Last year I didn't make much progress with my resolutions. But I think I know why. It's not enough to just have good intentions, you need a plan and you need a goal that is easy to follow through on. This year, I have it all figured out.
For 2008 I plan to celebrate deliciousness. I will eat as many delicious things as I can, foresaking all that is not delicious. I will pay more attention to how everything I eat tastes. I will try terribly hard not to get caught up in the food fights of the day--you know the ones, organic, sustainable, local, blah, blah, blah. I will pay attention to all of the politics, but in a secondary way as it relates to deliciousness, not virtue or trendiness or political correctness.
My hope is that by focusing on taste I can get back to why I love food in the first place, because it is my connection to people, to places, to experiences.
Last year I wanted to try to eat more whole grains, so I purchased lots of them. But I didn't cook with them. This year I will seek out tasty recipes to make using them a breeze, instead of a chore. Since food is about relationships, I will also try to learn more about where the most flavorful food comes from. Usually those who create great food are passionate about what they do, and that passion is infectious and exciting.
Last year I tried not to take food too seriously, but everywhere I turned food was the source of great debate. I'm going to try to stay out of the debate, I'll watch from the sidelines perhaps, but I don't want to let the debate get in the way of the deliciousness. I promise not to let my fear of the scientific ingredients in molecular gastronomy, or any scary bits of offal distract me from anything that tastes good. It's a resolution I think I can live with.