52 Weeks to Go

Let me preface this blog with a blanket, “I don’t cook.” I don’t mean that I don’t ever cook. I make meals because the people in my family (1 husband, 2 sons) need to eat. But I am not good at it. My sister will tell me that it’s because I don’t have enough practice (hence, the blog we’ve embarked on here); I say it’s because I don’t really like food. Except dessert.

Funnily enough, I’m not a baker either.

But, sure. I get what she’s saying. I don’t spend hours curating recipes on Pinterest and actually making them. I make the 5 tried-and-true meals, mostly things my younger son (for the purposes of this blog, known as Mr. Picky Pants) will eat. My older son (aka Mr. Good Eater) has taken his Greek heritage very seriously and likes food with flavor. So, this project is really for him. Because for the last 16 years of his life, he’s been living with my cooking; it’s time I give him what he’s always gotten from my sister: Good food.

Originally, the plan for this project (or so I thought) was that my sister (The Cook) was going to teach me how to cook one meal a week. That way, Mr. Good Eater would have at least one good meal each week. But, it turns out, we are going to follow a schedule she put together, each making the same thing each week from Ina Garten’s Foolproof cookbook.

The Challenge:

• Make one or two recipes a week from Foolproof, per the 52-week schedule.

• Write about our experiences – I’m assuming mine will be a shitshow, hers will be fantastic

• Post pictures – see above

• Record results – Mr. Picky Pants & Mr. Good Eater

Hopefully, we (read: I) will come out of this with a better appreciation for food, know when something needs more of whatever or less or whatever else, and finally make food the majority of the family enjoys.

Really, what I want is to be as smart as Bobby Flay and be given someone’s “signature recipe” and beating the pants off said someone.

It’s good to have goals, right?