Since I plan on doing a few house-centric resolutions this year that will require a bit of saving, why not get back into the cooking groove? I used to cook every day. Homemade tortillas. Cream puffs. Cinnamon buns. Roast chicken. Stuffed porkchops. Now? Nothin’. Maybe some pasta, or something in a crockpot. That’s just sad.
What has put me in this mood? That’d be a who: Oprah. Got an e-mail from her Web site this morning with a list of New Year’s cooking resolutions. And I thought it would be a very good idea if I adopted a few of ’em. With a twist or two, of course.
So, here are my cooking resolutions for this year. Because really, it’s time I got to rattlin’ those pots & pans.
1) Master 3 new dishes so you can make them (& make ’em delicious) without a recipe
I really need to do this. I can’t seem to come up with anything when someone says “hey, let’s make something….” Maybe perfect the Greek Chicken/Lamb (which is kinda like cheating but I Don’t Care), and then figure out a cool veggie/vegan dish. Then a balls-out bellybuster? Yeah, probably pasta.
2) USE the cookbooks I have
I have great cookbooks. I’ve even tabbed certain recipes in ’em. I never use them. This year? Picking a tab once a month and going for it.
3) Make Your Own Mayonnaise. Again.
Dude. It’s been over 20 years since you made mayo from scratch. Remember how damn easy it was? Then you up and started grad school and got all lazy and stuff. So it’s got egg yolks. It’s dead easy, and it’s absolutely delicious. Why not show someone — my curiously cooking-shy sister, perhaps — how to do it? Then *really* homemade tuna salad for everyone!
4) Cook something with shells
Ulp. As much as I love me some seafood, I fear cooking ’em. How hard could it be? Y’know, not ending the evening in the hospital with a disease named after me? Only time will tell. I’m doing this, dammit. Probably with beer. Because beer is awesome.
5) FINALLY learn how to make risotto!
Because I’ve been yammering on and on about this for years. Time to put up or stuff my piehole with substandard frozen packets.
6) Make biscuits once a week for a month. Or more.
I used to make biscuits just about every day. I even received compliments on them from real Southerners (as opposed to my “Just Below the Mason Dixon Line” self). Make ’em whole wheat to healthy ’em up, but make ’em.
Okay, this list is on the interwebs. And as we all know, if it’s here, it’s true.
My lord, what have I done….
This My House 
1) You can definitely do, may I suggest Jim Lahey’s no knead bread? Easy, cheap, healthy, and delicious. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html
2) I use two of my cookbooks regularly, and will only bring 5 to China with us. For everything else, there’s the internet.
3) Yes please! I will take any leftovers!
4) Shrimp has a shell! Crab almost
5) Risotto is super easy, you just have to keep an eye on it. In fact, you could use 5 to knock out some of 1!
6) Mmmmmmmmmmmm. I made biscuits and gravy for brunch almost every weekend last month. Sooooooooooo gooooood.
Go Denise Go!
Yay! Thanks Melissa; you’re such an awesome cook I’m basking in your comments. 🙂
And I especially love your “5 to knock out some of 1” idea. Brilliant!
Mmm, shrimp….
I cannot wait for this to happen and will in fact, join you from my kitchen in Virginia trying to do the same things! (not your things, my own cooking things)
So exciting!
(Also my new Cooking Light mag came last night which has a ton of stuff that I must make in it)
Woohoo — Hands Across Kitchens Across America! Me likey. 🙂
Oh man. Cooking Light always has amazing recipes. First I look to all the yummies I’ve pulled out of mags recently…then maybe as a treat for being a good girl I may subscribe. The only problem? That magazine makes me hungry!