The Challenge

Apparently my life was too boring.

About a month ago, I was idly reading the ingredients in the yogurt I was eating as part of my lunch. There was milk, there were active cultures, there was...cornstarch? While I don't know a lot about the yogurt-making process, I know enough to realize that it doesn't have to contain cornstarch to look, smell, and - most importantly - taste like yogurt.

I told you. Boring.

This got me started thinking: I don't assert very much control over what goes into what I eat. I certainly spend a lot of time thinking about food - reading restaurant reviews, deciding where I want to go for lunch, making plans for dinner. However, I rely a lot on food that has gone through a significant preparation process before it gets to me. I use a lot of bottled sauces, for example, from Trader Joe's; I steam frozen potstickers; I make quick breakfasts with that nonfat egg stuff that comes in a carton. There's a lot of good that can be said about all of these products - they're convenient, quick, and tasty. But because they are so accessible, I've stopped thinking critically about what I cook and eat.

And that's how the Made It Myself May food challenge was born. For the month of May, everything I cook for myself - with very few exceptions - will be made completely from scratch. Yes, this means bread; yes, it means pasta. It also means tofu, mayonnaise, sauces, chicken broth - whatever it is, I'm making it myself. I really hope that this will help me become a better cook, and I hope it gives me a chance to think about what's in my food and how it got there. I'll try to post daily about my progress, and include recipes and pictures wherever possible. I'll also try not to eat omelettes every day for a month - but no promises on that one.