I challenge all of you, especially the fellow food bloggers, to buy an ingredient you have never bought or cooked with before and try something new! There are so many foods, drinks, spices and herbs available to us these days. But, due to habit and time constraints we all get stuck in big old ruts. Look in the corners of the produce section for items you have never noticed. Visit ethnic grocers. Look on the bottom shelf for things that the mainstream never buys. To encourage us all to continue to explore, I think I will hold a new ingredient challenge monthly! (Because some cyclical behavior is comforting.)
I already have my first new item… I will let you know in a few days what it is, what I made with it and how it tastes. I will give you hint…it is from the produce section and I hope it tastes better than it looks.
February 13th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
I accept! I’m not cooking much this week because we are going on vacation and I’m trying to use up what we have, but when we get back I will definitely do this.
Also, to commemorate tomorrow I will be making my first Red Velvet Cake. I got a recipe online and I’ll post how it goes. I’ve never even HAD it before so I’m very excited.
February 13th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
Jodi – Great! I am glad you are doing it. And, when you do it, post it and link… we can all inspire each other to broaden our horizons! Have a great trip and can’t wait to hear about your Red Velvet Cake.
February 16th, 2007 at 12:10 am
[...] « New Ingredient Challenge! [...]
February 16th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Does this count? I went to by my husband some chocolate for Valentine’s Day at this shop that mixes flowers, chocolate bars all priced at $7+ (including Vosges,) and finishing salts. Those are the three groupings of items they sell– a little bizarre, I thought. So anyway, I bought chocolate and a fancy finishing salt that was stupidly expensive. Does this count as an ingredient if you use it after cooking and have never used it before? Well, I’m interested to see if it actually enhances anything or just remains on my shelf being stupidly expensive.