2021 Cooking Goals

Today is January 5, 2021, that time of year everyone is setting New Year’s resolutions.

I don’t tend to set resolutions. Those always seem to come with a negative connotation, as if there is a problem to be solved. Losing weight because one is too large, getting organized because one is too scatterbrained, etc.

Instead, I keep a running list of goals and experiences that I revisit and update every January. There are all types of things on that list: completing a ropes course, studying Mandarin, publishing a cookbook, etc.

This year, I’ve added quite a few cooking related goals to this list. We’re starting out the year with limited resources available to us, so it seems the perfect time to throw myself into learning kitchen skills and techniques I’ve always wanted to master. To accomplish this, I’ve signed up for several local cooking classes, enlisted a YouTube course, and purchased a year subscription to Masterclass. This combination is going to provide me with instruction for an impressive number of skills and specific recipes. The dishes I’m most looking forward to making are the following:

In-person classes

Traditional phở broth
French and Italian macarons
NYC style pizza in a home oven

YouTube cheesemaking classes

Mozzarella
Ricotta
Feta
Halloumi

Masterclass online classes

Thomas Keller
Hollandaise sauce
Agnolotti with peas and bacon
Pots de Crème

Massimo Bottura
Emilia Burger
Tagliatelle al Ragu
Panettone souffle

Apollonia Poilâne
Signature wheat loaf
Sourdough
Brioche

Gabriela Cámara
Huevos Rancheros Divorciados
Tacos al Pastor
Quesadillas Doradas

Gordon Ramsey
Szechuan Roasted Whole Chicken
Crispy duck
Raspberry soufflé

Wolfgang Puck
Cacio e Pepe
Roasted chicken with mustard port sauce
Veal stock and demi glace

I would love to hear how you are continuing your home cook education during this time when so many resources are closed and unavailable. I’m also interested to hear from anyone who has already taken any of the Masterclass food courses. I don’t know that I’ll continue my subscription beyond 2021, so I intend to use it as much as I can this year. I also think I’m going to begin with Gabriela Cámara, because tacos. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!