Kitchen Through the Lens: What it’s about

First of all: I hate naming projects. I hate naming projects because despite my marketing background and despite the fact that I’m totally hilarious and funny (it’s my blog, I can say what I want), I have a difficult time coming up with cool catchy names that make you want to pay attention.

You want to pay attention.

In scope of a lot of stuff going on in my world, I decided I needed a project. I needed a fun project, but something… productive. I needed to incorporate something I love, but I also needed to incorporate room for growth. I think this project does both.

I have picked (with some help!), 50 recipes. They’re not all main dishes – some are desserts, some are beverages, some are appetizers, some are sauces. I don’t love cooking (you know this, right?) but there’s no reason for that. I love baking, so, uh… why not cooking? Each week, I’ll prepare one of these new things (not necessarily in order of the list!), and – here’s the fun part – document the process with my camera. Food photography? It’s freakin’ hard, y’all BUT this gives me the opportunity and reason to work on those skills also.

(Win, win)

Without further adieu, here’s the list of 50. I don’t anticipate changing any of these items out – but it could happen. And if and when it does, you won’t roll your eyes at me too much, will you? You’ll be super understanding and supportive and say, “That’s okay, Sarah, you really didn’t want to make that other thing anyway.”

1. salsa
2. tortilla soup
3. pesto
4. tomato sauce/marinara
5. caipirnha
6. croissants
7. sourdough bread
8. patatas bravas
9. potstickers
10. roast chicken
11. char siu bao
12. vinaigrette
13. strawberry shortcake
14. fortune cookies
15. tequila bars
16. a savory biscotti
17. cream puffs
18. Emperor’s pancakes
19. beer bread
20. mashed potatoes
21. homemade pasta
22. chicken enchiladas
23. salted caramel ice cream cake
24. hamburgers
25. margaritas
26. prosciutto wrapped melon
27. tamales
28. infused vodka (okay, I’m not making the vodka part)
29. caramel corn
30. fruit smoothies
31. Grandma’s molasses cookies
32. spaghetti tacos (you have kids that watch iCarly, don’t you?)
33. a homemade treat for the dog
34. blueberry muffins
35. fresh juice
36. cinnamon bread
37. lemon pasta
38. Greek salad
39. Hasselback potatoes
40. chicken tacos
41. hummus
42. risotto
43. feta stuffed gyro burgers
44. chipotle stout braised beef tacos
45. key lime cheesecake
46. taco pasta shells
47. empanadas
48. Narsai mudslide cookies
49. Wendell’s cookies
50. Thanksgiving dinner (turkey & stuffing)

The last several are recipes given to me by others  – so pretty specific versus the mostly vague first half of the list. Wendell is my grandfather who died in the late 80s – the recipe I’ll be making, Wendell’s cookies – those were his favorite. I received the Narsai mudslide cookie recipe from my dad – who has brought them up in conversation several times. Joe from The Hungry Dudes gave me links to recipes for items 43 – 46 and when a foodie gives you recipes, you take note.

The kids wanted to make some kind of biscuit for the dog – granted, I won’t be taste testing that one, but… why not? Tequila bars are a Guy Fieri recipe (yeah, I know) that I pulled from a magazine because…tequila. I’m more inclined to pay attention to his recipes if I don’t have to listen to him. Or watch him. Or want to rip the sunglasses from the back of his head and want to beat him with them. Anyway, worth a shot right? I pull a LOT of recipes from magazines…and never make them. This project will help me face down some of that list – maybe discover some new favorites.

Alright. Are you with me? Here we go.

I’m starting tonight. Got my lemon zester ready for some lemon pasta. Let’s do this.