Ideas for new cooking challenges
The last (and first time) I created a challenge I just wrote something up what I thought to be a good first start. Soon after I posted the challenge, @manassehkatz posted valid comments about unclear conditions regarding the challenge.
So before posting a new one, I thought it may be worthwhile to collect some ideas here on our meta site and see what's received as a good idea and what not. Additionally, we can discuss specifics of a challenge right here - that way, rules follow a consensus so we can concentrate on cooking and baking :)
Please upvote challenge ideas based on what you would like to see and where you are likely to participate. In the original post are some inspirations how a challenge could look like.
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Bake a cake without using sugar (and chemical substitutes)
Consuming too much sugar is something that's not really healthy (even though it's most often tasty., especially in cakes..). So let's bake any cake without using sugar!
As substitutes, natural ones are preferred. Chemical ones should / could be excluded, often it's very hard to get them in the right amount or even at all. (Where I live, supermarkets rarely stock chemical sugar substitutes and if only in large quantities.)
Seasonal produce
Inspired by farm-share deliveries and local produce, share dishes that use substantial amounts of whatever is in season at the time of the challenge. This is a challenge idea that could be used more than once, spread throughout the year. What's in season will vary by people's locations, so the challenge(s) shouldn't specify a list. It would be nice if answers included some indication of where the answerer lives (can be vague, like a region).
Sample seasonal variations (bearing in mind that there's a six-month offset between northern and southern hemispheres):
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spring: aside from salad, what do you do with all these greens?
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early/mid-summer: stone fruits
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summer: squash overflow, or alternatives to sneaking onto your neighbors' porches and depositing extra zucchini (could also include eggplant, peppers, and other summer veggies)
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fall: apples (and pears too if you like)
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fall/winter: winter squashes and root vegetables
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any season other than winter: preserving the bounty (pickles, jams, chutneys, jerky...)
Contest category suggestion: cook something from or inspired by a specified culture.
Potential issues:
- not everyone will have the ingredients on hand
- may be difficult to define the boundaries of a particular culture's cuisine.
E.g. Challenge: Greece. Post a dish hailing from or inspired by Greek cuisine.
Responses might include tzatziki, moussaka, or a twist on spanakopita.
Most people are likely somewhat familiar with Greek cuisine, but this could be a way to challenge ourselves to learn more about the food of countries we are aren't terribly knowledgeable about! The challenge poster should likely provide links to several resources for recipes as well.
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