A Dangerous Experiment

The setting, Easter Sunday. The objective, make dinner for friends. The question, what type of meat shall I use? Perhaps Llama...? No, too dangerous to catch, even with standard weaponry.

I threw caution to the wind, and braved a trip to Golden Gate Meats, to obtain some lamb. I decided for this experiment, to focus on process vs. ingredients, and to stuff my first rack' (where is Joan Rivers when you need her). Of course, the finished product still needed to look fabulous, and taste amazing...so the danger still existed. I scoured Epicurious.com for a full 10 minutes, and found what I think is a gem.

The stuffing used for the rack of lamb was a mixture of raisins, onions, toasted pine nuts, and chard. The raisins were steeped in vermouth, which gave them a super nice flavor. While I proceeded cautiously , I was pleased with the combination.

The stuffing of the rack was easier than I thought, and I was happy by the requirement

(and flexibility) of kitchen string to secure the stuffed chops closed. It allowed me to cover up my cutting mistakes, which

is a plus. The finished racks are intertwined together when baking in the oven so it looks good both going in AND coming out. This technique averts potential (bad dinner) crisis by at least demonstrating awareness of the aesthetic. Even if it tasted less than perfect, it looks good.

As an ardent believer of utilizing the correct tools for the job, I relied this Sunday on the use of the 'Hunky Cowboy' oven mitts. Given the level of danger in me actually using an oven, I was glad I was well prepared.

Overall, the stuffed rack was a success. I was happy no one was hurt in the preparation of such rack, and 'post-meal' happiness in the West prevailed.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rack-of-Lamb-with-Swiss-Chard-241737

The First Experiment

This particular Sunday, the experiment was pretty tame. With the start of any good experiment, there needs to be a good control. In this case a trusted, quality ingredient (bacon!),

and throwing in a bit of visual interest (flowering arugula),

I embarked on the adventure entitled 'Sunday Experimental Souffle'

Step 1, make sure you have the proper workstation

tools. Fabulous Cutting Board,

check!

Step 2, actually make the food. Given the importance of bacon as an ingredient, priority was placed on the preparation, and handling of such bacon. The balance of the preparation included egg separating, whisking, and the delightful creation of 'slightly soft-peaked' egg whites. I need to find more uses for this ingredient...

Step 3, final attention to the food aesthetic, with the addition of the lovely flowering arugula. Bake, and viola! A Sunday Experimental Souffle is born (cue Sound of Music theme).

As a side note, the cooking time of such souffle needed to be extended potentially due to the fact that bacon was added, changing the composition of the souffle. Adding ~10 minutes to the prescribed cooking time is recommended. Bacon is worth it!

Here is the recipe I modified if you would like to try...Spinach and Green Garlic Souffle http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/355946

Our vision

Experimental cooking techniques with results we are proud of (ok, for the most part)...