Here's why I love Food Network's show Chopped. Today's Dessert Challenge: Pineapple, corn, hot dogs. What did the winner do? A pineapple Napolean with chocolate sauce, topped with fried hot dogs coated with powdered sugar- and it looked yummy!
Although this show only accepts professionals, specifically "Seeking dynamic, outgoing, experienced professional chefs. Men and women of any ethnicity and cooking specialty encouraged to apply", my entire culinary point of view was shaped by trying to create something yummy from what I had on hand. Starting with my Hispanic grandpa, who was the patriarch of "subsistence" cooking. Most of us Generation X-ers grew up with Depression-era grandparents (or at least those of us whose parents were in their 30s when they had kids). So it may not be unusual to receive a homemade banana split, after begging them to take you to Dairy Queen (Sonic or Culver's if you aren't from the South). Tex Mex Huevos Rancheros are good, but when he didn't have potatoes to add, he'd add some chicharrones to fry it all together- and then it became uniquely GOOD. I realize the cholesterol here - fried pig ears, refried into eggs, but nevertheless. Top that with some Homemade chili salsa from peppers and tomatoes in their garden, whoa, it always knocked your socks off! (And remembering now, that "salsa" was mostly peppers, maybe half a tomato).
Whether or not you are cooking with just what you have in the kitchen and pantry out of a Chopped challenge to win $10,000, or out of necessity, it takes creativity, skill, and a love of food, not to mention the foresight to envision what things will work to jazz up a dish, or make a meal for an entire family without someone saying "ewewewe"! Even following the directions for planned, coordinated meals isn't always a bullseye, for example: Thai Green Curry paste says to add brown sugar and fish sauce - absolutely not a hit in my household. Trial and error is how you do it...but spaghetti with crab and coconut green curry last night for instance. Its a winner! I have yet to go to the grocery store to fill the fridge and pantry with coordinated ingredients, but right now its not for the challenge, just because I'm tired and taking care of little sick one. But who needs meal planning - bring on the Chopped challenge!
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