Sunday, January 25, 2009

18. Make nice dinner 1 time each month


I made dinner tonight and thought it was quite good. I had been on a streak of using the crock pot for awhile and decided to change it up. Tonight I went out and fired up the grill. Yep, weather.com has the "feels like" temperature at -4. I will start by saying that I have a gas grill so it isn't as difficult to get it started, but I was still freezing. I had moments where I felt like Bill Cosby on a memorable episode where he is cooking bar-b-que on the coldest day of the year. The reason I wanted to fire up the grill is because it just got a new book titled, Weber's Big Book of Grilling. It's a good book. I've enjoyed reading it. It's a lot more than just a cook book. I'm learning how to grill. I felt like I had a decent grasp of it, but now I have a better understanding of why some things happen the way they do in the grill. I'm excited about possibilities of future meals to come.
As I was reading, I came across the section about how to cook a burger and how to prepare them. After reading that section, I don't know how you could ever get yourself to not want to eat a burger. I found a recipe for a Guacamole Cheeseburger. It is a burger, mixed with a bunch of herbs and spices; it is topped with Monterey Jack Cheese, and it uses a guacamole spread on top of it. It was delicious. I was actually concerned that I may not have cooked it right because it was really dark when I grilled it, but I just trusted the book and cooked it the way it said and it turned out great.
I knew I would need a side, so I figured to check out the side dish section of the book. I came across a recipe for Twice-Grilled Potatoes. I didn't actually grill them twice. I baked them once, then grilled them the second time. They were infused with ham, sour cream, and a couple of spices. This meal was definitely one that I would cook again.
I have to say, I'm glad I put this goal in. I'm enjoying cooking and think I am learning stuff as I go along. It's nice to tell Melissa that she doesn't have to cook. It's even nicer to tell her that and to serve something more than just pizza from the freezer.

4 comments:

Matt said...

Man, that sounds freaking awesome. Please make that for me sometime.

Eric Weis said...

To be honest, I thought about you while I was making it. I know you love double baked potatoes. These ones are great!
Next time you guys are down, I'll make it again. Just remind me.

melissa said...

They were AWESOME. You could make these every week and I would happily eat them (although it might not be the healthiest meal to eat once a week). You really are a good cook Eric. I have been impressed - you kept this hidden talent a secret for too long.

Mom said...

Ditto on what Matt said. You can wait until it's not -4 outside though!