Existentialicious
Apr 30th, 2008 by Marilyn
Wow. That is a big word to use before 9 am, and for a minute there I thought I’d made it up – but a quick Googling revealed that a bunch of young Facebookers already use it. I am so not down with the kids.
Anyway, my idea of existentialicious – something delicious in the moment, but never seen again - is the best way to describe last night’s dinner.
Chicken, potatoes, asparagus – but the picture doesn’t tell the whole story.
The chicken was lightly floured, then crisped in olive oil with salt and pepper. We’d had some olive-feta salad from the fancy organic “olive bar” the day before, and when the chicken was nicely browned, I threw in the master stroke – leftover vinegar-feta-pepper mixture from the bottom of the container. Leftover liquid, people – never throw it out. As planned, the chicken sizzled with a giant Opa! sound, and then in a blinding oregano cloud I squeezed a lemon, tossed and fired a few seconds, and served.
Oh, my. I’m sure we can all agree that Tuesday night dinner is never a sure thing, but paired with bacony mashed potatoes and steamed local asparagus, it was. Crisp and peppered, tangy and biting, a river of lemon feta soaking under potatoes – I can use all the adjectives I want, but I’ll never see it again.
I’m bad that way. As an apprentice, they’d say “make the soup!” and I’d make the soup, chopping this carrot or that mushroom, and they’d say “make that soup again!” and aghast, I couldn’t.
This doesn’t happen very often in baking, but it happens constantly at the stove, where you trade precision for a moment’s pleasure at the table. You’d be hard-pressed to recreate a dish made with leftover oils and bits of cheese, but so what? One mid-week existentialicious is better than any Saturday menu…
…because you never saw it coming, and it tastes like something else – surprise!
I’m mad at you. I’m sitting her eating ramen noodles(!) for lunch and you just posted pictures of the most delicious, yummiest-looking meal i’ve seen in a long time! grrrr!!!
Your blog always makes me hungry!
I can’t let the fiance read your blog anymore; I certainly don’t serve up meals like this and you’re making me look bad. Is it too late to go to cooking school?
I am starving and my lunch is late. Whahahahahahhaahhaahha
I licked my monitor again. It’s becoming a habit. I blame you.
truly that’s tonight’s dinner on the plate. I have local purple asparagus, chicken breasts and leftover sauce, may have to serve it with cheat’s risotto though……..
Oh my god, inspiration for dinner this weekend. This blog is dangerous for my diet.