"Next!"

Each batch of choucroute alsacienne has yielded three heaping platefuls of food. I've gone through two such batches and, as much as I love the choucroute, I think six plates in a row is enough, and it's time to move on to the next thing. Since I seem to be recapitulating my favorites, I suppose I'll shift my focus to chili—good ol' Texas-style chili, i.e., no damn beans, and no damn tomatoes: just beef and spice and some scattered aromatics (onion, garlic). Pair that up with some massive hot dogs and some cheese, and it's chili-dog time, baby!* After that... I'm not sure. My next favorites could be any or all of the following:

• spaghetti bolognese
• Kevin-style bleu/Gorgonzola fettuccine with garlic bread + caprese
• pulled-pork quesadillas and sandwiches
• honey-mustard (or sweet soy) salmon sandwiches with wasabi mayo
• New England clam chowder
• bacon cheeseburgers
• nachos grandes
• tacos
• burritos
• shrimp-and-chicken curry on rice
• cashew chicken (and/or shrimp) on rice
• golbaengi dwaenjang-jjigae (see here)
• budae-jjigae (see here, among other places)
• chicken and/or lamb shawarmas
• modeum (everything) salad
• hummus and pita (or naan)
• egg-and-sausage frittata
• lobster macaroni and cheese
• beef Stroganoff with mushrooms
(NB: the above isn't an exhaustive list of things I know how to cook!)

Now that I've broken out Charles's oven, I'm impatient to do some baking. While I doubt I'll be baking much bread, I'll be attempting savory items like the above-mentioned frittata (see here) and baked chicken breast for the chicken shawarma (see here). Along with that, I'd like to make lasagna, different kinds of cake (I'll need to buy cake pans), macaroni and cheese (see above), and anything else I can think to bake. If I can get hold of some puff pastry, I might even try my hand at some Beef Wellington.

It's going to be a good six months.

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*John Mac takes his chili with corn bread, which also sounds really good.


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