Hello, hello. It’s a holiday today—one of those days not everyone gets off but still life seems to be working at half speed. It’s snowing in Seattle as well, which tends to shut down the city, even a little bit. But I thought I’d just pop in and tell you about something fun.
Do you remember the post last month when I asked you to tell me about your greatest cooking challenges—either the most ambitious thing you’ve made, or something big and intimidating that you want to try? I loved reading your answers, from multi-course meals to dreams of croissants.
But it was your cooking aspirations that got me thinking. Some of these things I know how to do, some of them I’d like to try as well. And then a breakthrough: why don’t we do it together? It’s always more fun that way.
So this is just to tell you that we’re going to be getting ambitious around here this year—and I’m hoping you’ll play along. I’m deep into research and experimentation for our first challenge and will tell you about it later this week.
This is how it’s going to work. I’ll select one challenge a month, based on your requests. I’ll tell you everything I know about the topic, and enlist the help of others as well, experts who know more than I do. Then, at the end of the month, anyone who wants to participate will make the dish. If you tell me about your outcome—you can even send photos—I’ll share the results here on the site.
Because one thing I’ve learned: scary things are always easier when done together.
So let’s get cooking—and pipe up if there is anything you’d like to tackle this year: soufflé! Mayonnaise! Korean food! Cheese!
I’m excited. I think it’s going to be fun.
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This sounds like a lot of fun! One of my goals for 2012 is to cook a whole bird. Like…. I’ve done parts of chickens and turkeys… and I roasted whole cornish hens for Easter this past year (and a whole rabbit once. hm.); but I want to cook a whole turkey or chicken in the next 11.5 months.
And I love souffles
And I’m always up for a challenge! Looking forward to it!
Good suggestions! Adding to the list…
ohh…it sounds both scary and exciting! Sign me up please…..
Yay. Scary and exciting is a good place to be!
I’m in! I have so many things I would love to try but don’t have an incentive to step out on that limb. I want to make Bahn Mi, but I’ve never had it so I’m scared I won’t even like it. And I’ve always wanted to make my own puff pastry and/or croissants. Not to mention finding a pie crust that works for me! I’m with you Tea, let’s do this thing!
Yes, let’s! Adding your suggestions to the list right now…:-)
I love this idea and I can’t wait to see what you come up with. I’m sure it will be great!
I personally have always wanted to make really great croissants at home, but more specifically pain au chocolat. I have tried some “simple home recipes”, but have always been disappointed. I don’t mind putting the work in if I know they are going to turn out really well.
Me too, Nicole. And I think I know just the person to help us with it! Stay tuned
I second the homemade croissants! I’ve found some great looking recipes but they usually include three or four pages of detailed instructions and a full weekends worth of work. But nothing beats a fresh croissant…
Yes! Pain au Chocolat!
I like this plan!!
I’m so glad!
Holy crap! I am so on board with this. SO. ON. BOARD.
Yay!
Wow,..:)
Great idea.
I want to learn to make croissants and just got the Tartine cookbook because it gets good reviews for this recipe.
So I hope that’s one of the twelve.
Homemade sauerkraut, please.
I second the homemade sauerkraut. Scared to try, but want to do it!!!
Thanks, Tea!
Oh, I did homemade sauerkraut! It was surprisingly easy, but I was really scared of the fermentation process! Now, I’m starting my second batch!
Ooh! I just started my first batch of sauerkraut last week. What’s going on in that crock right now? It’s a mystery!
My first batch is two weeks old. I’m going for 21 days. Will I have the nerve to actually eat it? Will I drive to the emergency room, park in the parking lot and taste it there, close to medical help???
Ha ha! Covering all your bases, eh?
Simply brilliant.
Sounds like a great idea! I look forward to it.
Soufflés!
Brilliant! amazing way to start off the new year. I’m in.
Just got the “real food daily” cookbook and absolutely LOVE it.
Looking forward to your first recipe!
I’m in! Can we do Thai food? I’m so confused about fish sauce…
All the suggestions are gulp-worthy! I’m looking for some binge-worthy must-eats to help me “meet” my goal for 52 Meatless Mondays. Both challenge and aspiration
This is fabulous! One of my resolutions this heap try 2 new-to-me recipes a month. I think I’ll add this on tip of that for more of a challenge. Thrilled! I’m game for anything (I think). I’d love to be more efficient with food. We make our own stocks, candy citrus rinds instead of throwing them out, etc. but I’d love more ideas on how to utilize as much as possible. The concept of making use of the whole animal or plant…
Auto-correct gets under my skin…sorry for all the typos. On the road.
A souffle….never made one, sounds like something I should do at least once and if I have company that would be great
macarons! not coconut macaroons but the french confectionery macarons.
I love this. I just saw a recent picture of a Smörgåstårta (wow!) and I spent the weekend thinking about celebratory foods from around the world. Count me in on the challenge!
What fun. I’m sorry I missed the challenge last month but one of the biggest projects I took on was a Timpano…which is an Italian pastry enclosed dish that is spectacular. I’ve made it twice and both times it came out well. It’s time consuming but a real centerpiece for any party you are planning on giving. The last one I did was for my husband’s Soprano’s themed birthday. I’ve got photos of the whole process if you care to see them. If you want more info on this, just let me know.
I love your blog. It’s really inspiring.
demi glace. I made it once, but I always wondered if there were faster ways to make some… rather than spend the whole week-end in the kitchen. Or maybe its a divide and conquer thing (with friends/neighbors?). It’s a great thing to have access to when adding layers of flavor in the kitchen. I remember I made a big batch and stored it in ice-cube trays in the freezer. But never attempted it again, because it took so long!
This is such a great idea. Would love to try homemade sauerkraut. I buy it in the store, but it would be so much more cost effective and fun to make at home. And any homemade cheese-ricotta? A perfect pie crust and yes, croissants! There is nowhere near me where I can get a good one.
Never attempted them at home, but maybe we could all try together!
Canning! Making jam! This would probably work better in summer but since you showed us all of your pretty labels for your canned goods, maybe you could help with the actual jam-making? I am terrified of the botulism, the equipment, the sterilizing, the jelling, etc.
Yes! It’s on the schedule for when the fruit begins to show up. I promise.
In LOVE with this! I can’t wait to see what the first challenge is. I’m challenging myself today by making goat cheese for the very first time. Fingers and toes crossed….
Kinda new here. I want to cook a live lobster and slather it in butter, but I’m scared to death it will clink around in the pot-you know what I mean???
I would love to learn how to make French macarons and how to cook the perfect steak. I love this idea – sharing what we know with friends!
I’m in!
So many exciting things out there to try to cook…..but I’ve been wanting to try my hand at baking. Any kind of baking (I make terrible FROM THE BOX brownies. Never can get it right). How ridiculous is that?
Happy birthday by the way – saw a little tweet that today was your special day! Hope it’s not snowing too much where you are. It’s been hit and miss in Ballard/Downtown.
Thanks, Elena!
You know, my trick for good box brownies is to use olive oil (not an expensive one you might use for drizzling, but an average store brand). It makes for a richer brownie.
ooooh, sounds like just the thing to get me started on my long list of to-do’s Tea! Like the others have said here… I cannot wait to see what you have in store for us but I know it will be good
My goal this year is to can more things and to make my own sourdough starter. I want to make ‘fresh bread in 5mins a day’ come true in my kitchen. Puff pastry, croissants, french macaroons are all on my list too so I’m excited already 
I am so in and so love this! I would like to learn how to make homemade croissants, sausage, cheese, and sourdough starter (make and use), but I am up for any challenge!
I’m in for the non-meat ones! And I would also love to do croissants or other laminated dough.
My vote is for more pickled/preserved stuff, especially preserved lemons & sauerkraut. Bread baking is always scary, even though I do it a lot. And I’ve never done souffle! I would love a post on them!
Yes to pie and tart crusts, including considerations for doing without a food processor. I’m also intrigued by macarons and would love to try caramels.
I’m in! I’m new to your blog and thoroughly enjoying it. I’m also a New Yorker seriously considering a move to Seattle, so reading your past posts about getting to know the city has been invaluable! Looking forward to the first challenge!
Sounds like fun! Enjoy the snow and be safe!!
Sounds like fun. I’m on board!
I love this, I’m in. But it reminded me I want to find a cooking group to join, I would love to join a cookbook club…gotta find one. Anyone know of one in Chicago?
This sounds like so much fun!
Let’s make cheese!! Cheese and bread to go with it!
Oh good heavens … what do I need help with in the kitchen? (besides the dirty dishes .!!) I think I’ve got a lot of the basics down, such as roast chicken, how to cook a lobster (I’m from Maine, so you sort of grow up learning how to do that around here). I watched and helped my mother make jams and pickles as a teen. I’m a bit “rusty” on the canning process, so that would be fun to get reacquainted with. For yeast bread, my mother gave me some help in that matter a few years back, so I got a feel for it but need more practice.
I’d like some tried and true no-fail recipes for more meatless dishes with good flavor that are fast to make or can be prepped in advance. I work at home (afternoon/evening shift) and have a tight schedule for meal prep and cooking, so quick and easy is best for me. I want to eat healthier and more vegetarian dishes if possible.
My biggest frustration I’d have to say is pie crust. Pie crust is a dilemma. Sometimes it’s okay – other times not so good. A nice flaky, delicate pie crust is a fine art and it continues to frustrate me as I have this desire to aim for perfection in the kitchen (which is not always a good thing! LOL). I’ve got the cookie crumb/graham cracker pie crust all set – those are easy, but the nice flaky pie crust is troublesome. I’ve tried them with mixing the ingredients with a pasty cutter and at other times using a food processor. Should one use all butter or all shortening or half and half, and other folks swear by lard! It’s rather a confusing thing as there’s not one “no-fail” pie crust recipe out there that’s the be-all and end-all to the dilemma. Then if you change to do a whole-wheat type pie crust that’s a whole other dilemma.
A good pie crust is so versatile – just think of the sweet pies (chocolate cream), the fruit pies, the tarts and quiches you can make with a good crust. Then switch over to the savory side, and the chicken pot pie and pork/meat pies come to mind for hearty winter/comfort food.
Luckily, one of my former classmates is a pastry chef and he’s got a chunk of time this late winter to early spring where he’s offering classes at his restaurant to teach; how to make pizza dough, pie crust, cake decorating, sugar cookies, just to name a few of his upcoming classes. This gives him a chance to teach others and have some fun before the fast pace of the Maine tourist season and Wedding cake season hits his business! He doesn’t do this every year so I want to take advantage of the opportunity. So, my husband wants to learn to make pizza dough and I’m signing up for the cake decorating and definitely the pie crust class. I need all the help I can get with pie crust … the more help, the better! (sigh) Also, related to the pie/dessert category is how to make a good meringue, i.e. lemon meringue pie
If I lived closer to Vermont, I’d just race over to the King Arthur place and take a vacation, rent a hotel room for a week and take classes there … that would be The Ultimate!! However, that’s not doable right now. (I’ll just keep dreaming).
I’d also love to learn how to make a good tomato sauce to use with pastas, and an alfredo sauce plus homemade meatballs. I’ve never made homemade macaroni and cheese either … so that’s on my wish list to try.
I also agreed with everyone else that a souffle is something I’ve never dared to try … so I’d vote for that as well.
I may come back and add some more ideas, but at the top of that list is pie crust! 
This could be a really fun idea for us all … I can’t wait to see what happens!
Pie crust it is! And thanks for the other suggestions. They’re all going on the list.
How about pie crust above sea level? That one is still tricky for me. I get it right about every third time.
Oh goodness, I have very little experience with high altitude baking. Have you ever looked at my friend Jen’s blog? She’s in Colorado at 8,500 ft (or something like that—high!) and does a lot of baking. She would definitely have better suggestions than I would!
I should see if there are other high-altitude baking resources…
After reminding me about No-Knead bread – I got back to baking it – it is so good and so much better than even the *healthy* bread at Publix.
I would like to know how to cook a great steak INSIDE the house.
I am in! What a fantastic idea! Soufflés, mayonnaise, cheese would all be great challenges for me (Korean food not so much since my husband is Korean and I cook Korean food pretty much every day
I heard that ricotta is very easy to make? I have only made paneer, that lovely Indian cheese.
I love Afghan and Persian food and would love to learn some of their dishes though it might be difficult to find the right ingredients.
How about tarte tatin? I have tried a couple of times and haven’t been very successful.
Homemade raviolis filled with homemade lemon ricotta is already on my list of challenges…
How about ceviche? lovely dish, Peruvian food is sooo good!
Anyway I am sure that you will come up with great ideas and I can’t wait to hear about your first challenge!
Great suggestions, thanks—and hey, if we do Korean food perhaps you can help teach us!
I can’t wait! A year of new culinary experiences sounds perfect.
FUN! And thank you. I’ll vote for the bread.
I would love to participate in this! Hmm…what do I want to do….
On my list is baking some sort of bread with a filling. I have done basic loaves before but I want something a little more challenging.
I also want to try a risotto and/or a souffle.
So excited!
I am in Seattle as well. Being snowed in this week has got me thinking about a few kitchen projects that my children will never let me get away with, but I dream of … baguettes, kimchi, and pastizzi. The last one is a Maltese speciality that I have been dying to tackle for years. This is a great idea. I have also been thinking about curing my own meats. Have you seen the classes offered at The Pantry at Delancy? I drool over them but haven’t signed up. I am also thinking about a Seattle Tilth class this spring.
Ditto on the pickled stuff. And how about Vienna torte? Not sure if you’ve tackled that in a past post, and it would be a company dish for sure, but I’d love to know how to make one turn out nicely. This is a great idea.
This year I want to learn how to make Duck Confit… and whatever else you throw out there. I can’t wait!
This past year I made goat cheese, no knead bread and pickles for the first time. I’d love to try croissants or puff pastry. This week my challenge is to make a “tank” cake for my birthday boy (I’m going to be SIX mama!!!) for him and 20 (ack!) of his friends (at our house (ack). If I make it through this weekend I can do anything. (maybe)
Seriously – this sounds like fun. Count me in.
Ack indeed! Best of luck with the cake. I will be thinking of you.
Ramen! I’ve been reading up and slowly working on the components for it, but have yet to tackle the noodles. Love this idea!
Sounds like so much fun– I love kitchen challenges!! I’m in for as much as I can do (I’m due in May, so can’t overcommit this summer!), and I second the souffles. One other thing I’ve been wanting to make for years and just haven’t worked up the nerve is French Onion Soup. Like, proper French Onion Soup– from the long, slow carmelization of the right onions, the gruyere and bread crust broiled on top– YUM. The way God and Julia Child intended.
I want to try my hand at macarons, but as I’ve never tasted one I can’t believe they will actually live up to the hype. I’ve got a kitchen scale, now all I need is the motivation!
The thing I want to work on is something you’re an old hat at–canning! Both pickles & preserves. (I got Canning for a New Generation as a Christmas gift & want to delve into some of the recipes.)
This is right up my alley!
This is a great idea! Sounds kind of like a correspondence cooking course
I’m all for macarons, croissants, and Thai dishes. I too am confused about the fish sauce 
Can’t wait to follow along and try my hand at a few dishes.
LOVE this idea! I am definitely in! I have made some (restrictive) dietary changes recently, but there are so many things I want to still bake and cook, even if I can’t necessarily enjoy more than a bite or two. This is a perfect way to get me to do some of those things, and I can treat the people around me who aren’t as sensitive to certain foods as I seem to be.
I love the souffle idea, and puff pastry. I’m also interested in ethnic foods- anything from your Japanese past would be amazing to learn about and then experience in the kitchen!
Ooo, this is a brilliant idea! Count me in
Let’s see, I second ideas for a focus on: croissants, fruit/veggie preserves (especially lemon!), and pie crusts.
Here’s a few more: ravioli (with funky/delicious fillings), sushi (with veg friendly fillings), and gnocchi.
Thanks for deciding to organize this project; I can’t wait for it to fully kick off!
Sounds fun! I’m in! I vote for pie crust! Haven’t had success.. but also haven’t tried =)
Sounds like fun
I’m in – it will force me to update my blog more – even with a newborn!
Hi Tara,
I can help with bread recipes, or share sourdough starter with anyone (via mail, even!). I like the Bahn Mi suggestion because I haven’t perfected that pickled carrot/diakon slaw, and I run down to Monkey Bridge in Ballard whenever I need reminding. Macarons and Puff Pastry sound great, but I just checked my recipe notebook and I have 37 dessert recipes and not enough sides and main dishes. I vote for more meatless meals that are kid friendly, and for curing our own meats. I’ld like to eat less meat overall, while eating better meat. Looks like that snow is starting to melt!
Grace, you might want to try this: http://www.teaandcookiesblog.com/2008/12/pickled-stuff.html (can use sugar for the agave).
Not sure it’s exactly the one you have in mind, but maybe a good starting point.
Tara,
Oh yes, there was a Whittie (http://www.whitman.edu/news/News96-97/watson97ds.html) who spent a year abroad studying noodles on a Watson. I’ld like to learn how to make buckwheat noodles, or hand-pull noodles like the Chinese, or make soba noodles, etc. etc.
I was so jealous when I saw that Watson—why didn’t *I* think of that idea first?!
Mmmmmmm yes cheese please, I am fascinated, can we make motzerella at home? I love homemade ricotta and mascarpone, am I dreaming that you can make motzerella at home or is this possible?
Definitely possible—we’ll do it!
Pasta – More to the point, a pasta that is better for you than most. I just got a new ravioli cutter, and am a bit overwhelmed by it – let the help begin!!
Ha, ha! Let it begin, indeed.
What do you mean by “a pasta that is better for you than most”? Is that because ravioli is more than just starch?
hi! i’d like to join in. sounds really fun! oh and i want to make cheese! oh and i second (or third?) the desire to learn how to make ravioli. thanks for organizing this!
FUN! FUN! FUN! go! go! go!