Where are my fellow foodies at? What kind of goals have you checked off your foodie bucket list?
The joy of this is you can check these things off year after year because there’s always something new to try! When looking at these goals, you can set yourself up for a monthly challenge or simply one-and-done. Some of these can be life-long adventures. I know I have some of these on my list!
These goals are related to food in some way, either preparing or eating. This first section includes goals related to cooking and baking. Then it moves to foodie goals that are done outside the home, like dining out at restaurants and shopping at grocery stores.
Here are 33 foodie goals to check off your bucket list!
Cook through a cookbook
Have a cookbook you’ve been meaning to use? Challenge yourself to use it by cooking as many recipes as you can in a year or set a number like one recipe a week or eight recipes a month. For inspiration, check out my posts about cooking through a cookbook:
- Cooking Through a Cookbook: Smitten Kitchen Every Day
- Cooking Through the Half-Baked Harvest Super Simple Cookbook
- Cooking Through the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
Cook through a blog
Similar to cooking through a cookbook but now you have a huge recipe database of a blog. Some popular recipe blogs are Defined Dish, Half-Baked Harvest, Sally’s Baking, and Smitten Kitchen.
Cook with a new-to-you ingredient
Have you ever cooked a whole lobster or fish? What about saffron or pandan? Maybe you have an ingredient in mind (like something you’ve been gifted or something cultural) or go explore a grocery store for inspiration.
Learn to cook a cuisine
One of my favorite cuisines is Thai and I have a few favorite recipes I go back to over and over. A goal could be to learn more Thai recipes or try a new cuisine like Indian or Italian.
Use a kitchen gadget
What device could you use more frequently? Air fryer, ice cream maker, and vegetable spiralizer are a few you might have.
Make something from scratch
Trying to make something from scratch gives you deeper knowledge about the dish. Have you ever made pasta, broth, or ice cream from scratch?
Create a cook/bake bucket list
This could go many ways! Maybe there are things you’ve always wanted to bake or maybe you want to learn more recipes with a specific ingredient. Planning out the exact list of things to make could create a year-long challenge to accomplish once a month. You could also do this for a season like I did with my challenge to cook one soup every week during winter.
Reduce food waste
Being mindful of your food waste is a great skill for any home cook. You could make a goal of using more of the ingredients or using all your groceries for the week. You could also look into composting.
Make a recipe book
Do you have favorite family recipes or recipes you ask friends to make? Gather those recipes for safekeeping with your own printed or digital recipe book. This would be a great way to preserve family recipes.
Cook a favorite dish from your travels
I’m sure you can remember a restaurant dish you enjoyed on your travels. Have you ever tried to make it at home?
Host a potluck or dinner party
Eating is better with others! Host a themed potluck or dinner party. You could try cooking something new or challenge your friends to a cook-off. Check out these ideas:
- Paella Party to Celebrate 10 Years
- How to Throw a Tinned Fish Party
- Our Holiday Cookie Party
- Matcha Potluck Party
- Austin Party Ideas for the Foodie
Eat locally
How would you eat differently if you could only eat ingredients grown and produced within 200 miles of your home? How can you incorporate local meat and produce into your diet? Maybe start with one day a month like I did for my farm-to-table challenge.
Grow your food
It doesn’t get more local than your own backyard. You could start with an herb or two and evolve into a large garden with a healthy number of vegetables.
Share your love of cooking/baking
How can you give your time and talents to others in your community? Maybe it’s helping stock a free fridge or volunteering at a local non-profit. Here’s a list of some ideas.
Perfect a signature recipe
Is there a recipe you want to get really good at? Some ideas could be coq au vin, basque cheesecake, or beef wellington. Maybe that involves making it every month to perfect your technique.
Try a long-term project
If you have extra time and interest, try keeping up with a long-term food project. Ideas could be sourdough, kombucha, beer, or pickling. You’ll gain a hobby, some knowledge, and hopefully, some good things to eat and drink!
Visit a new restaurant
The sky’s the limit with this goal. Maybe you want to try a different cuisine every month or visit a food truck. Maybe you want to explore your neighborhood (like North Austin) or dine at all the restaurants of a particular chef.
Try all the dishes
Do you have a favorite dish? What if your goal was to eat it all over the city and find your favorite place? Maybe it’s banh mi, maybe it’s cacio e pepe. For me, it’s cupcakes! You’ll have fun ranking the places.
Try all the restaurants of a cuisine
Instead of a favorite dish, maybe you have a favorite cuisine. Have you tried all the Japanese restaurants in your city? Maybe it’s a specific type of food within a category, like Sichuan, Cantonese, and Hunan in Chinese cuisine.
Support a cottage baker
Many talented bakers share their delicious bakes in pop-ups around town. Order something for a weekend treat or a party. You can find many on Instagram, or check out this list.
Take a cooking class
Get your hands dirty and gain some knowledge by taking a cooking class. With multiple options in town, you can find a class for a variety of cuisines. Use this list to find your best option.
Try a cuisine you haven’t had
Your goal can simply be trying a new cuisine. Visit a restaurant and try something new. Some less prevalent cuisines in Austin that come to mind are Ethiopian, Nepalese, Burmese, and Indonesian.
Go pick fruit
Have you ever picked peaches or strawberries? It’s a fun activity that gets you to the source. See this post about picking peaches for inspiration.
Visit your bucket list restaurant
A lot of times, this involves a big dollar-value meal and a bit of travel, like The French Laundry. But there are some bucket list restaurants in Austin, like Otoko and Pasta Bar. Usually, people choose a bucket list restaurant because they like a chef or are curious about the dining experience.
Shop a new grocery store
I love HEB, and it’s where I go every week, but for something new, visit somewhere new. Exploring a new grocery store introduces you to new products. Check these out in Austin:
- The New Grocery Store on the Block is Foxtrot Austin
- Ode to the Neighborhood Bodega + Shopping Austin’s Royal Blue Grocery
Go on a tour
I love food tours when I travel, but locally, I also like visiting distilleries like Fierce Whiskers. There are lots of options!
Take a tasting class
This is similar to a cooking class but no cooking involved, just eating! Try a wine flight at a winery or take an Antonelli’s Cheese shop class. You can find more options here.
Do a food tasting
Do you have a favorite snack or drink? This goal involves buying five different brands to do a taste test. You could make it a party like a tinned fish tasting. Or maybe you want to try different non-alcoholic hopped drinks. Maybe you want to find the best potato chip.
Join a CSA
Investing in community-supported agriculture is a win-win. You get a regular supply of locally-grown veggies and you’re funding a local business. See this post for more ideas.
Travel for food
Do you prioritize your travel based on how good the food is in the city? Take a foodie vacation! There are plenty of foodie cities in the U.S. like San Francisco, Charleston, and Mexico City.
Shop a farmers market
Your local farmers market is a lot of fun! (It’s also cool to do when you travel.) You’ll be able to grocery shop for vegetables and meat, and try goods from local food artisans.
Visit a farm
Similar to picking your fruit or taking a tour, visiting a farm puts you in touch with the land. See where local vegetables are grown or see how honey is made. Pet baby goats!
Enjoy a wine-paired dinner
Every time I attend a wine-paired dinner, I am amazed at how the wine and food mutually enhance each other. It’s impressive that sommeliers and chefs work together to create the perfect menu to do this! You can also find paired dinners with cocktails or beer, though I think it works best with wine.
What are you putting on your foodie bucket list?
Need some more inspiration? Check out these posts:
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