imagination

Started out not knowing what to talk about this time...Some good friends (Chris and Lisa) came over again for a meal and it made me think about how much people who appreciate good cooking  enjoy different cooking methods and recipes. Both of them like good food and Chris, (who I suspect is a very good cook himself) asks a lot of questions about recipes, combinations, technique and setup. I know people who love to cook, love to talk about cooking....a great thing we had many a conversation about. There are so many levels and aspects to cooking that any imaginative cooking you do is FUN. Chris and Lisa may not know this, but it is because of them that I started this blog....It was intended for family and anyone who wanted to read it...I am flattered if you are either one...I cooked a meal for them one time...Salmon topped with grilled Red, green pepper, onion and spices that were blended in my mini Cuisinart....They were talking about the meal when Colin said "this could be a Tuesday, we eat like this all the time"....he was right, as I have said before....I use my family as Guinea Pigs and love to cook any and everything imagination has to offer. I decided to write about some of my dishes and experiences that we all have. Cooking does not have to be defined as levels of expertise....just cook and learn if you love to do it. I like to theme dishes and see how much I can blend/combine/marry ingredients in a course meal. Tonight I made a salad with roasted-caramelized walnuts, dried cranberries, bacon (everybody loves bacon), Gorgonzola cheese,  Bartlett Pear and Pink Lady apple chop and I made an Apple/yogurt dressing....decided to go southern with this dish....Red Beans and rice that I included onion, celery, Andouille Sausage, bacon (there it is again) and Cajun spices....simmered Collard Greens with Pork fat back (close to bacon) and onions with salt and Apple Cider Vinegar....now for the pork...made a hickory/bourbon/bbq glaze that I reduced into almost a paste..wet rub marinated the Pork for 4 hours...Cooked them over indirect heat and hickory smoke for 12 minutes to get that great smoke flavor....fired up the heat and put the BBQ glaze on them with great grill markings....made a sauteed reductions of pears and apples with the BBQ glaze/chix broth and Bourbon....let that reduce...finished Pork...let it set and topped with the pear/apple/BBQ/bourbon reduction....so.....smoked pork loin chops topped with reduction...collard greens...red beans and rice....nice southern touches and variations...oh yeah...used some imagination too......no matter what level of cooking you can do....DO IT...use your imagination....LEARN...be proud of what you do....if you love cooking...GO FOR IT! Share what you do. I love cooking....I am nothing more than a "wanna be" cook who loves cooking...oh...I forgot...My son colin made a bread pudding with bourbon sauce topped with vanilla yogurt for dessert...he is 17...It was LIGHTS OUT!!.....all homemade    he loves cooking..so do you.