In this 27th episode of the podcast, I celebrate my first 6 months of podcasting with a look at a few trends I see my favorite topic for cooking - home cooking. As a registered dietitian and dedicated home cook, I pay attention to what people are eating and cooking. Here's my take on what's going on in the world of home-cooking.

1. Most everyone is on a diet or following a restricted way of eating. This puts us in a group of people who are eating different ways. This could be because of allergies, intolerances, restrictions for dietary reasons, weight loss or trendy ways of eating.

2. Technology influence on what we eat and cook. Food photography influences how we think food should look and can be discouraging if our meals don't turn out photo-worthy. Technology also influences the way we shop for our food with online ordering, delivery, and sourcing local ingredients.

3. Home cooking is a commitment to a process. Being a dedicated home cook requires attention to the steps of the process.

a. Planning meals is the first part of the process. I believe that cooks who plan their meals shop differently than those who prepare their meals at home but don't plan.

b. The actual food preparation is the next steps. Cooks either cook the meal when it's eaten or they do "meal prep" on the weekend or ahead of time is a trend in home cooking where ingredients are prepped ahead of time, or recipes are prepared ahead of time.

c. Then, sitting down and eating the meal together is part of the process. A cook can struggle to get a child or "picky eater" to eat what they cook, and they may modify what they cook based on "no one eats what I cook". I recommend Ellen Satter's book How to Get Your Kid To Eat But Not Too Much for the division of responsibility that states, parents are responsible for what their kids eat, a child is responsible for how much they eat.

d. Cleaning up after a meal is required by someone after the meal is over. This is a good chance for others to pitch in and help in the process of cooking.

4. The concept of a stocked pantry is helpful if a cook knows they have on hand what they need to prepare and cook meals.

5. A resurgence in a DIY movement is expanding our interest in fermentation, making cheese, yogurt, beer, kimchee, sauerkraut, and sourdough bread.

6. Focus on snacks and smaller more frequent meals rather than larger meals.

7. Influence of countertop appliances in how we are cooking such as the instant pot, rice cooker, hot pot, panini press, or air fryer.

8. (On the podcast I said this was 10, but it's actually 8) In cookbooks, authors offer the opportunity to help transform the cookbook user into a better cook or a more experienced cook. Improving cooking skills takes practice, and to me, that's what cooking every night is - practice!

Things We Mention In This Episode:

• Ellen Satter's book How to Get Your Kid To Eat But Not Too Much
• Join the waitlist for the next opening of the Cookbook Writers Academy
• Download checklist for first-time cookbook writers "Are You Ready to Write a Cookbook"
• Please join our Cookbook Love Podcast Facebook Group
• Instagram @cookbooklovepodcast or @greenapron