Ladies and gentlemen, I am writing a cookbook.
Okay, okay, I don't yet have a publisher. Or an agent. Or a book proposal.
But I'm gonna do it! And here's why.
In the past year, I have come to accept that my children do not appreciate my finer culinary skills. What I refuse to accept, however, is eating toddler food myself. And that's how "Make Mine Gourmet" first found life.
One night, I was dishing up the usual dinner suspects - chicken nuggets, buttered noodles, and peas - when my appetite stood up and said, "No! I will no longer subject myself to toddler food! I demand the gourmet cuisine to which I was accustomed!"
I looked in my refrigerator, then in my freezer, and finally in my pantry, and knew that I could not satisfy my appetite per my "pre-children" standards. So I decided to get creative.
I browned a tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan, then mixed the butter and a handful of peas into a bowl of noodles. I chopped up a few chicken nuggets and scattered them over the top, sprinkled a palmful of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and finished it with a tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley. Voilà!
Those were the best chicken nuggets I have ever eaten.
Don't get me wrong. I believe in feeding my children fresh, healthy food that isn't shaped like dinosaurs or smooshed into something that vaguely resembles Strawberry Shortcake. But I also know that from time to time, you just need to feed your kid a hot dog, and not feel guilty about it.
I have since created two or three other "Make Mine Gourmet" recipes, and I have a dozen other ideas floating around in my brain (and stomach). In the next few days, I'll formalize a recipe for the meal I just described, as well as the others. I'll also take a picture, because that always does the trick for selling me on a recipe from Smitten Kitchen.
So what do you think? If this sounds yummy to you, post a comment and let me know you're interested in seeing more MMG recipes. You can be my Gourmet Guinea Pigs!
