croissants! And I WILL try it this year!
Sherry

I'm with Sherry. Croissants are on my list!

I just want to learn to use different seasonings and spices in things beyond the normal Lawrys etc. I am also challenging myself to make more homemade stuff instead of box mixes, ready made soups, and all of the other premade easy to make junk.

Alison just sent me some urfa chili pepper. Still perusing Sortun's 'Spice' to use it.

Teresa, gnocchi is so easy a kid could make it. Just think of it next time you have leftover mashed potatoes. As a matter of fact, last year my kid and I made them together!

A suckling pig. A couple years ago DW said I could roast a whole suckling pig if I finished the kitchen by Christmas. (Recipe from a First Lady's cookbook.) So if I figure if I make a suckling pig it means that I have a new kitchen. Hope that happens in 2008!

My List:

Ann-T's Cream Cheese Danish
Angel Food Cake
Ravioli
Kumquat Marmalade
Pandoro (tried once, need to try again)

Although croissants are not on my list, they sure sound like fun!

Michelle

Great thread!

I want to make:

Indian Food
Panettone
Sourdough bread
Homemade jams or preserves

But looking at everyone else's lists is making me think.....
DONNA

I plan on trying my hand at canning next year :)

More canning and bread!

Cheesemaking is next on my list of things to try. Homemade mozzarella and ricotta sound so good! And cheaper than the grocery store versions!

I made croissants last April when I was on vacation. If you plan to do them, make a day of it. There's downtime between the steps but it is a time consuming process. HIGHLY worth it though. I used the Good Housekeeping baking cookbook recipe, and made plain, chocolate, and almond filled - the almond were the best.

I also bake bread weekly and do lots of canning.

Not new, but really nailing down my favorite bread recipes.

I want:
A great sweet-ish yeast roll (dinner roll, hamb. buns, etc.).
Sourdough
A nice rustic french bread
And one for sandwiches. I buy whole grain type sandwich breads and can't seem to duplicate the texture.

So, I guess I'll be 'testing' plenty.
I want to try Ann T's french bread recipe.

I have sourdough starter in the fridge now and need to do a little more experimenting with that.

I have a pretty good one for rolls.

Suggestions (new thread maybe) on the sandwich one??????

I made the Maple Oatmeal recipe, but it's a little more dense than we like. I may need to try again.

I think I knead too much flour in......

Deanna

Don't laugh but make a cake from scratch! Now that I have a new range and kitchen I will be able to do it this year! My old oven temp was so variable, that I gave up.
Green corn tamales are also on the list or maybe something with phyllo dough, or croissants. I need to stretch my cooking wings again. sky is the limit! Sue

Gnocchi Yum! That's something I've always wanted to try. I have a wonderful childhood memory of my best friend's mom and aunt spending a whole day in the kitchen making Gnocchi. Those 2 sisters were having so much fun. My friend and I (who were barred from coming into the kitchen) hung around listening to them laugh and tease for hours as they worked and that evening we all sat around the table and ate gnocchi with butter and garlic. I have never had the nerve to try them. Maybe this winter...

This is a silly thing and supposedly so easy but here it is:
spatzle!
There I said it.

MLC's

and like sherry and moosemac, I keep thinking about trying croissants, but...I'm not sure I'll ever make the time. and I'd probably eat them all myself, so they would be very expensive!! (I've made bread, but never hand-kneaded, I let the bread machine do the workout, then I shape, final rise, and bake... Maybe I'll put that on my list )

Tamales...I missed taking my class in Sonoma since someone had opera tickets. :-(

MLCs
galatoboureko - my 86 yr old Greek neighbor will be teaching me
More breads and soups

I hope to make 08 a healthier year.

The list will be very long if I think long enough. I have never:
-braised anything
-made a souffle
-blackened anything (without it tasting burnt)
-made croissants
- galatoboureko - yum - lets add that to the list
-made homemade raviolis
-I could some beginners Indian food lessons
-candy making

I'm sure there more, but that's enough for now!

I'd like to try making cheese, too.

Even though I started a thread way back in May about it, I never got around to making yogurt. We went on vacation and then I lost the momentum. I used to make it years ago, but I got out of the habit when I went to work.

I want to bake more things than I have so far. So many cookie recipes, bread recipes, etc. to try. Croissants would definitely be fun to make. Along that line, what about puff pastry? I heard Emeril once say that it's just not worth making at home since the store bought stuff is so good, but I wonder if it would be fun just to try it sometime. For that matter, I've never even used puff pastry, not even store bought. Add that to my list.

I'm intrigued by the idea of making sauerkraut. I know some of you do, and I'd love to try it myself. I haven't because I don't have the big crock, but one of these days I'd like to get one and give it a try.

Sally

Gee, I like how a lot of the posts start with "here goes" and "don't laugh"...yeah, don't laugh:
I'd like to make that torrone!!
Deep dish two-crust pie
Cassolette (can't spell it!)
Paella, a real one, not just the kind I make up!
The pumpkin pie I am going to make today, not from the freezer section!
And I want to make tamales, too...I have the masa now I need the corn husks
This was fun!

Bagels
Croissants
Smoking cheese-- probably Munster
Making from scratch Pea-meal Canadian Bacon ( if I can find a recipe/process)
Smoked BBQ brisket
And going to try my Dad's Sweet Pickled Ham

Indian cuisine! I'm researching some recipes of foods I have tasted. I think I may be able to do the Naam but I have to lurk the Indian or Asian grocers to find some of the ingredients of recipes I've found. This is completely out of my realm. Also, thinking of sausage like hot Italian links but first need a sausage stuffer for my KA. I've had good luck with salami, summer sausage and chorizo so I think I'm ready.

Yogurt
Sausage
Croissants
Pastas
And I would love to make tamales with Teresa.

We could fill a carry-on with masa and cornhusks and make them in Pienza or down on the Amalfi coast? *grin*

I have made most of the things that really intrique me. Cheese might be fun but I try so hard not to eat too much of it. I did love my homemade tamales but again, there are so many of them. I need to have a party so we don't eat all of them!

But I have always wanted to try making strudel dough from scratch. But I'd really like to learn with an expert. I have never been that good at stretching pizza dough on the back of my hands so I really think I'd need a teacher to help me. I've got a big dining table and old white cloths. LOL

I need to add to my list:

Scallops
Donuts
Poached Pears (maybe the Caged Pears like Kathleen makes!)

Michelle

If I had more time to cook I would like to make:

Tamales (me too!)

More stuff with filo and puff pastry, like strudels and elegant appetizers.

More canning.

I attempted pavlovas but I need to buy an electric mixer - I just can't beat egg whites for the life of me. So I'll buy that and try to make Sol's pavlova cake for someone's birthday.

I cook some Indian recipes, but I'd like to make dosa crepes soon.

Oh yes...dosas. Gina, this reminds me ...yet again!!!...that I have a recipe for 'faux' dosas, meaning it's the genuine batter but made in a waffle maker by an Indian woman here in the US whose daughter had a fixation on frozen waffles. She tops them with a green chutney. Even post dinner, that sounds good.

If I can find a woman to teach us, y'all can learn tamales chez moi. And Anna, my Greek friend, will be doing the galatoboureko in Jan. She uses ready made phyllo, but I'm anxious to taste her custard before I dabble in online recipes.

And Jessy...and other canners. I saw a fig, roasted shallot and sherry spread in Napa. Next year!! I'm gonna ask over in Harvest for ideas to plan this one out - in advance,imagine that. ;-)

I've never made

- a souffle
- cheese
- fresh pasta
- creme brulee

but I'd like to try them all out in the next year