Project Food Blog Challenge #2: Dal Makhani

I would first like to start off by saying, thank you so very much for all of your votes and support in this challenge! I was so thrilled when I found out that I advanced to the next level in Project Food Blog!

In the second Project Food Blog challenge, "The Classics", we were to tackle a classic dish from another culture other than Italian and French cuisines. We had to pick an ethnic classic that is outside of our comfort zone or are not familiar with.

This challenge was difficult in the beginning. How do you even begin to pick a dish that you are unfamiliar with? I have no family or friends from another country that cook, so I knew that I would have no interesting story to go along with whatever dish I decided to make.

Years and years and years ago, I went with a friend to an Indian restaurant in Philadelphia, PA out of curiosity. I ordered the chicken curry and thought it was amazing. That was my first and only experience with Indian food. There is no exciting reason why I picked an Indian dish other than the fact that I know nothing about the cuisine and I am very curious about it. In my research on Indian cuisine, I learned that a "treasured staple food" in India is dal makhani. "Dal" means split grain; pulses. Beans and lentils are highly nutritious and filled with protein and fiber. "Makhani" comes from “makhan”, which means butter. Makhani is a sauce made with butter, tomato and cream. This sauce originates in the northern regions of India, Punjab.

Dal makhani is a hearty, rich, creamy, stew-like dish that you would never in a million years guess was vegetarian! My husband and I thought it was delicious and I know that I will be making this again. Preparation is key in this dish.

Project Food Blog Challenge #1

Mouths to Feed and Readers to Read

For the first challenge of Project Food Blog, I am to blog about what defines me as a food blogger and why I should be the next food blog star. 400 out of 2,000 contestants will advance to the next level based on this first blog post alone. The winner of Project Food Blog is featured on Foodbuzz.com for one year and wins $10,000.00!

First, a little history. I married my best friend on Valentine's Day in 2004.

The very next day after returning from our honeymoon, I was faced with a question that never had even crossed my mind: "What's for dinner?" Gulp! I had never cooked a meal in my life! I didn't even know how to heat up a can of vegetables! Is it possible to have toast and cereal for dinner every night? Little did I know, that question would be asked every day of my life... for the rest of my life. Back then, that was pretty scary. Time went on and I had a disaster here and a success there. The more time that passed, the less disasters I seemed to encounter. After countless hours spent researching recipes online, reading cookbooks and magazines and trial and error, I know my way very well around my humble little kitchen.

Why did I join this competition? That's an easy one. Simply and honestly put, I love to cook and I love to blog about it. I think about it all day, I dream about it all night and I wish I had more time to do it! Plus, there's $10,000.00 at stake. Who wouldn't want to do something they love and get paid for it!?

Now, to the challenge. What defines me as a food blogger? When it comes to cooking and blogging, there are a lot of things that I am not. I am not professionally trained, I am not the best photographer, my content is not the funniest or the smartest and I am not nearly as experienced as the other food bloggers in this challenge (I've seen your amazing blogs, people! You inspire me!). I do, however, have a strong passion for cooking, my food is good and I am fearless when it comes to trying new things. I entered Project Food Blog as a personal goal to really put myself out there and challenge myself.

Why should I be the next food blog star? I should be the next food blog star for the same reason anyone else in this competition should be. We all love to cook and share our experiences with everyone else, especially with those we love. Without the mouths to feed and the readers to read, the food "blogiverse" would be silent.

You can help! In the near future, I will have an icon on my blog for you to vote for me. There are judges for the competition as iterated below but there will be one readers' choice winner per round (except the final round). The readers' choice (blogger with the most votes from the public) will automatically advance to the next round.

The competition is judged by Dana Cowin, Editor-in-Chief of FOOD & WINE Magazine; Nancy Silverton, Founder La Brea Bakery, Co-owner Mozza; and Pim Techamuanvivit, Author of ChezPim.com and The Foodie Handbook.

The Next Food Blog Star Challenge

I am going to be completely honest with you -- my fingers are shaking as I type this. Why? Foodbuzz is hosting a competition called "Project Food Blog", a 12-week competition between thousands of featured publisher food bloggers to win the title the next food blog star. The next food blog star will win $10,000 and a special feature on Foodbuzz.com for one year!

Check out my contestant profile here.

This competition is a huge undertaking for me. I am pretty much considered a newbie in the foodie world because I have no professional experience and I have been cooking for less than 5 years. I do, however, have a strong passion for cooking and I believe that puts me on the same playing level as anyone else in the competition.

For the first challenge, we are given the chance to tell the world what defines us as food bloggers and why we should be the next food blog star. No one wins or loses this first challenge; it just sets the stage for the remaining challenges.

You can help! In the near future, I will have an icon on my blog for you to vote for me. There are judges for the competition as iterated below but there will be one readers' choice winner per round (except the final round). The readers' choice (blogger with the most votes from the public) will automatically advance to the next round.

The competition is judged by Dana Cowin, Editor-in-Chief of FOOD & WINE Magazine; Nancy Silverton, Founder La Brea Bakery, Co-owner Mozza; and Pim Techamuanvivit, Author of ChezPim.com and The Foodie Handbook.