2012 Food Challenge, Part 2

Part two of my 2012 Food Challenge is where I get to celebrate the kitchen at our current home. It's pretty gorgeous. There's a huge sink, tons of counter space, and a 6-burner gas stove. The oven is gigantic, and my housemates have many fancy pots and pans, including the largest cast iron skillet I've ever seen.

I'm looking forward to spreading my wings a bit in the kitchen and learning some new dishes. When I started this blog, I had the goal of cooking or baking my way through around twenty dishes. Ultimately, I hoped to branch out in the kitchen, increase my repertoire, and introduce Nathan and myself to some new flavors and textures. This year's food challenge is similar.

2012 Food Challenge, part 2: Cook/bake/create twelve new (to me) food items.

1. A Korean dish: I'm leaving this intentionally vague, since I'm unsure what I want to learn how to cook. 

I have a Korean-American friend who's offered to teach me a few things.

2. Chinese steamed buns: the ones with the fluffy white dough, stuffed with bbq'd pork- though I'll use 

chicken.

3. A Moroccan tajine dish

4. Hot and Sour soup

5. Paneer cheese (to go in #6)

6. Saag Paneer

7. Preserved lemons (they're the new food fad, apparently!)

8. Homemade vanilla extract

9. Risotto: the only kind I've ever made is from a box, which is pathetic. I love ordering it at restaurants 

so it's high time I learn how to make my own.

10. Roasted chickpeas (they're another new food fad!)

11. Piroshki

12. unknown... any suggestions?

I'll post the third (and last) part of my food challenge soon. Let me know if you have any interesting suggestions for the twelfth new food item!