Spicy Corn Chowder and How to Hang Out with Your Creative Self

When it comes to feeling great about my work as a creative human being, I’m honestly not very good at it. I can have a job in the food world, however many followers on Instagram, and an eCookbook but I am constantly reevaluating my ‘style’, worried I don’t really have one and I’m not doing enough to strengthen my portfolio. I know I sound like a major asshole right now, but it’s true! Many creative minded people are never happy with the work they produce, I know it’s not an uncommon feeling to just wake up in the morning and feel awful about the work you made the day before. (I hope so! Halp?) So in order to make my best work and to feel awesome about my awesome self, I needed to sit down and make some sense of my creative brain. Because clearly a logical list is the best way to handle it, right?

So here are my tips on How To Hang Out with Your Creative Self:

1. Make Time. Once a week, once a month- whatever it is, it should be a time. A scheduled, dedicated ‘I’m going to make something awesome’ time. Get excited about it, look forward to it, and whatever happens happens!
2. Set a Goal. It can be an amount, a time period, or even a level in Zelda (does Zelda have levels?), whatever it is, set a limit prior to starting your creative time and try to reach it as best as you can. If you leave with meeting your expectations, you will feel awesome about what you did. If not, you know what to do for next time. And still feel awesome- that’s the important part.
3. Create a Space. An empty desk with pretty new pens, a clean kitchen with an empty dish rack, or whatever it is you need to make yourself a central space where you can be in your most ideal creative zone. Pick up your room, even. I promise it will do wonders for your brain.
4. Snacks. Lots of awesome snacks.
5. Stay Positive. There will never be a definite path to creative satisfaction. Stay patient and stay open minded. Eat some soup, here’s a recipe for one:

Spicy soup is great for the winter months, and I know corn isn’t super in season right now, but it is supremely delicious with sriracha and heavy cream. But, I guess, what isn’t? I’ve been learning a few food styling tricks (like getting that bacon pretty and shiny) and I’m feeling creatively positive about this shot. For today. Make soup, it makes everything better.

Char: ‘Burnt’ isn’t always a bad thing- get some good, smoky flavor in your food by flashing your vegetables in a super hot pan, so you get the blackened flavor without the burn. You can also place whole vegetables like bell peppers, poblano peppers or whole ears of corn directly over a open flame on a gas stove. Use tongs! No one likes toasty fingers.

Spicy Corn Chowder

Ingredients

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 orange pepper, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cups corn kernels
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup half & half or heavy cream
• 3 tbs sriracha
• Bacon, green onions for garnish

Instructions

1. In a dutch oven or large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until soft, add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add salt and pepper
2. Add peppers, celery and carrots. Stir and cook 10 minutes or until soft.
3. Heat a separate pan over high heat. Add another tablespoon of oil and add corn. Don’t worry if you hear the kernels pop, you want to get a nice char on the corn.
4. Add corn and stock to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn heat back down, add cream and sriracha.
5. Working in parts, use a blender or immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Top with bacon or green onions as desired! (But if you don’t desire bacon see yah later)