I’m continuing my goal of testing seven new recipes each week, aiming to cook 365 recipes I’ve never made before this year. But I’m adding a few exciting new challenges for year two to push myself even further!

1. Participate in the 52 Weeks of Cooking Challenge on Reddit 🍳
   The r/52weeksofcooking community posts a specific theme—an ingredient, technique, cuisine, or inspiration each week. They post four themes beforehand. I’ll cook something based on that week’s theme and share my creations with the group.

   • Week 1: The theme was Jacques Pépin, and I made his French Green Beans and Shallots (a hit!) and shared my post on the channel.

   • Week 2: The theme is Scotland and so on!

2. Join the 52 Weeks of Baking Challenge on Reddit 🧁
   The r/52weeksofbaking community works the same way but has posted weekly themes for the entire year in advance.

3. Join Sally’s monthly baking challenge 🍪
   On the first of each month, Sally posts a recipe, and during that month, I’ll make the assigned recipe or the provided alternative. It’s a great way to mix fun, approachable baking with learning new techniques. I’m making ciabatta for the first time this month, and I’m so excited to try it!

4. Participate in BA Bake Club  (Bon Appétit’s Baking Challenge) 🎂
   This monthly challenge doesn’t offer alternative recipes, so I’ll have to commit to whatever is assigned—a fun way to push myself and explore the Bon Appétit recipes. I am currently eating the pizza I made for this month’s challenge.

These challenges will push me to step outside my comfort zone even more. With assigned themes or recipes, I’ll be “forced” to try techniques, cuisines, and dishes I might otherwise avoid. It’s a little intimidating, but I’m excited about what I’ll learn.

Let’s see what this year in the kitchen will bring!

Recipes Made So Far This Year:

Goal: To try seven new recipes each week 🗓️, aiming for 365 this year!

 Number of Recipes Made this Week: 9 ✅ 

Number of New Recipes Tested as of 1/5: 9

Weeks Achieving Seven or More New Recipes: 1 out of 1

This Week’s Recipe Test Summary

Impress Someone🌟

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream from Chew Out Loud | Instagram Post 🍦🍪

I made this the same day my cousins came over for ice cream, so it counts for this week rather than last. This one was a huge hit with everyone—it actually "sold out," as one of my cousins said! I made the full recipe, and there wasn’t a single scoop left. The recipe says it only needs to freeze for 2 hours after being churned, but I recommend freezing it overnight. I froze it for about 6 hours, which still needed more time.

Would Make Again 👍

Easy Pancakes from America's Test Kitchen by Lan Lam🥞🍌🍫
I made this for breakfast for one of my cousins and my twin brother. It's super easy to whip up with ingredients you already have at home. Of course, I added bananas and chocolate chips for extra goodness!

Yogurt Bowls with Sauteed Pears from Nourished by Nutrition | Instagram Reel 🍐🥣
This has become my go-to healthy comfort breakfast. Warm pears with Greek yogurt and seeds for texture are so simple and satisfying.

Coconut Yoghurt Chicken (Paleo, Whole30, Keto) from Cooked & Loved 🥥
My sister gifted me some leftover coconut yogurt, so I quickly searched for a recipe to use it, and this one popped up. It’s so yummy and simple. Loved it!

Classic Southern BLT from Southern Living🥪🥬
H called this the best BLT he’s ever had. 🙂

French Green Beans and Shallots from NY Times Cooking by Jacques Pepin🥗🧅
These came together in under 20 minutes and were so simple yet incredibly delicious. They feel elegant enough for a fancy dinner, and I’m adding them to my list of go-to side dishes for family and friends.

Would Not Make Again 👎

These recipes didn’t live up to expectations or weren’t to my taste

Spiced Pear Bread from 600arces🍐🍞
I’ve made many of her bread recipes before and loved most of them, but unfortunately, this one didn’t work out for me. I only added two pears because I thought three would be too many, but it turned out mushy when it came out of the oven.

Leek Pasta from Nat’s Nourishments | Instagram Reel 🍝
Just okay.

Bone Broth Pasta from foodsofjane | Instagram Reel 🍜
This one wasn’t great. I made it and wasn’t impressed. My sister made a different version of bone broth pasta that was much better, but this recipe is a no for me.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, or any recipe requests you might have. Just respond directly to this email.

See you next week. Keep cooking! 👋 

Vale from ValeCooks