Some flavors work together better than others. And, sometimes you hit the jackpot in bringing together flavors that are a big hit. I made a dish up in Ottawa for my daughter and son in-law that they raved about. Who would have thought that: Spiced Meat, Hummus, Sautéed Zucchini, Fried Eggs And Guacamole With Sweet Chili Sauce, …Would be declared the best dish I have ever made. While it was really good, I can think of several creations that I might pick for a last meal before being led to the electric chair.
The genesis of the dish came from a 6 am flight out of Memphis. I had brought along a few foodie magazines to browse during the flight. I have gotten into the habit of taking pictures of pictures in magazines with my cell phone to capture ideas. My goal was to come up with a dish that was relatively healthy/low carb, flavorful and easy to make. I saw two recipes, one for a Chili Crisp Sauce and another Spiced Lamb with Humus. The Chili sauce I made with red peppers from India that a neighbor had given my daughter. The sauce turned out to be so hot that it was inedible. The flavor was great for a second or two, but then the heat kicked in. The net result can be described in one word: PAIN! I substituted a bottle of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce that worked wonders. The other piece of inspiration came from a recipe for Spiced Lamb with Hummus. My daughter has a problem with eating lamb. It isn’t the flavor. It is either the thought of eating Little Bo-Peep’s friend or the fact that she is still scarred from our telling her that lamb was steak when she was a child. Either way, lamb isn’t an option for her and the ground turkey is a lot healthier.
I have been told that I have gotten pretty good at flavor combinations. For example, I know that you can put bacon with anything and people will like the dish. I haven’t always been good with flavor combinations. My first victim was my buddy Tom Julian who was my roommate after business school. TJ was famous for saying my cooking was “mishconbrul” which was Utica’s/Italian slang for wacky a combination. My father was famous for asking: “Can’t you cook anything without onion and garlic in it?”. They both were right. Somehow exposure to cuisines around the world and working with fantastic chefs has helped improve my ability to create a palatable dish. But when in doubt, add bacon and your victims will be happy.
The Hero dish is really a combination of 5 recipes and a bottle of sweet chili sauce.
Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (Buy a bottle)
This dish works really well for a party of four. Served on a large platter where you can all serve yourselves family style. A benefit of this dish is that it isn’t formal and the Flavor Combinations Work Well Together.
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