Last night was Top Chef Master's finale. The final challenge was one of the most interesting challenges I have seen on Top Chef: 4 dishes that told their life story in the food world. An autobiography in food in other words. The first course was their earliest food memory. The second was the dish that made them want to be a chef. The third was a dish from their first restaurant and the last was a dish to show where they are going in the future.
It got me thinking about my own life in food. I'm a late comer to the food game. I didn't exactly like food until I was about thirty years old. Now I really love to cook. So here is what I would do if I had to participate in the same challenge.
1. Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese. When I was growing up, I mostly only ate macaroni and cheese. In my family, people still talk about this and act like it's all I still eat. I still enjoy it but I like it a bit fancier than the ol' blue box of Kraft.
2. Now I don't want to be a chef, but the dish that made me start to enjoy cooking was farfale with marscapone cheese, asparagus, and mushrooms. I made this a couple of years ago and it was a universal hit. It was the first real praise I had ever received for a meal I cooked.
3. After two pasta dishes we get to the meat of the meal: filet mignon with a balsamic vinegar reduction along with some roasted new potatoes and asparagus. This is my go to "bachelor night" meal when Kristin is away. If I were on death row, I would want this.
4. The final dish is supposed to show where you are going in the future with your cooking. For me it would be a chicken and sausage gumbo.I want to move more towards home-style cooking. Simple but good. I want to cook things like braised short ribs, shrimp and grits, stews, etc. Basically I want to cook things our grandparents would cook but make it more elegant.
So there it is. My life in food. Now if you'll excuse me, I've made myself hungry.