A place to keep track of all the things I am going to accomplish food-wise during the year!

Ahhh the things I do for the love of food….

2013

1. I still want to learn to cook offal – this is my year!

2. I want to spend an afternoon in 3 foodie neighbourhoods, that I don’t already know and love, in Ottawa and learn more about the shops, restaurants and food artisans that are there.

3. This year I’m going to up my food vocabulary – so every day I’ll post a new food term or definition on twitter and do a round up here on the blog.

4. Another left over from 2012 – I want to make my own dishes. Or dish. Let’s see how hard that is first.

5. In a step towards becoming that old Italian Grandmother I so long to be, I want to make my own pasta. I know, I know… I can’t believe I haven’t done that yet either.

2012

  1. I want to eat at 15 restaurants off The List, that I haven’t already. It doesn’t sound like a lot but when you factor in also going to places you already love… that’s a lot of eating out!
    - Courtyard Restaurant
    - Zen Kitchen
    - Pressed
    - Absinthe Cafe
    - The Table
    - Ceylonta
    - Moji
    - Palais Imperial
    - Brothers Beer Bistro
    - Union 613
    - Vittoria Trattoria
  2. I want to learn to cook offal (edible organ meat such as the heart, tounge, liver of an animal) that I actually enjoy eating. I’ve made beef liver… wasn’t a fan of that recipe. But I learned this year that I am a potential fan of anything, as long as it is cooked properly. I can’t count the number of times I’ve said “Oh I normally hate (insert previously hated thing here), but like this… it’s good!”
  3. I want to go all out at high tea at the Chateau Laurier. And what better year than this, seeing as it is their 100th anniversary!
    - Tea Time
  4. Host a foodie get together.
    - January 14, at the Manx!
  5. Have an out of the ordinary dining experience. I realize this is a bit vague, but I think I will know this when it happens.
    - Joe Beef Dinner at the Urban Element – February 27
  6. I want to learn to can/preserve more local goodies and ‘pick my own’ whenever possible this year.
    - Tomato Sauce
  7. Spend time and discover Ottawa’s China Town.
  8. Learn to make 3 things I currently buy.
    - Sheppard’s Pie
    - Bread Yeast
    - Cocktails
  9. Find a white wine I enjoy drinking… not just the one I drink because I finished the red.
    - Dunes from Sandbank Winery
  10. Learn how to cook with 3 ingredients I not only do not use right now, but have never heard of.
    - Karela
    - Sunchokes
    - Malanga
  11. Make my own dishes… or dish. Depends on how the finished product looks. Let’s not get crazy ambitious.
  12. Find Ottawa’s best ________. A taste test of the city’s best something. Right now I’m thinking tacos. But that might be my craving for Mexican food talking. Yep… just checked. It definitely is.
    - Ottawa’s Best Brew!