Kitchen experimentation

I am thankful for new recipes and for being blessed to live in a place where we can experiment with so many dishes in the kitchen.

There are plenty of people in the world who don't have enough money to eat and are thankful for a bowl of rice. There are cultures where people eat similar foods most of the time.

I love that we live in America and have so many cultural influences creating so many different and unique foods, and I also love that in the United States we have so many different climate regions that allow us to sample different foods.

This past week, I have tried a lot of new creations --- homemade croissants, In 'N Out copycat burgers, roasted garlic and caramelized onion bisque, Asian duck tacos, cream puffs and apple cinnamon walnut muffins.

I'll admit that some recipes have turned out better than others, but it is fun being able to try new things. I also have empanadas and papa rellanas on the meal list.

Tonight, I am attempting Parisian gnocchi.

It is actually made from the choux pastry, or pate choux, dough that makes eclairs and cream puffs. I have a traditional potato gnocchi recipe too, but it takes a long time, and I saw a woman make these little dumplings on the Food Network so I'm giving them a shot with some roasted brussel sprouts.

I'll let you know how they turn out!