I do most of the meal preparation in our house. However, my husband takes over the dinner planning every now and then. That’s a terrific help. The problem is that he never follows a recipe, and he creates unusual formulas for the dishes he prepares. For example, the other night he announced that he was making dinner.
“I’m making jambalaya tonight,” he yelled from the living room.
“What are you putting in it?” I inquired.
“You know, the usual; sausage, chicken, peppers, rice, and broccoli rabe,” he responded.
Okay, so now it’s not jambalaya, it’s something else entirely. There’s no broccoli rabe in jambalaya. I don’t know who decides what goes into a dish to make it authentic and original, but I think they came to that conclusion through trial and error. And, it seems to work well.
Broccoli rabe doesn’t belong in jambalaya.
Just like one day, Nick announced he was going to make eggplant Parmigiano. “Except instead of eggplant, I’m using zucchini, and instead of mozzarella, I’m using feta cheese.”
“So, you’re not really making eggplant Parmigiano,” I deduced.
“Well, yeah, I am. I’m just substituting some things,“ he said with indignation.
“You’re substituting everything. There’s nothing eggplant about it, and there’s nothing Parmigiano about it,” I informed him with a tone that implied that he didn’t know what the heck he was talking about and that I was sick and tired of this scenario, but with love.
At what point does one inject one’s own creativity to a dish and yet still maintain the integrity of the original recipe?
I think it’s somewhat like jazz. Even though there is improvisation and interpretation, the underlining melody still runs through the song. The tune remains within the parameters of the interpretation.
On that note, and it’s a high one, here is an interesting interpretation of caviar:
Cowboy Caviar ala Brokeback Mountain
One can (15.5 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
One can (2.25 oz.) sliced black olives, drained and chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
One package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
Chopped cilantro for garnish, optional
Assorted crackers for serving
Mash black beans slightly and place in a medium-size bowl. Add black olives, onion, jalapeño, olive oil, lime juice, garlic and spices. Mix well. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours.
Spread cream cheese evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Spread the bean mixture over the top. Garnish with cilantro if using and serve with crackers.
Meatloaf, But Not Really
You can substitute cheddar for the feta cheese.
2-pound head of cabbage
2 small onions, diced
1 tablespoon oil
12 ounces ground beef (I like to use chuck)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup beef broth
2 1/2 oz. feta cheese
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Cut cabbage into quarters. Remove core and shred remaining cabbage.
Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven; add onions and sauté to a light brown. Add ground beef and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add broth, cabbage, paprika and ketchup to meat mixture and braise over medium heat for 30 minutes until meat loses its pinkness and cabbage is wilted.
Grease a baking dish or casserole dish with butter and dust with breadcrumbs. Fill with the hot beef and cabbage mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.
Beat eggs with milk and pour over the meat. Place in preheated 400° oven and bake for 45 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes. Serves 4.
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