The Challenge

So I've been talking about blogging about food for just about forever. I love to eat, and I really enjoy cooking, but I've been held back by the fact that I feel like I'm not a writer. But the BF finally got tired of hearing me talk about blogging, and he issued a challenge over brunch.

We were at Chavella's in Brooklyn (Classon Ave and Park Place), and I made the comment that I would be willing to stop cooking and just eat there all the time. Chavella's is that good, it is better than the stuff my grandmother used to make (shh don't tell her). He challenged me not to stop cooking, but to cook the stuff that they sell, the food I grew up on: over the next 4 months, 30 Mexican meals, starting today, February 3rd.*

An aunt of mine at some point published a Mexican cooking book, but sadly, I lost my copy during one of the four moves that I made in the three months after graduating from college. So, I will be making stuff up, calling my mother, and pulling stuff from untraditional sources until March (aka the internet), when I'm going back to the family ranch for a reunion. I will get another copy of the book then.

So, here I go. Here is my wish list of things I want to make for this challenge. Some of these may happen, some of them probably won't, but at least it will give me some focus.

Refried beans, from scratch, without a pressure cooker
Chiles rellenos, 2 ways (stuffed with meat, and stuffed with cheese)
Tortillas from scratch, maybe flour, maybe corn, maybe both
Huevos Rancheros
Green Enchiladas
Tres Leches Cake
White Pozole
At least 3 different kinds of tacos

*In terms of rules, we didn't decide if the recipes had to be start to finish meals, or if I could do a dish that was not a full meal. In the interest of challenging myself, I will attempt to do as much many full meals as possible.