Some things stay the distance. For me, culinary speaking, that's pancakes, pesto and poached eggs. Though maybe that's just my favorites that begin with 'p'.
Pancakes were the most challenging recipe that I was able to do when I left home. They've moved from the crepes that I used to try to tempt girls back to my room with.... (twenty years ago!) to the the more IHOP-like examples that I feed to my boys now.
Pesto was a revelation introduced to me when I moved to England. Then I looked on the side of a jar and thought, 'How difficult could it be..' Not very difficult at all as it turns out and so this has been a keeper... again as the ability to cook something from scratch seems to work wonders when a lady is in need of impressing.
For quite a while I travelled throughout the UK with my work. Staying in hotels is tedious and eating in hotels often dubious. So I only ever ate the breakfasts... and although the Full English cooked breakfast can be truly magnificent... you couldn't do it every day - well I couldn't! I started ordering poached eggs as a way of making the more scuzzy places make me something bordering on fresh. Once you realize how easy it is to make a good poached egg and how badly an exhausted hotel chef can ruin one, it's not long before you make your own. This has become my wife's favorite and so if I know what's good for me... I pretty much do as she says!
So here's the rub. We're applying for Green Cards which seems innocent enough... But my dear wife wants me to get a job! I know! Once you apply for the Green Card you get a temporary work permit a few months after.... so I don't have much time!
Here's been my plan so far. Up my game in the kitchen to the point that she relents and suggests that the best place for me is at home. I've tried pasta peperonata, mushroom risotto, a minty pea pappardelle, salmon wrapped in parma ham and served with herby lentils, etc. It's still not worked! I need some more interesting 'keepers' - and by keepers I mean some recipes or meals that are so fantastic that they'll keep me out of that old wage-slave routine.
They must be reasonably healthy too, as if Lynn gains any weight from this plan I might find myself dropped off outside the Home Depot...
Sublime. I think that's what you need. Sublime recipes. Try JoePastry.com. Never too frou-frou, and always good.
ReplyDeleteWow, you're way outta my culinary league! But I need an excuse to comment because I want to say, "LMAO... dropped off outside the Home Depot!" But as this is a blog and not Twitter, more dignified commentary is in order. Especially on a post about food, I mean uh, cuisine. So:
ReplyDeleteI once had pumpkin ravioli, and it blew me away. Nothing fancy; it was just an unexpectedly cool combination. Had it at a restaurant in Hoboken, NJ maybe ten years ago - have not seen it anywhere since. I'm not sure where it rates on the healthy scale. It doesn't seem to cause weight gain if you only eat it once in ten years, but I'm not sure beyond that.
Ok, now.. "LMAO... dropped off outside the Home Depot!" Thanks for the chuckle...
Mark,
ReplyDeleteI think I'm not in your league as a cook; however, I have found one sure-fire way to give flavor to boneless/skinless chicken breasts (which you can do with what you will): marinate them over night in extra virgin olive oil, fresh chopped cilantro, fresh chopped basil, a chopped green onion (the whole thing), fresh minced garlic, and from the dried herbs: rosemary, thyme,and dill weed (oh, and a little salt and pepper). I've baked them (with a can of stewed tomatoes and chopped bell peppers - the more colors the better!) and have also put them in the crock pot. Either way the are JUICY and YUMMY, and even a stint in the microwave the next day at work - if the wife takes leftovers to the office - can't dry them out! I've also baked fish with these ingredients, too. YUM.
Good luck in your endeavors!