I just tried Mark Bittman's fried rice the other day, and it's spectacular.

I made homemade beef stroganoff last night, which was delicious. And I tried quinoa for the first time, although I think I went overboard with flavors. I'll go simple next time.

I received a food processor for Christmas, so I finally got to make Martha Stewart's pimento cheese spread and Jacques Pepin's ! (The pâté was perfect, as is. I thought Martha's pimento cheese had too much cream cheese--I'll halve it next time.) I also made pizza dough from scratch for the first time ever.

This month, I'm going to try a new beef stew recipe (inspired by the kitchn) and probably try to tackle some sort of Indian recipe again. (I seem to have block against making good Indian food.)

Yikes - something went wrong with my html.

It should read "Jacques Pepin's pâté and include a link.

New recipes I tried in Jan:

1. Black-eyed pea and rice soup--not so great
2. Banana Bread from the Martha's Vineyard Cookbook--a very basic recipe that turned out well
3. Apple Cake from the Rosie's Bakery Cookbook--very good (though I should have used four granny smith rather than two grannys and two mealy Braeburns)
4. Spicy Sweet Potato "Fries" from Vegetable Harvest by Patricia Wells--good, I loved the contrast between the spices (I used ancho chile powder) and the sweet potato flesh.

i tried making pajeon this month too, and it was horrendous. I used Bittman's tip of seperating the flour and egg mix, but it just turned into this bland mess. what is your recipe for scallion pancake?

I am trying to replicate the kimchi pajeon at this one korean bbq place we go to. It's floppy yet crisp on the edges. soooo goooood.

I tried some recipes from the Ad Hoc cookbook.
Pickled red onions: winner! These are OH SO GOOD.
wine soaked raisins: nice burst of sweet anise flavor for salads.
Roast chicken: the first one I ever had turn out right!

Other than that, I made Italian style chicken with New Orleans Bordalese (I probably spelled that wrong) but not much else. Too much going on this month.

powwlita - I've tried to make pajeon from scratch as well (http://the-cooking-of-joy.blogspot.com/2009/03/korean-pancake-throwdown.html), but it just doesn't compare to the kind you make from the mix. Even most of my Korean friends' moms make it from the mix!

Made Heavenly hots (pancakes) from the recipe in the NT Times; made cheesy grits from my southern living grits cookbook; and made a potato gratin from a new gratin cookbook.

Everything was excellent, but the hots will become a standard in our household. So easy and great!

i made this bread last weekend. i'm making two this weekend. : )

very easy & a meal in itself. can't recommend it enough.

I made a great black bean soup in the crockpot. The recipe should be up on my site soon!

Dark chocolate dipped candied orange peels. Had never tried my hand at candy before and watching the sugar boil to soft ball stage was really neat.

The orange peels turned out great! Though I'm still not really sure what to do with the 2 cups of orange sugar syrup that resulted.

I learned how to make a corned beef brisket, followed by coming up with a different way to use the leftovers each day. Fun, useful, tasty.

I used the immersion blender I got for Christmas to make potato leek soup for the first time (killing two resolutions--using blender and cooking leeks!)
I made a pozole recipe from Cook's that turned out well, a cornmeal crusted baked fish with white wine/raisin sauce that was delicious (Bone Apetit), and roasted garbanzo beans to eat during football.

chicken stock, haven't tried it yet b/c i made it last night

rabbit a la dijonaise (with a wine and mustard sauce), delicious

several sauerkraut recipes, great

apple strudel, turned out ok

i made tamales for the first time! they turned out pretty tasty, and i got the knack for wrapping them after just a few tries. i used rick bayless' recipe.

i made some pecan sandies last night (and want to tweak the recipe cuz they're way too oily). I cobbled together some seafood pasta with random stuff around the house, and that was pretty good. I tried the miso soup recipe on 101 cookbooks and the soba noodles weirded me out.

I think I was too tired most of this month to actually cook.

That looks delicious, please share your scallion pancake recipe thanks!!

Thanks to your turning me on to Smitten Kitchen--I made her Southwestern Pulled Brisket, and I'm here to tell you the recipe works equally well with pork shoulder. Also a new concept for me--the batter pudding. We received some persimmons for Christmas. I made persimmon pudding with whipped cream--THAT was heaven.

I tried the roasted cabbage & bacon recipe...not tricky, but a whole new way of looking at cabbage that doesn't involve cole slaw or soup. :)
Speaking of soup, before the month is out (i.e. this weekend), I plan on trying to make the Potato Leek soup.

Other than that, I've just been expanding my squash repertoire.

I made a quiche and risotto, both for the first time. Both had nettles in them and came out delicious.

And, I used the How To Make Good Risotto guide from thekitchn, which was extremely helpful :D

I rocked some Pad Thai this month, based on the instructions from Chez Pim. Came out awesome! A new family and friend favorite that I will be returning to often.

ElleyC, I bet you could use it in lieu of simple syrup and make some fun cocktails.

I've been busy! I made granola, cheese, yogurt, croutons and salad dressing...just experimenting with making my own stuff instead of buying it premade.

I blogged about my granola here: http://moorethanfine.blogspot.com/2010/01/this-isnt-food-blog.html

OH...I've also made these spring rolls & sauce several times this month. They're so easy, and a good way to use up my huge head of purple cabbage... http://www.eatingoutloud.com/2008/05/healthy-spring-rolls-with-peanut-sauce.html

I made a lot of new things (I got a mixer for christmas)

-cranberry walnut rolls- yummy, but I think my substitution of whole wheat flour made them too heavy
-Lemon scented pull apart cake- ridiculously yummy. Dangerously so.
-Cinnamon almond coffee cake- a spin off of the lemon scented coffee cake. Same dough, different flavors.
-Lime dress black bean/tomato quinoa- kinda bland.
-Pasta! My first attempts at egg noodles were sad, but we are slowly improving.
-My vegetarian friend showed me a really quick spinach salad recipe that I have become completely obsessed with.
-A light shrimp curry- very yummy, and I think it may have been my first successful curry.

@ElleyC- put some in your morning coffee! I usually grate a little orange zest in mine...love it. Call it a "valencia" and you'd pay $3.50 for it. ;)

Made those yummy Ginger Snap Cookies. They are a big hit and will be made again soon! Same with the Chicken Enchiladas. Disappointed in the Lemon Pull-Apart recipe that was on here recently.

Favorite new recipes I made this month:

Vanilla Creme Brulee (Aida Mollenkamp)
Roasted Beet and Blood Orange Salad with Spicy Greens (101 Cookbooks)
Matzo Ball Soup (Smitten Kitchen) - used veggie stock
Arugula, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette (Food 52)
Braised Swiss Chard and Cannellini Beans (Lidia Bastianich)
Kale Salad with Pecorino and Lemon (the kitchn!) - my boyfriend is still raving about this one.

--Scallops w/ tomatillo salsa
--Serrano-lime grilled halibut

Ice box cake was my favorite new thing (with homemade chocolate wafers, of course!), pickled beets and eggs, pumpkin bread pudding, lamb chops, massaged kale salad, and I just cooked black cod for the first time today. YUM!

Made chicken tikka masala last night. The two of us one of the hubby's buddies ate it ALL. So, hubby trekked on foot to the grocery store in our little Oklahoma blizzard for more ingredients so I would make it again tonight.

I'd say it was a success (especially since he came home with wine and ice cream too!)

Also tried

Shrimp and corn chowder - didn't love: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/shrimp-and-corn-chowder-with-fennel-recipe-00000000028079/index.html

Balsamic glazed lamb meatloaf - totally loved: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/balsamic-glazed-lamb-meat-loaf-recipe-00000000028094/index.html

Stuffed savoy cabbage - good, but maybe make for company next time because we burned out on the leftovers: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/stuffed-savoy-cabbage-with-beef-pork-and-rice-in-a-spicy-tomato-sauce

I just got into cooking and baking recently, so I've been trying a lot of new things including my first ever quiche from scratch, cheesecake, oven roasted chicken, boeuf á la mode, coq au vin, etc. etc.

Here is my blog with examples: www.jenesaispas.ca
Learning lots from AT and thekitchn specifically!

D-

I made the dal palak recipe that appeared here a while ago. It was my first foray into Indian food. I also make spaghetti squash for the first time. Amazing!

Too many to list, but here's a start:

Aviaton cocktail: just delicious, especially with homemade brandied cherries
Empanadas: taught by a good friend from Honduras, amazing and surprisingly easy
Roasted butternut squash and chickpea salad: from Orangette, flavors are gorgeous together
Best pretzels ever: recipe here</a href>

Looking forward to the next month!

Just don't forget to post the scallion pancake recipe next week; they look fantastic. Can't wait to try them.

I made squash ravioli with sage brown butter sauce, blood orange sorbet, char sui bao, no knead bread (okay, I am a convert), french bread (meh), black bean soup in the crock pot, char sui, pork potstickers, crab rangoon, Italian sausages with onions and peppers in the crock pot, and scotch shortbread with almonds and chocolate.

Y'all are so good about posting sources. I'm too lazy to get up and go look at the various cookbooks to do that. Kudos to you!

I love experimenting with food again.

Oh, and moffles!

Being laid off has its advantages! I have been able to try lots of recipes and have been organizing them with Evernote.

Meyer Lemon Muffins-LA Times/Recipezaar-Really good!
French Toast Casserole-AllRecipes-Cheap, easy starter recipe
Amaretto Coffee-Gourmet-Yummy, now I need more Amaretto
Avocado Radish Salad-Gourmet-First time I ever bought radishes. Definitely great in salads.
Wilted Mustard Greens-Gourmet-I would eat this again.
Slow Cooker Mexican Style Beef-AllRecipes-This is going into the rotation. Spicy and makes enough for several meals.
Mom-Mom Fritch's Peanut Butter Cookies -Gourmet- Used up some almond butter. This is a keeper!
Beef Swellington-FoodTV-Another yummy!
Lentils and Rice with Fried Onions-AllRecipes-Good, comfort food

- a buche de noel for a January birthday and as advance practice for next Xmas.
- oatmeal anadama bread
- cheesecake bars layered on a brownie bottom
- a bunch of new kinds of scones and orange chocolate chunk muffins
- caramel custard pudding (not flan or butterscotch pudding)
- lotsa kinds of waffles (yeasted; malted; 3 kinds of waffle cookies; Lieges - the ones on this site, OMG, amazing!; savory corn with ham bits; and on) thanks to a new waffle iron. yup, finally got on that bandwagon.
- tried making my own diastatic malt for bread baking...failure. will try again.
- lemon lentil soup
- singapore rice noodle

english muffins

I tried making scallion pancakes last night with an online recipe, which I think needs a bit of tweaking. Looking forward to reading yours.

I'm making african stew tonight -recipe via ultra runner Anton Krupicka's blog Riding the Wind.

I'm going to add some Fat Tire Amber Ale to the stew as a twist - inspired by the post this week on the Kitchn

It's pretty cold here, highs in the teens, a nice hearty stew is just what the situation calls for.

Made some lemon dijon wings and slow cooker buffalo chicken sandwiches that were both AWESOME from allrecipes.

I made the sour cream fudge layer cake from Baking Illustrated-people, that cake is to die for!

Penne with White Beans, Pancetta, and Arugula from The Quick Recipe-delicious!

Dorie Greenspan's Tarte Tatin-divine!!!!!

I made vanilla french macarons! I am not going to say perfect but I think I nailed it close. I believe it used all my beginner's luck as the vegan version, that I made for my niece Amy, turned out to be miserable (from the piping to the end result).

Going back to normal version (sorry Amy) and am going to play with flavors and colors a bit. Up next blueberry with meyer lemon buttercream

Although I love Indian food, I had never cooked it myself, until last night! I made aloo gobi - spicy cauliflower and potatoes, served with basmati rice. It turned out absolutely amazing, I can't wait to make it again. Now that I have the spices for Indian cooking, I'm looking forward to using them over the next few months. Also, I've been a pescatarian for 7 years now, and just last week I decided to seriously cut down on dairy for health reasons, so Indian spices seem like a good way to keep my meals interesting.

Also, I have been making smoothies like crazy since my roommate received an immersion blender for Christmas. I use Alton Brown's recipe. Makes a great breakfast!

I've made a ton of new stuff so far. My fave has been Lahey's recipe for pizza dough. I'm on a quest to make the perfect pizza at home and this (along with my pizza stone) is making things easy.

The recipe is here: http://whatsonmyplate.net/2010/01/18/the-perfect-pizza-1/

Those scallion pancakes look delicious! Textbook pavlovian response.

We made lots of new stuff this month:

*Broccoli and Stilton Soup - Nigella Express (also known as what to do with waaay too much broccoli from the CSA
*Bean Burgers - from this site (My husband says we're not allowed to use my old recipe anymore, only these)
*Nasi Goreng - Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey (very good!)
*Baked Spiced Fish - Far Eastern Odyssey (very good, very simple)
*Chocolate cake made with Kidney Beans - blog-hopping find (My husband likes it, I think it's a bit greasy)
*Beef with Rice - I Know How to Cook (Je Suis Cuisiner) - cooking as I type - it smells wonderful!
*barbequed vegetables - everytime we fire up the grill, we cook every available vegetable on there as well - beetroot, corn on the cob, onions, mushrooms, potatoes (par-boiled first), tomatoes...yum! (it's summer here in NZ, so no, I'm not barbequing in the snow!)

I've been busy too...

Mostly I've been "veganizing" recipes from Real Simple magazine. It's a fun and interesting challenge.

I made a spicy "seafood" chowder with veggie chorizo and marinated tofu.
I started off the year with a brunch spread with homemade strata, veggie sausages, home fries, fruit salad (and a slice of ham for the meat eaters).
Veggie Soup with barley and white beans
Veggie meatloaf.
Roasted seitan with veggies and potatoes.
Homemade mac and cheese with broccoli.
Raisin bran muffins.
Numerous omelet- type concoctions.
And lemon cornmeal waffles with berry sauce. The waffles were vegan and had a peculiar texture. But they tasted ok.

I tried the warm farro salad with the roasted vegetables and it was incredible!

HITS
Hoppin' John from The Vegan Table
Greek lentil soup from Women's Health magazine
white bean soup from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
vegan apple pie from The Joy of Vegan Baking

MISSES
Garlicy greens soup (I am not a kale fan.)
Apple muffins, from this site. Do NOT make these.

Maple Syrup Pie