4 recipes for your more ambitious moments
Sometimes you want to don your toque and get ambitious
When I’m searching for new recipes to try, there are two words that usually jump out and grab me: simple and quick. Life can be busy and complex and stressful, when I come home from work the LAST thing I want to do is ignore the kids & execute a complicated dinner. A delicious recipe that won’t tax my skills or blow my schedule? That one is going straight to the top of my list.
But every now and then, whether it’s a birthday or Valentine’s Day or whatever, I want to try something a little more ambitious. Sometimes I want my husband or my dinner guests to go, “Wow, this is amazing! You should open a restaurant.”
Today, for whatever reason, I’m feeling ambitious, so I went in search of recipes that would take me outside my comfort zone and make me feel like a celebrity chef with my own show on the Food Network.
For instance, anything with a French name sounds like it must be difficult and demanding — especially when the recipe originates with Thomas Keller, the chef behind big-ticket restaurants like Per Se and Bouchon. Well, here’s a rich, hearty French country cassoulet made with pork shoulder, bacon, three types of sausage and about a dozen more ingredients, so a lot of slicing, simmering and sauteing are required. Fortunately, it all comes together in a slow cooker, so it’s not quite as labor-intensive as it might sound. (One Hungry Mama)
Speaking of hearty winter dishes, Joseph Erdos offers an amazing recipe for cola-braised pork shoulder with onion and dried cherries. That already sounds delicious, but he kicks it up another notch with “balsamic vinegar for tanginess and brown sugar for sweetness.” Not a simple dish, but definitely a rewarding one. “Make this recipe on the weekend when you have the time,” Erdos suggests. (Gastronomer’s Guide)
Here’s a recipe that’s ambitious in its creativity (and low carb promise), rather than its time commitment: cauliflower crust Hawaiian pizza. That’s right, there’s no flour in this pizza crust — just grated cauliflower, egg, cheese and spices. Lori Lange says the flavor is “shockingly good,” and her 10-year-old couldn’t tell it was made with cauliflower. Sounds worth a little extra effort to me! (Recipe Girl)
Finally, the next time I’m feeling ambitious in the morning, I’m definitely going to try making this Dutch baby pancake with salted caramel syrup. In case you’ve never had a Dutch baby, Deb Perelman explains that “It’s like a regular crepe, except it has buckwheat flour in it and the result is a lacy, thin pancake that’s has a vague sour note to it that’s fantastic.” A proper Dutch baby is as big as your head, with curled-up edges that are perfect for holding eggs and cheese, in case you’re looking for something a little less sweet than caramel syrup. (Smitten Kitchen)
So what about it? How often do you like to get ambitious in the kitchen — and does your family’s response make it worth the extra effort?
Photo credit: gerenme via iStockphoto
