Well to today was week one of my cooking adventure. I felt like a kid on Christmas. I read and re-read my recipe, my counters were ready with my equipment and groceries and I had a hungry family of 9 (my own 5 and my sister's family of 4) waiting to eat. My hubby had to stop me all afternoon from the temptation to just get supper "started". I can only hope I am this prepared for the remaining 49 weeks.
I decided to start with the Roast Beef, Baby Popovers, Little Carrots, Crispy Potatoes and Super Quick Gravy on page 194 of the cook book. As a kid growing up in rural Alberta meat and potatoes was a nightly event. Meat that was all the way brown and the boiled white stuff did not appeal to my adventurous nature. Once I grew up and got married the last thing I wanted to make was the standard well done roast beef and mashed potatoes of my youth. That being said there is something down home and comforting about that cooked cow and garden mash. This being week one and Family Day to top it off we thought this would be a good start.
Let me say this was not my Mamma's roast beef and potatoes!
I started the clock at five pm. I took a deep breath and was off and running (literally running). Jamie starts his book my saying you need to "re-claim" you kitchen. Well the family was busy playing a board game and the girls were too cute, making their beaded bracelets at the counter. I claimed some space and figured at least everyone is busy, I am not going to worry about re-claiming anything right now. You need to follow the recipe EXACTLY! That included the order and timing of everything. If you think you have a better way, you are wrong and in the end you will get screwed! This was like the Olympic event of dinners and Jamie was my coach.
Things actually went smoothly for such a large meal. I had to double the recipe because I was feeding nine instead of four. My brother-in-law Bryon says I should get extra time because of the extra prep. What a sweet generous fellow. I am way to competitive to take that seriously! I almost blew up the popover mix out of the blender when I peeked. My stove looks like a crime scene and I think I should have worn more deodorant for the sweat storm I built up! But it was worth it. 36 minutes later I had the nicest roast beef dinner I have ever made in my life, even if I would have had 5 hours to make it. The beef was rare and juicy, the potatoes crispy and perfect and Brylee my niece who is an expert on her favourite dish of cooked carrots said they were perfect! At a cost of only $2.50 a person it was way worth it!
There was not time for dessert but my sister Jo said she wouldn't have had room for it anyway (Cory my husband disagrees but then again he always has room for dessert). The family has decided we need a rating scale for all of the meals:
5 stars means it was the greatest and we would make it again
4 stars means it was great
3 stars it was ok
2 stars it was barley hanging on and everyone is just being polite
1 star is a "lets order out next time"
Eight of us gave the meal 5 stars! Mary my 5 year old only gave it 2 stars but I have to let you know now she will be our toughest critic. Cory and Bryon loved the salad the most despite the perfectly cooked cow flesh (men around Alberta are shocked at you right now), my two sons, nephew and my self all loved the popovers. Especially my 3 year old Simon who used his as a vessel to drink more gravy. My niece Brylee said she couldn't decide between the meat and potatoes so we said she could pick both. My darling sister Jo loved the potatoes.
I am so happy I finally started this project. Today was a fun day of board games, going for a walk, making crafts and just spending time together. We could do all those things because I wasn't spending the whole day cooking! I am sitting here writing this blog as my most wonderful family is cleaning my disastrous kitchen (a luxury I am really appreciating right now). I am so lucky that I have a family to spend this family day with! Most of all I am looking forward to the remaining 49 weeks of making memories.
Next week will be a new adventure! I think the best piece of advice to help me next week came from my sister today: "Go pee before you start"!
Trish
The family ready to enjoy dinner! Cory is behind me probably already eating!
36 minutes later, $2.50 a person and completely delicious!
One messy kitchen!
Week one could not have been more successful! The roast beef was perfectly cooked, the salad was full of flavor, the gravy and the popovers were mouthwatering and the carrots and potatoes were a flavorful spin on what can sometimes be a bland side dish (never in my wife's kitchen of course). All together a tasty start to a great project!
ReplyDeleteI know you thought this was a boring start to my project. Thanks for being so positive and cleaning your plate (and my kitchen)! I promise the book is full of many "exciting" dishes too. Just you wait!
DeleteOne word... "delicious". This was a great meal and a great start to your culinary adventures. I am looking forward to future tasting.
ReplyDeleteI swear I really did post my comment earlier!
ReplyDeleteI have a gesture for my computer to recognize!
I though the week one dinner was #!@$#% good! pardon my french, but everything on this menu was awesome it was hard choosing just one thing as a favorite. With a start like this I can only look forward to the upcoming weeks :) Good Job Trish!