A Man Chooses, A Slave Obeys

Since I started sharing my culinary experiences, a year ago (this month), via www, I've been very apprehensive about repeating dishes.  Don't think anyone wants reruns.  I started to overcome this once I realized my core, and current, audience didn't jump onboard until halfway in.  So I could go back and reuse material from 'classic' posts that no one read, other than my mom.

In August, something happened-- I made the same dish three times.  I prepared a Mexican style braised pork for my UFC guests, then for myself, and then again for a HOA BBQ.  The final time I tasted it, it was significantly better than the first.  An interesting concept.

Growing up, I was in band for five years, and choir for eight.  Never practiced once.  I ran cross country for seven years, and never really ran on my own time.  A genius I certainly was not, but nor was I amateur.  This concept of practicing has never been one of my core competencies (could also explain various homework habits).

Could the first few executions of the pork dish been anything other than practice?  What if I make it a fourth time?  Besides, I need something new for the people.  It's common we become slaves to what we do, what we love.  I adored when Audioslave hit the music scene back in '03, because by name they were very upfront about this concept.  Is it wrong for the mass of bloggers across the world to become slaves to their audiences?  Not like we're getting paid, but we're often personally financing our practices. 

This weekend, I was tasked with making some really great food for some really great people.  Attendance didn't pan out as planned, but the bottom line still had to be the same.  Because of this, I chose to repeat a dish I loved making once before.  Not only have I made this before, but readers disliked it, moreso than usual.  I'm talking about pig trotters.

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The Entry That Never Made it - Gingered Sweet Potato Ravioli

The mac and cheese contest that you've become so familiar with, did not originally have a theme.  When the idea first came out, we were getting deep in boundless battle.  I played around with the idea of won ton ravioli for victory.  The day after, the rules were changed and the plan was adapted.

I've been really stubborn to give up the idea of mixing ginger, sweet potatoes, and coconut.  This is another vessel for those ingredients.  Won ton wrappers have an unbelievable number of uses and possibilities- don't be afraid to get creative.  They can be baked in cupcake tins to form crisp shells, stuffed, cut, folded, boiled, sauteed- easy stuff.

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Test Run - Sweet Potato Risotto

Sweet potato risotto- the dish I can never seem to get perfect.  I feel like it has so much potential, and even done poorly has decent flavor.  Why can't I go any farther with it?  Despite my own mishaps with the dish, I've been able to successfully market it to my vegetarian friends.  Due to popular demand, and a spin that made me like the dish a lot more, here is [finally] my sweet potato risotto.

The first time I made the dish, I made a 'classic' preparation, starting with a shallot and butter, then using chicken stock as the liquid.  It didn't suck.  It is however, extremely difficult to pair with.  I continued to make this preparation, adding garlic or other seasonings, for some time.

Months later a tropical twist hit- coconut milk for the liquid.  Don't need butter anymore, but have to season much more aggressively to cut through the thick flavor of coconut milk.  To accomplish this I started the pan with garlic and an insane amount of ginger.  The dish would then be finished with lime juice and zest to cut through.  This was pretty good.  The lime was key to the dish because there was a dire need for acid.

More time passes and the time to think about Thanksgiving arrives.  The last Thursday in November isn't Thanksgiving without sweet potatoes.  To keep Thanksgiving regional, I again ponder how to modify the dish.  I see an episode of Simply Ming where the master ingredients are ginger and cranberries.  Brilliant.

I make the dish for the last time, using fresh cranberries, which also add to the Thanksgiving ambiance.  Here is how to do it:

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