re: What is something you would cook to test your skills?

My favorite thing i cook, and most time consuming is my smoked duck and andouille gumbo. Mainly because smoking the duck takes a good 4-6 hours of prep the day before.

Day #1 - I take 2 whole ducks, stuff them with onions, bellpepper, garlic, and carrots and smoke them for about 2-3 hours. Be sure to catch the fat that drips off from underneath.
Next take duck, and remove all of the vegetable stuffings. In a big pot, fill 1/4 to 1/3 with water, add back in the smoker stuffing (onion, garlic, carrots) and usually add the peelings/skins from the onions and peppers and celary i'm using for the trinity the next day. I also take an additional onion and cut it up and throw it in there, if the onions in the duck don't suffice.
Boil all of that and reduce and let cook for about 2.5 hours. Remove the duck. Strain out the liquid and save and place in a container in the fridge.
Debone the duck and set aside in fridge
Day 2 - Brown your andouille. Remove add a little water, scrape bottom of pot, and set aside with sausage. Take out your duck stock, and scrape off that 1/4" thick layer of duck fat. This is your roux base along with the fat you caught in the smoker(add some oil or bacon fat if you are running low). Get your fat/oil just before smoke point, then add your flour. Continue to stir until dark, dark brown. Add trinity and cook until veggies are soft. Add the duck meat, andouille, sausage juice, duck stock and stir. Add about 4 bay leaves, some salt, pepper, and a little cajun seasoning (low sodium, i prefer big easy or slay ya mama). Bring to a boil, cover simmer for about 1.5 - 2 hours. Serve over a bed of rice.