Around the world in 80 meals. The beginning.

We were hungry. Not in the mood for the usual (and there is certainly a lot of "usual" around here), we did a half-hearted google search in hopes for a brighter dinner. French? Too expensive. Spanish? No. We eat that enough already. Chinese? In my dreams.Vietnamese. Sounded interesting. Until we realized that we had no idea what Vietnamese people actually eat. Rice? What a stereotype.

After sitting down for our first Vietnamese meal; we began bumping around the idea of trying to cook meals from a bunch of countries we haven’t had the chance to experience. Brain storming over rice noodles and soup, we listed off cuisines we should try and how we should blog about it. Doubtful that our idea would ever really get passed the planning stage, we cracked open our fortune cookies, only to read the following words of wisdom:

It was a sign from the mass-producing fortune cookie gods that we must indeed go through with our plan.

Kim is leaving in January on the trip of a lifetime through Africa, India, the Middle East, Thailand, and China. Seventeen months! I’m going to miss her dearly. (You can read about her preparation of her travels on her personal blog here. I’m not allowed to read it (yet). But that shouldn’t stop you!)

Anyway, we’re counting down the days and before she leaves on her own trip, we will be taking our own kind of journey together. We will cook and eat the food of the world unknown to us.

In order to consume our way around the world, we have set up a few ground rules:

1. Each week we choose one country. We’re not allowed to have any preconceived ideas or notions about the area’s culinary offerings. We are jumping’ in headfirst, with no warning. (Sorry Italy and France!)

2. Every week from Thursday to Sunday, our dinners and at least one breakfast, lunch, or dessert will be home-cooked, traditional recipes from our country of choice.

3. We must research the eating habits of each country and abide by those rules.

4. We must keep a written record here on this blog.

5. Ahead of time, we will post the recipes we will be using and the eating habits of the country so you can join us in the experience.

(We want others to become our fellow culinary journeymen. Please join us on our trip. When you eat, tell us about your experience!)

Tomorrow is Day one. The first of eighty meals which will hopefully widen our experiences, fill our stomachs, and not bankrupt us in the process.

Happy eating!