It's Like Dog Food

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I am not and will never be a fan of meatloaf. In an attempt to rid me of this belief, my boyfriend, who for the purposes of anonymity I shall call "Mr. A," took me to Firehaus Bar & Grill for their Meatloaf Special. The special consisted of a decent helping of Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, and freshly-steamed corn kernels. Mr. A ordered the special so I could try it while I ordered their Battalion Burger and Firehaus chips for safety; the Battalion Burger is excellent, by the way, and I highly recommend it.

While waiting for our food, Mr. A asked me why I have such an aversion to meatloaf. Meatloaf and I do not get along. It is not that any of the ingredients by themselves disagree with me. I am perfectly a fan of ketchup, bread, ground beef, eggs, salt, pepper, and other seasonings in their own right. But when these items are combined together, it has the texture of bad liver in my mouth and the same unpleasant aftertaste.

Oh, and the meatloaf I grew up with had raisins in it. According to Mr. A, this is a no-no in meatloaf.

So after this little talk, I waited with anticipation. The dishes came in good time. I abstained from tasting my burger and took a swig of water to cleanse my palate. I took a fork and cut a bite sized piece. I chewed the piece and let the flavors sit for a while before finally swallowing. But then it hit me. That taste. That undeniable aftertaste that I always experience when eating was still there. Even without raisins.

I put the fork down disappointed.

Then I began eating my burger and everything was right as rain. Mr. A scarfed down his meatloaf, loving every bite of it.

A part of me wants to like meatloaf, but there has yet to be a version that sits well with my personal tastes. If anyone has a good recipe they want me to try, let me know. I want to be proven wrong.

Menu: Saturday Dinner

We had a dinner this past Saturday with a group of friends. I am not a fan of setting a theme for these events, so the menu was as diverse as it was delicious.

MIXED DRINKS
- Sangria
- Bloody Marys

STARTERS & SIDES
- Multi-grain Bread from the local grocery store
- Mushroom and Sauerkraut salad
- Mixed Baby Greens salad (with feta, cherry tomatoes, red onion slivers, and balsamic vinaigrette)
- Roasted Potatoes and Roasted Sausage Bites

MAIN DISHES
- Beef Burgundy
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Whole Roasted Chicken with rosemary, thyme, carrots, and lemon wheels

DESSERTS
- Pecan Torte

Looking back, I should have made the Sangria with a Shiraz and not a Cabernet. I think Shiraz is better suited to the citrus flavors in my particular Sangria recipe. The Cabernet rendered the drink more mellow, more dry, and less sweet than I am used to.

The mushroom and sauerkraut salad was predominately consumed by my Eastern European guests (surprise, surprise.) The mixed green salad was a familiar dish that everyone seemed to enjoy. Among the starters and sides, the definite winner were the roasted potatoes and roasted sausage bites (the sausage was filled with cheese!); this side was very addictive and could have been served on its own.

The main dishes were hits overall. The Beef Burgundy recipe (courtesy of Betty Crocker) came out beautifully; the beef was a well marbled chuck steak and the Burgundy was of low caliber drinking-wise, but suitable for cooking. As per the vegetarian request of one of the guests, the Eggplant Parmesan passed with flying colors. Nearly all of the Eggplant was consumed, leaving only one of the delectable fillets behind for packed-lunch consumption. The chicken was good, but as compared to the other dishes, it was very safe and reminiscent of store bought rotisserie chickens.

Finally, the dinner ended with a Pecan Torte-- a surprisingly light dessert to finish off an otherwise heavy meal.

I will be posting the Pecan Torte recipe in a bit. I am open to recipe requests for the other items listed above.

An Excuse to Be Tipsy -- Without Being Tipsy

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From the manufacturers of Jarritos comes Sangria Senorial!!!!

It's Sangria flavored soda sans alcohol. Oh, and it's made from wine grapes, lemon peel, and REAL HONEST TO GOODNESS SUGAR (none of this high-fructose corn syrup crap.) It's the good stuff as only the makers of Jarritos can deliver.

Stuff of Student Living: Microwave Cooking

There is only one place on earth where microwaves are considered the arsenal of culinary genius: a college campus. From Ramen Noodles to... Souffles? microwave ovens remain indispensable to the lives of college students across the nation. But many people often look over this modern box when it comes to high standards of cooking.

Enter my good friend Mr. E.C. (initials to protect identity.) Mr. E.C. uses the microwave like Hubert Keller uses MAC knives. The first time I chanced upon his secret talent, he was making sushi. Yes. Sushi. Making sushi with a microwave oven.

Before anyone becomes baffled by this (sushi is, after all, a dish best served raw,) Mr. E.C. was using the microwave to cook the rice for the sushi. After realizing what he was doing, the first thought that came to my mind was, "Why didn't I think of that?" In fact, many of the dishes Mr. E.C. makes with the microwave oven are dishes that most of us could make with a little creativity as to the utensils we use. Instead of having to bring cold soggy pasta and heating it up, why not make fresh pasta using a microwave? Instead of a fast food breakfast, why not microwave up some fresh scrambled eggs and bacon? What about fresh soup? Steamed vegetables?

Granted there are other factors to consider when undertaking microwave cooking: clean up, timing, etc. But once these are taken care of, what is stopping us from having freshly cooked food? Of course, many of us will not take it as far as Mr. E.C. (he recently managed to create a perfectly pouffe souffle) but at least the option is there.

Microwave ovens: who would have thought?

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Food for thought: Make it competitive.

A few of the dearest people I know, and I, had a cooking throwdown in the spirit of Iron Chef. The secret ingredient was corn, there were 2 teams, and each team had 2 hours to prepare an appetizer, entree, and dessert using the secret ingredient.

To legitimize this contest, we randomly selected 2 members of our rowdy bunch to act as judges. Both judges had to scrutinize each appetizer, entree, and dessert based on four criteria: Originality, Taste, Texture, and Presentation. Each criteria had a five point scale (1 being the lowest, 5 being the highest.) The team with the most points was proclaimed winner.

When the dishes were ready to be presented, there was a noticeable difference between the two teams. Team 1 chose a heavier fare (applesauce-cornbread, mini corndogs with sauces, meatballs bespeckled with corn kernels and served with mashed potatoes, Popcorn-crispies made with marshmallows and chocolate, and cornflour blinis with cream,) while Team 2 went lighter (cornbread flecked with bacon, croissants filled with creamed corn and bacon, chicken fajitas with corn salsa and crema fresca, and creamed corn vanilla ice cream.)

In addition, Team 1 prepared a "Corn Drink" (the recipe of which remains a well guarded secret) and Team 2 prepared Sangria (sorry, no corn, just Sangria.)

Finally, as if to top off the hilarity of our dishes, the table was decorated with grilled bacon-wrapped-corn centerpieces.

When judging finally began, it was obvious--from my perspective-- who the winner was. Unfortunately for Team 1, as it was summer in the blistering heat of the desert, our two lady judges favored the overall "light and refreshing" presentation and flavors of Team 2.

After prizes and bragging rights were handed out, the real fun began: eating the food. Competition can really work up an appetite.

Best Recipe: Caprese

Italy is one of my all time favorite countries. I have had the good fortune of traveling throughout this glorious region and sampling its wonderful food. The one thing that makes a great Italian dish (or any dish for that matter) is FRESHNESS of ingredients.

Italian Caprese salad, for all its simplicity, is absolutely delicious and endlessly satisfying.

Buon Appetito!

INGREDIENTS: (serves 2)

• 8 thick round slices of fresh Mozzarella cheese
• 8 medium round slices of ripe Roma tomatoes
• 3-4 large fresh basil leaves
• 3-4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3-4 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Arange tomatoes and mozzarella on a plate. Tear basil leaves by hand and sprinkle them over the tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle everything with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

My Bible: The New Best Recipe

If it weren't for my other so-called responsibilities, I'd take on this book Julie & Julia style.

Maybe I will.