2011 Challenges

I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions, but I do like challenges… books, movies, cooking, canning, whatever. This year, I’m really inspired by projects I watched over the past year: Can Jam, Kitchen Diaries, and all the great food that popped up in my flickr and Twitter and Pinterest feeds (though without Diigo, I’d never be able to keep track).

So I’ve decided to take on a few challenges of my own this year.  I definitely want to tackle a list of new recipes, and work on refining a shorter list of recipes that need some work.  The first is inspired by the 25 recipes challenge, though I think my list will probably be closer to 50.  There are some very specific recipes that I’ve had in the queue for a long time, some recipes I want to compare, and whole categories of food/drink that I want to try.

So far on the refining/perfecting list:

1. Ciabatta – I’ve tried so many times, but I fail at reproducing that gorgeous texture
2. Chai syrup – hit it on the head by accident last summer, and I didn’t write it down properly
3. Chili – I have a couple good recipes, but I need to nail them down
4. Granola/Muesli – Again, I have a couple that I like
5. Jam tart w/ cornmeal crust – from Smitten Kitchen, I just want to work on this a bit
6. Mac n Cheese – I’d like to try making a slightly lighter version of Dave Martin’s
7. Malt loaf – ISO a Soreen replacement, given the high cost of shipping direct
8. Sandwich loaf – something easy, everyday
9. Scones – looking for the perfect balance between flaky and chewy, w/o being crumbly

And for new recipes:

1. Bagels
2. Baklava
3. Beer
4. Borscht
5. Ceviche
6. Chevre
7. Chocolate babka
8. Coq au Vin
9. Crackers (crispy, wholegrain)
10. Creme Brulee
11. Dulce de Leche
12. Flan
13. Gnocchi
14. Gougeres
15. Grape focaccia w/ Rosemary
16. Ice cream
17. Nutella
18. Pasta (homemade)
19. Paella
20. Peanut Butter
21. Pretzels
22. Puff Pastry
23. Ricotta
24. Roasted golden plums w/ honey & sage
25. Rosemary Roasted Cashews
26. Sesame balls
27. Speculoos Cream
28. Strudel
29. Sweet corn pancakes
30. Whole Wheat pizza dough