Forget the Diet: A Dining Editor’s Food Resolutions for 2023

New Year’s resolutions have always been mine. Indeed, like most of us, it fails miserably every year. But that never dampens my enthusiasm to lose that 10 pounds of her, exercise more, and cut back on processed foods.

This is not about such resolutions. This year is all about setting intentions for how you want to eat at home and in restaurants. I hope that it will be an opportunity for you to work on the grace you deserve.

Without further ado, here are my resolutions for 2023. what is yours

spicier

When I was growing up, my mother thought Raleigh’s salt was an exotic seasoning. Dill, rosemary, curry powder, and onion salt are certainly pantry staples, but unfamiliar flavors like saffron threads, sumac, and cardamom are hard to consistently incorporate. is.

try: SouthPaw Seasonings, made in Santa Rosa, offers creative blended seasonings that take the guesswork out of cooking with spices (southpawseasonings.com). Sonoma Spice Queen Wind McAllister recently opened the new Petaluma Spice Shop featuring organic handcrafted spice mixes (Oaxaca Mall BBQ Rub, Ange Indian Chai Spice Mix, Moroccan Spice Mix, Thai Curry), dried herbs and handcrafted salts. 9 Fourth Street, Petaluma, 707-776-7678, sonomaspicequeen.com

Eat more plant-based meals

A meat-centric diet is an easy standby, but I always swap out the bland chicken for a large bowl of roasted or wood-fired vegetables.

try: Indian cuisine is often characterized by meatless dishes full of flavor and spice. Winter can be a tough time for delicious fresh vegetables, but the goal is to learn to incorporate farm market root vegetables.

spend money on good meat

Cheap, industrially grown meat is just that. Locally raised beef, chicken, and pork are more flavorful and more expensive, but are well worth the cost.One option is to get a delivery subscription like Panizzera Meat Co. and deliver meat to your doorstep (3905 Main St., Occidental, panizzerameatco.com). The Sonoma County Meat Company sells locally slaughtered pork, chicken and beef. So does the Victorian Farmstead Meat Co. in Sebastopol.

back to restaurant

While it’s exciting to try a restaurant in its first few weeks or months of opening (and it’s my job, too), watching the menu evolve is something I rarely get to do. Our goal for 2023 is to return to 30 restaurants we haven’t been to since they opened.

Be more (and more) adventurous

Over the past 16 years of working as a restaurant writer for Press Democrat, I’ve turned down a few dishes (I had to draw the line with fisheyes). But I want to explore more. The Taco Chronicle I wrote for Sonoma Magazine last year gave me insight into the intricacies of this beloved street food. Join us as we delve deeper into other international cuisines in 2023.

At the same time, they tend to avoid certain menu items such as chicken and steak in favor of more fancy fish and vegetarian dishes.

order dessert first

Life is short. Make sure there is always room for that sweetness.