When you decide to write a poem in a certain schema, it restricts you–but it also frees you. You’ll find that when you need to find a three-syllable word with a particular meaning, you might come up with a word that fulfills your needs in an unexpected way.
Similarly, the fact that vegan cooking is “limited” to plants has challenged me to expand my repertoire.
For example, at the prompting of Alicia Silverstone’s cookbook, I needed to find some umeboshi plums. So I discovered a Japanese grocery store in the city. This little store is crammed with imported goods, including several brands of pickled plums at a much lower price than any other store in town.
And while looking for the plums, I encountered various kinds of dried seaweeds, Japanese vegetables, condiments, and so much more. I left the store with even more ideas and new foods to try.
Looking at my list of recipes to try, I feel like I’ll never, ever run out of ideas.