One of the things that I am incredibly grateful to my parents for is that they choose to make dinnertime a priority for our family. Until high school soccer decided to completely rearrange our lives for months on end, nearly all evenings included eating and talking together at the table. (Soccer still included eating and conversation, but the "table" would often be the metal bleacher bench at our feet and the conversation would most consist of commentary on the legality of the official's licensure or gentle suggestions to the ball-carrier to consider one's teammates before loss of possession).
I realize that not everyone is blessed with the time, knowledge, or resources to cook meals, but it's something that I (usually) thrive on. The creativity and artistry that goes into planning and crafting a meal or dish sends me into my happy place... until interrupted by my favorite Redskins' towel is engulfed in flames on the counter-- but that's a different story (I
swear the stove was off. That burner just has it in for me).
At any rate, last Tuesday, I discussed my retirement of recipe-following (for the most part). Once you understand how flavors complement each other and the basics of preparation, close the cookbook, open the cabinet, pull out a few things, and start creating! Here are a few things that have wound up on our dinner table over the past week as a result:
Garlic Knots sans recipe. I threw a basic bread dough together, rolled it into hot dog shapes, lightly coated in olive oil, and then brushed with Parmesan, some herbs, and garlic. Next time, I'll probably use butter instead of olive oil, but I wouldn't be as quick to consider changes if I had been glued to someone else's recipe.
Thank heavens for grocery outlets. This was Pork Tenderloin that I roasted in a bunch of stuff (I think rosemary, olive oil, white wine, and some other things were involved), and surrounded with carrots, apple slices, and potatoes. I have been discovering the magic of creating gravies by deglazing with wine. Best thing ever.
Exhibit 3: Pesto-baked chicken. In the future, instead of coating the chicken with the pesto, I think I shall stuff it inside. (The whole idea of shooting up a chicken just rubs me the wrong way. I\d prefer to stuff it).
Impromptu lava cakes were a must one night. My mental conversation sounded something like this: "Hmm, I've never tried lava cakes without a recipe. I'll take a gander at a few, just in case." Five minutes later, "Eh, they all use melted chocolate. I never seem to have meltable chocolate. We finish it too fast. Screw it- I'll figure something out." And hence, here it was. It didn't rise as much as when I have made them before, but the blueberry-strawberry sauce I made with it was a fantastic addition.
In conclusion, I challenge you to look away from the cookbook, grab some stuff and stare at it for a few minutes, and then make something fabulous! (And if it's totally not fabulous, figure out how to improve it for next time!)
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