It started out to be beef stew...

But after I had the chunks of beef browned and was ready to transfer them to the crock pot, I realized that I really was NOT in the mood for potatoes - or carrots, either.

So, what to do?

I rummaged around in the pantry and came up with a can of kidney beans. Then I found a can of tomatoes and one of tomato sauce. So I dumped them all in the pot on top of the browned meat. In the freezer I found my bag of dried onions, so I put a handful of those in as well.

And then... I had to think about what spices to add. My husband isn't as crazy about chili as I am, but I figured I could get away with a touch of chili powder. I probably added about 1/4 teaspoon.But that didn't seem like enough spice, so I did a couple of shakes over the pan with the cayenne pepper. I had already used salt and pepper and garlic on the meat as it browned, but sprinkled a bit more garlic in for good measure. I like garlic on almost everything.

As dinner time neared and this mixture still looked pretty much like soup, I got out the cornstarch. Putting about a tablespoon full in a small bowl, I mixed it with some cold water and then added it a little at a time until my mixture looked thicker, but not gooey-thick.

To finish the meal, I mixed up a pan of cornbread and steamed some frozen green beans. I ate my cornbread like bread - but Carl cut it in half and poured the meat and tomato mixture on top.

I don't know a name for this non-stew, but it tasted good...

Send me your inventions - I'm always looking for something different for dinner!

Adventures with pork ribs

Carl and I have different ideas about pork ribs. He likes the country style - with lots of meat on the bones - soaked all day in barbecue sauce and then cooked slowly in the big iron dutch oven. Sometimes he browns them on the barbecue grill just before serving, sometimes not. (That depends on the ambition factor, you know.)

I, on the other hand, prefer the less meaty ribs, cooked with no sauce. I like to take the lid off before they're completely done so they can get crispy. Yes - they're greasy and salty and ... I love them.

So, this week I bought some of "my" kind of ribs. And Carl cooked them the way he does a beef roast, sort of.

He left them all in one piece instead of cutting them apart like I do. Then he wrapped the meat around the outside of the dutch oven and put potatoes and carrots and onions in the middle. However, knowing that I liked them crispy, he didn't add any water or broth. He did put the lid on the dutch oven, however.

After an hour and a half in a 350 degree oven he thought dinner should be cooked, but it was still a push to stick a fork in those carrots! We left them another 20 minutes and ate slightly hard carrots and almost done potatoes. The meat was cooked, but in spite of taking the lid off for almost an hour, they were not crispy. (We put aluminum foil over the veggies in the middle when we removed the lid, by the way.)

So what went wrong? I think the ribs need to be cut apart and laid down in the pan so they sizzle in that lovely grease. And, it appears to me that the carrots need moisture while they're cooking.

Just a few days earlier he cooked his favorite chuck roast, and it all turned out just right. You can see the chuck roast recipe at our Carl Cooks website.

My teaching Carl to cook is really pretty funny. I've never been a cook, never wanted to cook, and don't know many tricks of the trade. The only time I really enjoy it is when it is the job of the day - like for Christmas and Thanksgiving when I start in the morning and keep going until all the dishes are done.

I have a feeling that with his experimentation and love of good food, meals might begin to be more interesting around here.

If you've got a favorite you'd like to share - send it on. And with your permission, I might even put it on the Carl Cooks website!

Happy meals,
Marte