The daily food preparation routine can sometimes be…well, utilitarian.    We get stuck in various ruts or it just seems easier many nights to find the quickest route for getting food A into belly B with the least amount of effort and chewing.   If we could just snap in an already-full stomach in place of a void, I think there’s a great many of us who would relish the handiness.

However, when we have guests come over, then there’s a great excuse to actually cook! Tonight I had cooking/cleaning/daddy duty while my wife crafted with our friend, Lea, so I decided a little experimentation was in order.   My culinary bits felt antsy, if you will.   Here are the results:

Caramelized Yellow Onions

Of course, we have to start the night off with some good old garnishes intended to lift the soul and line the arteries, and caramelized onions are a great standard.

Caramelized Button Mushrooms

Quickly to follow on that theme, of course, is the mushrooms!   NOM NOM.

Lemonade Roasted Potatoes

Well, ok, I didn’t actually use lemonade, but that’s what I’m calling them.   My own creation, these were roasted in a 425°F oven in some oil, lemon juice, white sugar, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper.   They turned out lovely, with a great crust and a slight lemony flavor.

Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Bacon and Cabbage

My own creation as well, this is a lovely way to make some asparagus.     Brown some bacon to render the fat, add in chopped cabbage and a chopped garlic clove and cook till wilted, then add in the asparagus and about a half cup of water.    Roast until everything is tender and lovely.   Season with a bit of pepper, a little salt, and some smoked paprika.

Rosemary and Sage Flatiron Grilled Steak

Grind up some rosemary and sage in a mortar and pestle, add in a touch of cayenne, some salt, and some black pepper, and grind to a powder.    Pour in some oil and grind together into a paste.     Place on a screaming-hot grill and paint the top side with the paste, doing the reverse side when you flip it.

Grilled Sugared Pineapple Rings

A nice, light dessert, the pineapple rings are simply dusted in white sugar and placed onto the cleaned grate of the grill after the steak is off.     Above high heat, you let them go until they brown on one side, then flip and get some on the other, and you’re done!   Simple, easy, and perfect when you want a little something sweet but you’ve already stuffed your face.

Sebeka Cabernet Pinotage

The 2007 Sebeka Cabernet Pinotage is a fair wine and it was very drinkable considering it was only $6.99 USD.   It did have some harsher mid-tones in the flavor matrix that I could feel, a bitterness that’d creep down the sides of my tongue during the sip, but it wasn’t like the wine was banging on my head, just lightly tapping, so it was very suitable for a casual night’s dinner.

The Whole Spread

And there you have it!   (including my wife’s scrapping supplies).    A simple meal but something more than just regular-old, standard-old food.     I got to play a bit, the reviews were positive, and everyone left the table feeling happy and full.   A success in my book.