Imitation is the sincerest form of Flattery

I am a copy cat, but I don't care. I have loved to cook since snowed in one winter in high school. The foreign exchange student living with us and I cooked breads and desserts until there weren't any ingredients in the house. I didn't cook much until I got married - too expensive and I'm not a fan of leftovers - but now I can say it is my true hobby.

I read the Julie/Julia Project last summer as well as Julie's blog. She has a clever way of writing and more determination than I think I have. I've owned Mastering for quite a while, but am not drawn to the food. I recently bought the Bon Appétit cookbook and found that all the foods sound so appealing.

My goal is to become a true hostess vs. true chef or whatever. Having friends/family to your home and having them feel comfortable as well as giving them a wonderful experience is a different goal than just knowing how to cook. I cook but am a bit slow with all the prep and struggle to juggle menus so over three or four courses everything comes out at the right time and temp. But this isn't to say I'm a poor cook. I've done well so far, but am ready to shoot for the moon. By cooking through the Bon Appétit cookbook, I hope to expand my cooking knowledge so my hobby and my parties never get dull and are always exciting.

The Details: Bon Appétit has over 1200 recipes (Wow, I'm already overwhelmed):
Breakfast and Brunch: 55
Appetizers/First Courses: 62
Soups, Stews, & Chilies: 67
Salads:52
Sandwiches & Burgers:36
Pastas & Pizzas: 60
Rice, Grains, and Beans: 33
Meatless Mains:25
Meats: 95
Chicken, Turkey, & other Poultry: 71
Fish and Shellfish: 63
Potatoes: 30
Vegetables: 76
Breads, Jams, and Condiments: 49
Cakes: 68
Pies and Tarts: 56
Custards and Puddings: 37
Fruit Desserts: 31
Frozen Desserts: 47
Cookies, Brownies, Candy: 66
Drinks (Woo-Hoo!!): 48

OK, just to make it clear. I'm not trying to do this in a year, but hopefully within a reasonable amount of time.
Someone is coming to look at our town home today (for sale by owner). We just put our place on the market, but we don't expect to sell so soon in this slow market. We'll see.