Looking Back, Moving Forward

Thank you for following me through the first year of this blog!  The goal set last January to try one hundred new recipes was exceeded.  The plum pudding marked the 102nd recipe tried in 2011.

Looking back to some of our favorites:
Clafouti in any form
Cinnamon Buns
Black Bean Brownies
Parsnip and Chickpea Indian Stew
Paalak Paneer
Cranberry Phyllo Baskets
Chicken Skewers with Tarragon Pistachio Pesto
Butternut Squash Stuffed with apple and pork
Pumpkin waffles
Souffle stuffed chicken
Chili-mango chicken

I had very few mis-steps, but nothing that cannot be improved upon:
Baked Samosas
Hazelnut pesto
Shrimp Jalfrezi
Gingered Chicken Breast
Hearty Fish Chowder
Miso Glazed Eggplant
Quinoa with Currents Dill and Zucchini

So what do I have to look forward to now?  I know full well that 100 recipes is an easily surmountable goal, even with the tight work schedule I faced from October to December.

But rather than try to increase the number of new things to try, I'm going to up the ante by focusing on a few specific sub-goals.

This new year will bring with it 12 breads.  I've had a lot of success with quick breads: carrot cakes, banana breads, muffins and the like.  However, yeast is still something that throws me for a loop once and again. The year kicks off with a variation on the cinnamon bun tried last year. From there I'll move on to white, wheat, rye, sourdoughs and the like...hopefully finishing out the year with a successful attempt at my mother-in-laws challah bread.

Sauces will also make a larger appearance this year.  I use sauce broadly to include any flavor enhancing condiments from gravy to creams to mustard to chutneys.  On my list to try are wine reductions, hollandaise, aioli, bechamel and bearnaise.

One other treat to look forward to towards the end of January and beginning February...a plethora of Hawaiian classics including spam mususbi, slow cooker Kalua pork, huli huli chicken, huapia, poke and chicken long rice.

Please continue to stop by.  Let me know what your favorites dishes were this past year; and if you have any recipes you think I must try!

Until the first recipe of the new year, for auld lang syne and a happy new year!