Food, glorious food!

Last night I was looking through my cupboard in the kitchen for some stock cubes. Yes, that normal ingredient that everyone has. Sadly I appear have run out. However, I found the following items (amongst other equally bizarre items):

- Vine leaves for making Dolmades
- Chinese dumpling flour
- Dried Galangal (I had to wikipedia this to find out what it was)
- 8 different types of rice. Yes 8. If I try buying rice in your presence in the next few months stop me. Those 8 types were - Jasmine, Paella, Risotto, Basmati, Long grain, Easy Cook, Brown Basmati and 10 Minute Brown (best.invention.ever).

What kind of fruit loop has no stock cubes, but does have most of the incredients on hand to make stuffed vine leaves and chinese steamed dumplings?!?

Hmmmmmm....

Anyway, I finally got round to have a bit of a re-jig of my list of things to learn to cook this year (a couple of the items had been there purely to pad it out as I'd run out of ideas) - so a few things have been swapped off the list for things I want to cook more, and I've updated what I've done in the last couple of months. So here is the updated list.

1) Jambalaya - done
2) Yaki Soba
3) Dal
4) Clam Chowder
5) Spring Rolls and Sesame Prawn Toast - done
6) Roasted Red Pepper Houmous + pitta bread - done
7) Mussels and Chips - done
8) Stifado - done
9) Kleftiko
10) Coq au Vin - done
11) Moussaka
12) Fish Pie - done
13) Olive Foccacia
14) Hollandaise Sauce
15) Thai Green Curry Paste - done
16) Stollen - done
17) Gravalax
18) Tortellini
19) Bagels
20) Pumpkin Pie - done
21) Jerk Chicken - done
22) Chicken Chow Mein - done
23) Falafel
24) NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
25) Borscht
26) Seafood Gumbo
27) Char Siu Baau
28) Gnocchi - done
29) Enchilladas and Refried Beans
30) Frikadeller
31) Dolmades - done
32) Crumpets - done
33) Goan Fish Curry
34) Jamaican Goat Curry
35) Bakewell Tart - done
36) Won Ton Soup
37) Lamb Rogan Josh and Pilau Rice - done
38) Biryani
39) Miso Soup
40) Tabbouleh - done
41) Pad Thai - done
42) Parantha
43) Saag Aloo + Naan Bread - done
44) Chicken Adobo - done
45) Baked Alaska
46) Chicken Mole
47) Bobotie - done
48) Sticky Toffee Pudding and proper Custard
49) Meatloaf - done
50) Nettle Soup
51) Jam - done
52) Brioche

I'm still looking for willing victims who are happy to be experimented on, so feel free to pipe up if you fancy any of the ones I've not yet done...