5 Recipes I’m Afraid to Cook

For some reason, my friends and family have this strange idea that I cook fancy stuff.

I recognize that I cook a LOT more than most people do, especially considering that I make my living while fattening myself up for winter.

If you look around on the blog, you’ll notice that most of the recipes are pretty… uh… easy. I don’t use a lot of really fancy techniques, and I LOVE sharing recipes for easy stuff like stir-fries, soups, and anything I can fit in a casserole dish. Most anything I eat (and share on the blog) is internationally-inspired, but that doesn’t mean that it’s fancy!

There are certain recipes that absolutely freak me out. It just seems like there’s a high failure rate, and I really don’t like failure. Seriously, I’m TERRIBLE at accepting defeat. But, you know what they say… you can’t fail if you never try!

Man, I have a great attitude.

Let me give you a little background on why I’ve been thinking about recipes I’m afraid to cook:

CUE FLASHBACK:

A few weeks ago I was sitting at my computer (one cat on my lap, the other on my keyboard) when I received an email about trying out an Argentinean wine.  Raise your hand if you’d turn down that offer. Yeahhhh I didn’t think so.

I love me some wine, and I know you do, too.

I’ve been daydreaming about visiting Argentina for years, but haven’t quite made it there yet. I think we can all agree that the next best thing is enjoying some Argentinean wine!

Crios Wines sent over some of their Malbec, along with some information about the brand, and the varietal.

I poured myself a glass of wine, took a sip, and promptly swooned. Round, spicy, robust, and perfectly balanced.

As someone who will repeatedly read the back of the same cereal box every morning at breakfast, I had a few opportunities to peruse the wine label on this tasty bottle.

First, a little background on the brand:

Crios in Spanish means “offspring” and was created by Susana as a tribute to her son, José, and daughter, Ana. Nowadays, Susana’s children have joined the family business and add their young-adult point of view to the wines that are dedicated to their family bond.

Crios wines are harvested from specific areas in Mendoza and Salta in Argentina, where grapes are optimal for the fruit-forward style of Crios.

Contrary to many entry level brands, Crios wines have a background, a story behind. Each wine carries an inspirational message that also represents either a milestone in Susana’s personal and professional life or the story about how the wine was made.

And here’s how the Malbec is described:

Susana Balbo, Argentina’s leading and most innovative winemaker, was inspired to change the perception of Malbec from a forgotten grape to Argentina’s iconic varietal. Against the odds, Susana bravely created a wine that elevates Malbec to world-class quality full of signature notes of black cherries, oak spice, and violets.

BE BRAVE

The Crios Malbec was created to inspire bravery, which is a message we could all stand to receive every now and then.

While I’ve been known to bravely venture to far-off lands and even eat some weird stuff on my adventures, there are 5 dishes that I’m just too chicken to make. I’ve created a challenge for myself to cook each and every one of these recipes before the end of the year!

Here they are:

5 Recipes I’m Afraid to Cook

1. Souffle

I’m going to try Julia Child’s recipe! Just look at how beautiful this thing is. You can find the recipe over on The Little Ferraro Kitchen.

2. Layer Cake

Technically I did try this once (okay, twice) and both times were a failure. I don’t bake very often, and frankly I suck at it. Luckily my girl Tessa over at Handle the Heat has lots of recipes to inspire me!

3. Macarons

Another baking item! If Gordon Ramsay rants about how complicated they are, I think they may be out of my league. I’ll try this recipe from Taste and Tell!

4. Beef Wellington

I mean… it’s beef… inside a pastry. Fifteen Spatulas has me covered on this recipe – seriously, how fancy does that look?!

5. Ravioli

The kind that doesn’t come from a can. Tieghan at Half Baked Harvest is a goddess in the kitchen and has this whole homemade-ravioli thing down pat. Can’t wait to give this one a go!

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Alright, well, what do you think? Am I insane to fear these dishes? Insane to attempt them?

I’d love to hear about your food phobias – leave me a comment and I’ll read it while sipping on my new favorite Malbec!