Foodies-In-Training

Last night was supposed to be fun. I have been asked by DH to take over a dream job of mine: planning the food for the annual Christmas Dinner Party for his work, which involves a taste-testing of menus at a local hotel. Oh, yes, This ranks just under my fantasy to someday be a food critic or, better yet, have my own cooking show of Food Network.

I said this was supposed to be fun because DH was supposed to go with me. We were going to make a date night out of it. Free and (hopefully) great food, maybe catch a movie. It was the last day to do it before the Thanksgiving holidays. But DH remembered he had an appointment at (I do not make this stuff up) a nuclear power plant. It was the kind of job he couldn't cancel at the last minute because of all the security checks that have to be in place along with the scheduling to make it happen.

I was disappointed, but I persevered in finding another respectable date. I asked a woman in my ward whose husband works in the same company as DH, but she had gotten off a graveyard nursing shift and needed to sleep. I called my aunt, but she was stuck at work late and needed the evening to get things ready for T-Day guests. DS#1 volunteered to escort me but he was my babysitter for the night. So, I went alone.

I am a twin. I do not like to be alone. Never have. (Well, I don't mind it if I am in really comfy pjs, cuddled up in a quilt, watching a chick flick.) I especially do not like eating out alone. What is the point?

I went to the hotel lounge where the tasting would take place. The bar man took great care of me. The lounge wasn't crowded as I sat in a booth. The waitress looked at me a bit funny when I told her I would like a water with lime to drink (I guess most of their guests do not drink water in the lounge.)

I was surprised that the food was very good. I loved the Elk Medallions with Blackberry Demiglace the best, but I decided that the Maple Roasted Salmon and the Prime Rib would be best received by the masses at the Christmas Party. (I am not a big fan of prime rib. When I was single, my twin sis and her DH, who was a kicker on the BYU football team, would set me up every year with one of the football players for their football dinners. I was a popular date for this reason: I would eat the salad, but when the prime rib came out it was huge, bloody, and it overlapped the plate. I was so disgusted that I couldn't eat it so my date would happily eat my portion, too.) The prime rib at the hotel was lean and tasted wonderful. The salmon was my second favorite and ,I was told, a specialty of the hotel chef.

I received odd looks being the only one there, not only not drinking, but having four huge plates of food in front of me. The bar man boxed up the food for me and I took it home to let the kids try it all. I also had a bag of chocolates that Deseret Book gave me for free because they were starting to crack on the bottom and couldn't be sold. So armed with three boxes and a bag of chocolates I arrived at home to what I thought would be much fanfare and excitement.

I now know just how much my children have been affected by my cooking. I am constantly trying new recipes and have often been told that I cook much more gourmet than the average person. They were not overly excited but curious to try everything. DS#2 tasted the salmon and started to critique it saying that while it had a nice maple flavor, he preferred the miso-glaze I fixed for salmon. DS#1 offered suggestions on what to add to the elk. DS#3 just ate everything I gave him quickly so he could pick a chocolate. DD worked her way through the wild rice pilaf, the roasted potatoes, potato salad, and pasta salad and then asked for more prime rib.

The chocolate were pronounced good "but not as good as you make, Mom". Hmmmmmm. I have never made them chocolates. I make truffles every year but they do not get them. I wonder if they sneak them when I am not looking?