Going Gourmet

So Benjamin is an amazing cook. I'm not all that bad either, but I definitely stick to what I know - Mexican food and the basic "What My Mama Taught Me" fare. But Benjamin, he can whip up a mean Red Pepper Pasta and when you sit down...well, you feel like you've got your own little Italian Mama, a great meal complete with a crisp green salad, warm bread with that oil/vinegar combo to dip it in, & of course, that heavenly pasta as the main course. 


I on the other hand, am definitely the baker. I love making pies, breads, cakes & anything that comes out all warm and/or gooey after resting in the oven for a bit. **This is a total side note: Before I started dating Benjamin, there was only one thing that never seemed to turn out right for me when it came to baking - chocolate chip cookies. A total outrage I know, but I tried every recipe, asked my mom what her best kept secrets were one too, but it never seemed to turn out. They were too greasy, too hard, too flat, too everything...the only thing they weren't was good/perfect. (And yes, my mom has told me over and over again that those two words, good and perfect, are not the same thing.) Here's what I was aspiring to (it wasn't like I was asking to be Julia Child or anything, I just wanted a good cookie):

Now here's the catch about my cookie-making problem - every boy loves cookies. It's the staple treat a girl takes to a guy when she's interested right? Well with that said, you can see my problem...I needed amazing cookies and instead I was turning out something that could double as clay pigeons for target practice rather than something I could woo gentlemen with. Even though I had previously stayed away from the cookie disaster, I decided that I better give it one more shot after meeting Benjamin. He didn't know about my problem & that was a good thing too - that kid loves cookies & if I couldn't deliver I figured I better come up with a good alternative quick. 


So I tried one more time, using all the tricks I'd ever heard and hoping that maybe, just maybe something decent would magically appear when I opened the oven door. I don't know what it was, but it was definitely magic or I'd finally found the right special ingredient that I'd been missing... the right man. I'm kidding here, but I'm glad that I have a captive audience for my cookies now & even more grateful that my cooking making disaster days appear to be over.


So now that we're back from my cookie tangent - Benjamin is a gourmet. It's not just great pastas that this kid whips up. I feel like I've travelled the world since I met him. Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Greek, Thai - and the list goes on & on. I've learned to like fish (mostly), and have tried a bunch of things I probably wouldn't have without him around. 


I've even picked up the cooking fetish myself and have found some favorite new recipes (amazing orange rolls & "Cafe Rio-like" Sweet Pork) & great blogs to follow if you're looking for great cooking ideas for healthy eating. But to showcase the type of talent we've got hanging around our house, take a look at these beauties. 

The Salmon/ Sweet Potato/Broccoli Combo

Indian: Chickpeas & Rice/ Cucumber Salad

Lets go Greek: Souvlaki/ Pita & Tzatziki Sauce/Spinch Salad with Sun-dried Tomato Dressing

Yeah, he's even willing to grill in the snow

Thai Basil Chicken with Vegetables  

And this is only a small taste of what we've got going around here. Now that I think about it, this is probably the wrong post to finish up while trying to decide what to make for dinner tonight - there's just too many good options.