Cooking through 195 Country, and 9 Territories.

Yesterday evening, after more complaining about what to make for dinner and being tired of cooking and eating the same food. I said that I would cook at least one meal each week that represented a different country in the world and that I would not stop until I made a meal from every country. My family pretty much doubted I could do this---so I said GAME ON!!!

I did some internet searching and saw two people were currently doing this: one a professional chef (http://myhungrytum.com/), and more interestingly, a mother who lives in Massachusetts! She has a knack for writing, (and clearly for cooking) and her blog has been a great read. Thank you to these blogs for the inspiration to actually do this.


Sarah, from What's Cooking In Your World (http://www.whatscookinginyourworld.com/)-- is a self-taught cook, like me, which I find very appealing since anyone who knows my family--knows that I am LITERALLY self-taught...(aka, I love you mom and dad....but not your cooking) Sarah really does an awesome over the top job with her meals and makes more of an adventure than anything else. (ie. cooking a FIREPIT in here back yard...which if I do, I'll have to do before the ground freezes)

How many countries are there REALLY?

The definition of a country is a confusing one. As a international politics major, the idea of a country is even more confusing in my head--and I can't really explain it. Especially because there are lot of territories that though they are governed by other nations --have a completely different cultural and lifestyle---an example is Greenland, etc. For personal interest, I am including the 5 US territories, simply because I am personally interested in them. I am also going to include Greenland, because I am currently obsessed with it. Also when I do the UK--I plan on making the meal have dishes from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

According to Wikipedia, there are 193 UN recognized countries. I am going to the 10 soverign states which include Kosovo, Taiwan, Palestine, South Ossettia, etc. because I feel they deserve some kind of recognition. I also add things, like H'mong and Kurdish cuisine. I included places like French Polynesia (Bora,Bora & Tahiti), Aland Islands, etc. I added the 5 US teroritories--American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and Guam. There's a bunch more in there, and I'll post the list later--I'd love feedback, If you think I am forgetting some place near and dear to your very heart.