Experimental Food

Now, this phrase can have different meanings to different people.

The scrimper: This person would take "experimental food" to mean combining all the leftovers in the fridge and creating some casserole or goulash or what have you.

Of this experimental food, I'm not a fan. I've never been one for leftovers and I generally only make what will be eaten in one sitting. When I was home in May I found a bowl of half eaten oatmeal in the fridge. OAT-MEAL! First of all, oatmeal is pretty cheap. Second of all, I can't in my right mind imagine it reheating well. This also goes for meat. The only meat I can stand heated in the microwave is that which is in lasagna. I can handle shredded pork or beef reheated on the stove top with a little water to keep it from burning. But chicken....forget it! And then to combine things that have no place going together in the first place...unimaginable to me.

Yes, some of you are exclaiming in horror at my lack of adventure with leftovers, I know. Waste not want not. I understand all that. That's why I really do try to make only what we eat the first time around. One of my cousins hates cooking so much she'll make one or two giant meals in the week and then eat the left overs the rest of the time. I just can't do this.

The dasher: This person thinks experimental food comes from adding whatever comes to mind to a "normal" meal. Maybe tuna would work well in macaroni and cheese (I've had this before; not by choice I can assure you.) Maybe chicken nuggets would be tasty in fried rice. How about carrots in jello? I think this type of person invented the Monte Cristo Sandwich. (Though come to think of it, this could be put in the scripmer section as well...)

Sometimes these meals can catch you off guard, for good or for bad. Who'd have thought to eat applesauce on latkes? Not me, but it's pretty good.

The substitute: Lets face it. Some people have incredible intuition about what can be substituted for what in a recipe. You don't have oil? Apple sauce will work in the cake. No plain yogurt? Use a little sour cream diluted with milk. Works like a charm. Then there are those who really have no clue what you can and can't sub. You don't have eggs? Well, at New Haven one of the girls tried to substitute oil for eggs and I can assure you that it doesn't work. Not that I would have tried that one. Another New Haven classic is trying to make whipped cream out of half and half. Nope ladies. (These examples took place on the weekends when I was not there to consult.) One thing you can substitute for whipped cream if you're wanting a low-cal version is fat free evaporated milk. You HAVE to chill the bowl and the milk and it won't ever get as thick as the cream, but it will do if you truly can't afford the calories.

And by the way, Who knew that you could make a pretty tasty apple pie minus the apples?? (It's true, I've tasted it and it's good.)

The bored: This is actually where this post originated. Matt and I have been quite bored of food. We're tired of eating the same old things. The problem is, I sometimes feel like I've made everything possible to make. But I know that's a lie and a cop out. There is good food out there that I have not yet attempted to make. In all honesty a good portion of our arguments and melt downs occur over food. I hate making food I know he doesn't want (but will still eat). But he can't not want it if he hasn't yet tried it.

That's why I've decided to have 1 experimental meal a week. I'll find a new recipe I've never tried, and then I'll make it. We've had some keepers, some that needed a little modifying, and some that are not making it into any regular meal rotation with or without modifiers (if I were to ever have a regular meal rotation).

The keepers:
Alice Springs Chicken

I got this recipe a long, long time ago at New Haven from the Lead Supervisor. I never tried it because the marinade was a honey mustard marinade and I'm not a huge fan of mustard. But I finally forged forward and tried it; it was fantastic. Matt said it was the best chicken he'd ever eaten (and if you know him, you know how high of a compliment that really is).

Naan Bread.

I made this to go with a new Indian dish I was making. It is quite good fresh, but really doesn't save well. We didn't have any problem finishing it off. Matt LOVED it and said he preferred it to Bombay House's Naan.

Hummus.

Mmmmmm.....hummus. *drooling like Homer over a donut*

Mango Lasse.

Wow. This was easy.

The Modifiers:
Homemade cheese ravioli.

The main thing that needed to change was the size. I made jumbo ravioli (where you only needed 3 to be extremely full). We both decided it should have been about half the size.

Punjabi chole masala.

I've been dying to find new Indian recipes. I love my curry, but I wanted to branch out. When I saw the row of Indian spices at Tom Thumb, I felt like Columbus, but I actually discovered the Indian spices I was in search of. This particular dish called for chickpeas, potatoes, spicy ginger and garlic paste, and the Indian spice mix I got. This was way too thick, a little gritty, and very over powering. However, it has great potential. I think next time I'll add tomato sauce or coconut milk to thin it out. I could tell the spicy ginger garlic paste was a definite keeper so I will have to find recipes that include it.

The recipes that did not make the cut:
To tell you the truth, I can't think of any off the top of my head. I know there have been some. Maybe I'm repressing the memories that paint me in a less than perfect light. It's possible.

If you want any of the other recipes I didn't take the time to make a paint image version of, just ask and I'll email them to you. Much easier...

Also, I am in search of an Indian dish (other than curry) that is tantalizingly delicious. If you have one, please, let's talk.