A few months ago I realized I was stuck in a cooking rut.

Not because I don’t enjoy cooking. I actually love it. But after the hundredth rotation of tacos, pasta, and baked chicken, I found myself making dinner because I had to, not because I wanted to.

I wanted something that would make cooking exciting again. Something that would teach me about places I’d never been, challenge me to try ingredients I’d normally walk right past in the grocery store, and maybe help me understand a little more about the people who call those places home.

I’ve also always wanted to travel the world, but life hasn’t taken me there yet. I’m hoping this project scratches that itch, even if it’s just a little.

So I came up with a slightly ridiculous idea.

I’m going to cook my way through every country in the world, one country at a time, in alphabetical order.

Each country gets a full meal: a main dish, a bread or dessert, and a traditional drink. No skipping countries because I don’t like the menu. No rearranging the alphabet because something sounds easier. If it’s next on the list, that’s what’s for dinner.

I’ve also given myself a few rules.

If the recipe calls for an ingredient I don’t normally eat, I’m using it (think mushrooms, eww). If the traditional method takes more work, I’m doing it. That means things like peeling and deveining shrimp by hand, making bread from scratch, or folding dumplings one by one instead of looking for shortcuts.

I’m not going as far as grinding my own spices or churning butter, but I do want to stay as true to the original recipes as I reasonably can.

Whenever possible, I’ll buy locally raised meat and shop for ingredients myself. Wandering grocery stores looking for unfamiliar ingredients feels like part of the adventure, and honestly, it’s half the fun.

I’m not a chef, and I’m definitely not an expert on every culture I’ll be cooking from. My goal isn’t to teach anyone about a country. It’s to learn along the way, share what I discover, and hopefully encourage someone else to try something new too.

Our first stop is Afghanistan.

On the menu is Kabuli Palaw, Jalebi, and Sheer Chai. I’ve never made any of them before, which feels like the perfect way to start.

I’m sure there will be successes. I’m equally sure there will be disasters.

Either way, thanks for coming along for the ride.