Anne's 2013 Cooking Resolutions

 1. THE COOKBOOK CHALLENGE:  
My first resolution is to make at least 50 recipes (5 recipes each) from ten chosen cookbooks.

I have a lot of cookbooks, more than I really have a right to own.  This new interest in cooking led me to imagine that I was going to become some prodigious master home chef (hah!), but many of my poor neglected cookbooks have been collecting dust deep in the archives of my kitchen library.   I've only made one or two recipes from my Julia Child cookbook, and James Beard's American Cookery has never even been opened.  It's a crime!  So I'm determined to use my cookbooks for their recipes rather than their decorative value.

Make 5 recipes from each of the following ten books:

1. Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Julia Child

1. Asperges with Béarnaise Sauce
2. Soufflé au Fromage 
3. Coq au Vin 
4. Pommes de Terre Sautées 
5. Clafouti 

2. American Cookery - James Beard

1. Chocolate Cream Pie
2. Sauteed Pork Loin Chops with Whiskey Sauce
3. Stuffed Baked Potatoes
4. Poached Stuffed Chicken Breasts
5. Ratatouille 

3. The Joy of Cooking - Irma Rombauer

1. Homemade Applesauce
2. Panfried Spice-Crusted Fish Fillets
3. Becker Brussels Sprouts  
4. Barbecued Ribs  
5. Snickerdoodles

4. How to Cook Everything - Mark Bittman

1. BLT Frittata 
2. Saffron Orzo, Risotto-Style
3. Broiled Tomatoes with Herbs 
4. Arroz con Pollo 
5. Steak au Poivre 

5. The New Best Recipe - America's Test Kitchen

1. Sausage and Bell Pepper Pizza (with homemade dough and sauce) 
2. Spinach Lasagna 
3. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie 
4. Pad Thai
5. Pumpkin Pie 

6. The New Way to Cook Light - Cooking Light

1. Shrimp Salad
2. Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken 
3. Shaved Summer Squash Salad with Prosciutto Crisps 
4. Blackened Tilapia Baja Tacos
5. Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca 

7. Cooking for Two 2009 - America's Test Kitchen

1. Chicken Tikka Masala 
2. Chicken En Papillote 
3. Roast Rack of Lamb with Whiskey Sauce 
4. Smashed Potatoes
5. Garlicky Green Beans

8. Eating Well Serves Two - Romanoff

1. Sweet Potato Oven Fries
2. Pork Chops with Cumberland Sauce  
3. Thyme & Sesame-Crusted Halibut 
4. Quinoa, Mango, and Black Bean Salad 
5. Cider Vinegar-and-Molasses-Glazed Pork Chops

9. 100 Years and Still Cooking - Dairyland Seed 100th Anniversary

1. Snicker Cookies
2. Baked Walleye  
3. Vegetable Dip 
4. Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
5. Broccoli Casserole 

10. Anne's choice - various cookbooks/magazines in my kitchen library

1. Pear Crisp  (from Cooking For Two) 
2. Feta-Stuffed Lamb Burgers (from Weight Watchers Cook It Quick) 
3. Chicken & Squash Enchiladas (from Weight Watchers Cook It Quick)
4. Perfect Pepper Ribeye Steaks (from Taste of Home Grill It)
5. Grilled Cheesy Potato Pouches (from Taste of Home Grilling Collection)

2. MINIMIZE FOOD WASTE!
My second goal is to reduce waste by planning meals for the entire week, finishing leftovers, and utilizing ingredient excess in future meals.
 
This needs to improve.  I get all excited and buy ingredients to make a new recipe, but only need 1/4 or 1/2 of the purchased item.  Instead of letting it sit in my fridge until it's green (not the good type of green), I need to have a plan in place to use it for another recipe before it goes bad.   Additionally, I need to actually eat the leftovers created by these recipes.  I bought a dry erase board today to aid in my grocery shopping and meal planning.  I am fairly certain my husband will laugh at me.


Wish me luck!   Maybe you'll be inspired to dust off some old cookbooks this year, too.   Post a comment and tell me YOUR 2013 cooking resolutions!