoes. Why potatoes? Because potatoes build confidence?
Let me explain.

Potatoes are cheap, generally accessible, are fairly neutral in taste (which means they will take on whatever flavor you add to them), and allow you to practice multiple cooking techniques and seasoning combinations.
For example, you can dice, peel, boil, roast, and more. These are basic stills for the kitchen. It has daunting to try to cook with/celebrate a world of flavors if you’ve barely gotten your feet wet. Increasing your cooking confidence can lead you to try new flavors, foods, and cooking techniques.
Okay, okay Dr. Hamilton I hear what you’re saying. I’m not completely convinced but I’m open. Where should I begin?
1. First, think about your personal flavor preferences. When I say flavors I not only mean sweet, sour, bitter, savory/Unami, and spicy but also nutty, earthy, salty, smoky, and more. Also, consider aromatics, meaning the way things smell (like the fresh/bright smell of citrus or the mouthwatering smell of sauteed garlic). Step one, complete. You’ve identified the flavors and aromatics that you like.

2. Second step, go to your local grocery store and look at the great wall of spices and start looking. Look for something (within your price budget - expensive does not mean tasty) and search for something you have not used before. We are celebrating a world of flavor after all. Pro tip, if selecting a premixed seasoning be wary of the sodium (some have none, some have a lot). You could avoid the extra sodium by gathering the ingredients individually and making your own mix. Some seasonings you might not have cooked with include cumin, curry powder, red chili flakes, sage, dill, thyme, the list goes on and on. There’s no shame in parking your cart in this isle and taking your time (I do it all the time).

3. Next look up a recipe that fits (1) your flavor preferences and (2) the cooking skills you feel comfortable using. For example, you may only feel comfortable cubing and boiling potatoes. You may also see dill in the spice isle. You could make a creamy dill potato salad. Interested in using rosemary and like to cut your potatoes into wedges and roast them? Try making garlic and rosemary roasted potato wedges. Are you a big fan of slicing your potatoes, like spice, sweetness, and recently got an air fryer? Switch it up and get sweet potatoes, mix them with a new ground pepper seasoning (cayenne, chili powder, etc.) and make air-fried spicy sweet potato fries. The combinations are endless. As you experiment with these cooking techniques and flavors you’d develop your personal palate (an appreciate for flavors); which is the gateway for trying new recipes and celebrating a world of flavor.
These steps sound fairly simple and underwhelming at times but remember, we all have to start our cooking journey somewhere. My cooking journey did not include making chicken marsala or baklava at the age of 5. My journey in celebrating a world of flavor stated by watching my aunt sprinkle a mysterious red powder (paprika) of the deviled eggs, asking why my grandad dipped his finger in his banana pudding, made a face, and added more vanilla. Overtime they let me do simple things, like snap string beans and simmer them over the stove, peel and cut the potatoes, boil the potato, mash the potatoes, and add in the seasonings.

It’s less daunting to cut and roast new vegetables since you’ve roasted potatoes before. It’s less intimidating to make a recipe that required different cutting techniques for different food items because you’ve learned to Julian, cube, and grate potatoes. You might have even practiced checking the temperature of baked potatoes with a thermometer so checking the internal cooking temperature of chicken or beef would be second nature.

This reminds me of a Veteran I’ve worked with (using VVC – a virtual visit here at the VA we call that VA Video connect) who wanted to learn to cook vegetables but just did not know where to start. He wanted to start with frozen vegetables, like a California blend (carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower). We spent the majority of our meeting talking through the process of preheating the oven, lighting coating and seasoning the vegetables, kitchen safety, etc. Once he felt comfortable with this technique (roasting), we talked about how this process could be applied to other foods: Brussel sprouts, butternut squash, and yes, EVEN POTATOES! It wasn’t long before the Veteran told me to wait a second, ran to his kitchen, grabbed some seasonings he liked and one’s he had not tried, and inquired which would go with different foods. This unpromoted excitement, creativity, and engagement came with confidence!

In my younger days I would stress while making new recipes because my confidence was low.
Now, I see a recipe, I reflect upon the skills I have, and I make it. This can be you.

You just need to give yourself time. Soon you’ll be celebrating a world of flavors with different cooking techniques, spices, and ingredients. Just make sure to thank our food friend the potato for all the help.

Now if you’re wondering how potatoes pair with your dietary needs, reach out to your local VA Dietitian for more information. We’re always happy to help. Thank you for listening, happy NNM, and enjoy celebrating a world of flavors. And please be sure to subscribe to this podcast, rate the series and leave a review.