Next week - The Gauntlet of Gastronomic Guesswork 2009

In my annual tradition, next week will be devoted to gastronomic curiosities - A whole week devoted to research, cooking, experimenting - all things I've never cooked before (as always, but with the signal to noise ratio dialed a little lower). I'll break out all the tools, herbs / spices / chemicals, and new ideas for flavor pairings. Last year yielded an award, a tequilla soup, and an experiment gone far awry. There will be no net beneath the culinary rope I shall walk, so on that note please post your comments on "outside the box" ideas for dishes... a flavor, a texture, a classic re-imagined ... if it's really crazy I'm almost sure to take the challenge, and I guarantee you'll see a savory marshmallow and some air make an appearance. I really look forward to this week, it's a replenishing retreat for my gustatory Id