Kitchen Konquest: Ups and Downs

As you know by now, I like cooking and trying out new recipes and sharing the results with all of you.  Well, it's only fair to share the challenges also, right? My husband likes to tease me by saying that I've become a much better cook now...implying that I wasn't before...but that's besides the point.  Even so, I still have the cooking failures every now and then.  Saturday night dinner was one such meal. 

There's a Rachel Ray recipe that I've wanted to try out for quite some time...eggplant roll ups.  It's like eggplant parmesan but without the breading. I call eggplant is one of my 'grown up' favorites - I never liked it as a kid but now I can't get enough of it!  Anyway, the dish is grilled eggplant 'steaks' that are then rolled a ricotta cheese mixture on the inside.  Then you top it with marinara sauce and fresh mozzarella...delish, right? Yeah, not so much.

I like to find the lesson/teachable moment in challenging times.  While a flop recipe isn't really the most challenging situation, when you spend over $35 and 2 hours making a meal that you can't stand the taste of, you really have to try to see the 'good' in it...or at least try to laugh at it. 

So my lessons:
-Parsley tastes like GRASS! Rachel Ray wasn't kidding when she says that it gives food a grassy flavor.  Of course, you may be thinking why did I used an ingredient that was described as 'grassy'....well she calls spices like cumin and coriander 'smokey'...and I don't find them smokey at all...so I took my chances on parsley.  So, now I know...parsley = grass = not for me!

-If a cheese smells bad before you add it to the recipe, you probably won't like how it tastes in the dish.  Cooking the cheese doesn't change the taste.  I am not a cheese connoisseur, I usually stick to the ones I know and like.  I am open to trying new things (and cheeses) which is why when this recipe called for Pecorino Romano cheese, I didn't have any issue with it...that is, until I smelled it...and later tasted it!

-Pictures can be deceiving! Look at how yum the finished product looks...but it still tasted like grass! haha

While this culinary set back won't stop me from trying out other new recipes (and I still love Rachel Ray), I will be a bit more selective about the ingredients I use in the future!