Chopped

Normally I am quite addicted to HGTV and the DIY network, too.  They are my go to channels.  I enjoy sitting on my couch watching other people do physical labour.  Now, I won't deny that there's a bit of eye candy in it for me, Brian Baumler, Scott McGillvray, the cousins from New Jersey...these boys are pretty easy to look at.  But, this weekend I had seen all the shows on these channels, and instead of getting my sorry ass off the couch and actually DOING something, I scanned some other channels.  The result is that now I am addicted to Chopped, on food network.  Basic premise is four executive chefs are given 3-4 ingredients per round to make some incredible meal that is then judged.  One chef is cut, or "chopped" after each round, leaving only two for the dessert face off.  They are usually given some weird ingredients, and the show sometimes has a theme.  For example, today's was a circus theme, with foods (if you can call them foods) including cotton candy, popcorn, and hot dogs.  The chefs have to recreate the foods into something else, and obviously it needs to be palatable.  Here are these people, who are timed, I might add (maximum of 30 minutes to create a whole entree!), with strange ingredients, and they can make absolute magic.

So yesterday I went grocery shopping, and buy perfectly normal foods like peppers, bread, meat, etc.  The most radical thing I bought was eggplant (which is essentially a flavour stealer anyway).  Inspired by my recent tv watching, I thought it seemed reasonable to look up a recipe and try something new for supper.  I didn't even replace ingredients like I do half the time.  I made this cumin/coriander rub for pork chops, pan fried it like I was supposed to and IT WAS AWFUL.  Dan ate it, Rogue begged off, Knox never eats meat anyway but even swallowed a piece of cauliflower like a medicine to avoid tasting it.  I ate some, but quit partway through.  I was going to make some Indian inspired vegetables to go with the meat, cauliflower and eggplant (both used in Indian cooking), but of course had no masala, tumeric, or any other spices that would go with my meal theme.  So I did substitute here, using a chutney to sauce them.  Gross.  I did not embarrass myself further by actually taking a photo of it to publish here.

I have fluked and made some awesome dinners, but tonight was not one of them.  Quote of the meal:  Rogue saying"Why do Indian people make such chewy meat?" (This is the kid who would live and die by butter chicken).