An Experiment. A Challenge. An Unoriginal Idea.

I got the coolest present from my brother Dave this past Christmas. He gave me this cookbook- Classic Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking. I've been given a lot of really awesome presents, but this one in particular was something pretty darn special.

Since watching Julie and Julia this past summer, I've occasionally been reading Julie Powell's original blog from 2002 which inspired the movie. The blog is wonderful. Funny, too. A good read, if you're into food 'n stuff.

Well, the aforementioned cookbook and the aforementioned movie/blog have motivated me to work my way through this cookbook.

My project will have a few variations, however. Firstly, I'll likely only try 1 to 2 recipes a week. Some I will not even bother with, as being familiar with a lot of PA Dutch cooking doesn't necessitate making every recipe. I grew up eating this stuff, folks. But other recipes (can you say Schnitz Und Knepp? Me neither.) intrigue me.

So there's no deadline. No pressure. Just the thrill of opening the book, choosing something new, and hopping to it. Another difference is I will post the recipe on my blog. No copyright infringement there, you know. Recipes aren't copyright protected, as my research concludes. In fact, my blogs may prompt others to buy the book. So here's some free marketing for the folks at Cookbook Resources LLC. It's available on Amazon, or if you're really interested I could probably find the book locally and mail you a copy.

Lastly, similar to heavy sauce-laden French recipes, a great deal of this style cooking is heavy with butter, creams and high-carb nightmares. So I'll have to be choosy, and not make a lot of rich foods all at once. Sadly, I've come to accept the fact that I'll likely never be a size 5 again, but that doesn't mean I must balloon into a size 14 just for the sake of this project.

I'd like to commit to posting at least once a week on my progress, I think I can handle at least that much. It's actually kind of fun having this mission, I can see why Julie Powell did it.

With that I bid you adieu- stay tuned. This week, look for Hominy Croquettes and Swiss Steak, although likely not to be in the same meal.