Just Because...: Culinary School Need Not Await My Application...

Monday, January 21, 2008

Culinary School Need Not Await My Application...

I have a super sensitive stomach. At the first hint of "funk" for lack of a better term, I know it's not even going to be a pleasant evening and I better have a Plan A, Plan B or Plan C.

With the power outtage the other day, I have no clue how long the fridge was off. I had done the major grocery shopping the evening before with the onset of the holiday weekend because I had NO intention of emerging from my hermit status due to the impending hell that awaits me come tomorrow. I had plans for attempting the Pancheros' version of Corn Salsa because, my god, I could just order that and nothing else and be a happy wench. Oh. My. God that stuff is nirvana. Of course there is no recipe online and every version of "Corn Salsa" seems different.

SO, this evening, realizing that I better make the daggone salsa because I was going to make baja chicken quesadillas for dinner, I got to my Jeckyll and Hyde lab aka the kitchen. I had bought fresh corn at Costco in anticipation of my experiment. I bought Cilantro, hunted high and low for a not gross red onion (side note - am I wrong or are the red onions of late pretty daggone gross. Next time you are going grocery shopping, stop by produce and take a look), picked up some celery and limes (and lime juice in a green squeeze bottle - if it's good for Nigella, dammit, then it's good for me). After the power went back on Saturday, I went out and bought more supplies, i.e. Milk, flat leaf parsley, a jalapeno pepper (my first) and a few other things (like that cannolli but I couldn't say no. Damn shopping on an empty stomach).

You still here? Good - OK - I'll get on with the story and less of the backgrounder. I flipped through my arsenal of cookbooks - all of which tell me different things - frozen corn v. fresh corn. I figure - it's corn - c'mon - it's not rocket science. So I boil some water and toss in the corn. 4/5 min. later, I pull them out and shock them in cold water. Out comes my knives and off I go cutting the kernels away from the cob. Then, I taste one - there was no fakin' the funk. That corn was far from good - they were going bad and fast.

:::sigh:::

Into my fully stocked pantry I went and I couldn't find a can of corn ANYWHERE. I don't keep frozen corn on hand, pretty much because there's no room in the inn. (I know I know - I need to see a therapist about having a fully stocked fridge, freezer & pantry at all times). I moved a few more cans around and *boom* ONE can of summer corn. Plan B is in force.

I rinsed the corn off, popped it in the micro for 2 min. and I was back in experiment mode (all while fighting Shadow the sous chef because she heard can opener and clearly, if I'm opening a can it should be for her, right?) I again referred to a few recipes and figured, "Let's just make it the logical way" and tried to remember the ingredients in the salsa I loved so much.

I chopped 3 tbs. of cilantro (too much), 1 tbs. of parsley, 1/2 a red onion, 2 tbs. of lime juice, and 1/2 a jalapeno pepper - hell I'm a wimp, 'k? and into the bowl all the ingredients went. Then I tossed in a tbs. of olive oil and it's pretty daggone close to the Panchero version. Another squirt of lime juice and I deemed it complete.

But now that it's in the fridge chillin' - I remembered, I forgot the salt. :::sigh:::

And this is why I'm a cook and NOT a chef.

UPDATE: And while I was flippin' the onions and chicken in the saute pan ala Bobby Flay, the fates hit me upside the head and next thing I know, burnt quesadilla. Batting 1000 here *LOL*, but combine it with the sour cream and corn salsa - so what if it's crunchy *LOL*

Labels: Blog 365, Cooking, Random Mess, Shadow

Posted by Lys :: 6:37 PM :: 2 comments

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Monday, January 21, 2008