Quinoa, but DH is suspect. He is a meat and potatoes type of guy.

I've always wanted to make Baked Alaska

I love to cook, but am so intimidated by baking. So my list would be items like lemon merengue pie (the pie crust and merengue - oy vey), creme brulee, rugelech cookies, a layered cake with a lot of jam filled layers, with fluffy icing from scratch.

Anonymous wrote:French pastry pyramid with spun sugar threads like the ones Martha Stewart made.

Croquembouche. Martha doesn't even spell it correctly, but she does nice work. http://www.marthastewart.com/1005691/crockenbush-pastry-dessert-spun-sugar#1005691
If you do it, you have to do the sugar part and report back. And invite us over to taste test, naturally.

Croissants!

Blown sugar

French pastry pyramid with spun sugar threads like the ones Martha Stewart made.

I'm the OP of the other thread where a poster suggested making gnocchi. I didn't end up cooking last night, but did decide this morning to pull out the waffle iron I've never used and make waffles. Not tremendously challenging to make ok ones this morning, but something it seems it would be fun to try to perfect if one had the time.

Lately I've been thinking about working my way through some old family recipes and trying to get them really right. My grandmother's pizzelles, and my other grandmother's snack mix. My mom used to bake desserts for a restaurant (her part-time job when my sister and I were young), and I've never tried making most of those old dessert recipes that she doesn't make anymore. I think all of those are on my list.

Similar to PP, I'd like to do Chinese dumplings, but specifically soup dumplings. They look easy enough, but involve a lot of time I seem to rarely have.

I'd also like to try make my own phyllo. As easy as it is to find frozen, I'd just like to do it once to experience it.

Anonymous wrote:Yup. I actually bought him one of those plates with separated sections for meat, starch and veg years ago as a gag gift. He's truly a child about food.

OP here. That's funny. My brother used to eat his shepherd's pie like that growing up.

Yup. I actually bought him one of those plates with separated sections for meat, starch and veg years ago as a gag gift. He's truly a child about food.

Anonymous wrote:Paella was on my list once -- then I made it, and discovered it's incredibly easy. And freaking delicious.

I tried a modified cassoulet once, but it turned out mushy. I'd like to try that again.

Have you tried tamales? Those are fun to make if you have all day, delicious and freeze like a dream. We ate on one batch for months.

Spouse doesn't really like "mixed up food" so I don't get to do soups and stews and casseroles very much. That's where I'd start.

Lol

Spouse sounds like a child

Chinese dumplings

Paella was on my list once -- then I made it, and discovered it's incredibly easy. And freaking delicious.

I tried a modified cassoulet once, but it turned out mushy. I'd like to try that again.

Have you tried tamales? Those are fun to make if you have all day, delicious and freeze like a dream. We ate on one batch for months.

Spouse doesn't really like "mixed up food" so I don't get to do soups and stews and casseroles very much. That's where I'd start.

I need a list for the next time I am feeling creative and have the time.
Gnocci from the other thread was a great suggestion. I have never gotten it right. Also something involved like a crepes dish where you have to make the crepes first and layer them or roll them.