SGG 2010 Resolutions

Since the new year I've been thinking a bit about what my cooking goals for 2010 should be. 2009 brought several milestones:
1. I started the Single Girl Gourmet (SGG) blog
2. I made mussels for the first time
3. I gave a half-hearted and somewhat disastrous attempt at a wine reduction sauce

So what do I want do for 2010?

The first project is something that my cousin prompted me to consider on Christmas. My cousin is something of an armature chef also, though perhaps a bit further along than myself. He actually wants to leave his engineering firm and bake pies for a living. Hilarious. Though, he does make a pretty tasty pie, could give grandma a run for her money! So we were discussing pies and specifically a if it's worth the time to make a crust from scratch, taste-wise. I'm not so sure that it is but my cousin maintains that's the only way to go and as I said he bakes a good pie. So I'm going to try it. I'm going to bake a pie entirely from scratch. When I find an entire day to do nothing but bake that is.

I'm going to give the wine reduction sauces another shot. I think I'm just too impatient to let the sauce cook long enough to reduce. I might have to start cooking before I'm actually hungry. That might help.

This is also going to be the year I finally make Spanish tortilla. I love Spanish tortilla and I've been planning to try and make it for about 5 years. I'll be visiting Spain soon so I'm hoping that will prod me into action.

I also want to try and make my own marinara sauce. I gave a disastrous attempt last year at making fresh pesto. I was doomed from the beginning because I don't have a food processor, or other chopper to use but if my basil ever grows I might give that another go too. However, I can still make marinara!

In summary, SGG 2010 cooking goals:
1. Make a pie crust from scratch (hopefully filling too)
2. Give a wine reduction sauce the college try
3. Finally make Spanish tortilla
4. Make homemade marinara (and possibly pesto)

Four goals that I have an entire year to accomplish, hopefully I won't be doing all four next December.