Meat is Tasty, Tasty Murder

Flavors I love:

• garlic
• lemon
• bacon
• chocolate
• cheese
• salt

Flavors I don't like:

• licorice
• fennel (which I think taste like licorice)
• avocado
• amaretto
• artificial banana

Those are the short lists, of course. The love list is much larger than the dislike list; I'm not a picky eater. At least, not as much as I used to be. I don't think I'll ever like raw tomatoes, or peanuts, but I'll eat spinach now along with lots of other things that I hated before. Science will tell you all these things about how your tastebuds change and most of that goes right over my head. All I know is that I like things I didn't before and I'm willing to experiment.

Take steak, for example. Not too long ago I only would have eaten it well done, but recently I cooked it medium rare to discover that I love it. The flavors are so much more intense; the meat is much juicier, too. I'm sure part of it is mental. Blood is the subject of horror films, murder mysteries, and other such unpleasant things, so it's natural to see bloody meat as gross. Today I started watching the TV show "Dexter" (I know I'm behind the times), which is about a psychopath that only kills other killers. Very good show, in my humble opinion.

After the first episode I made dinner, which was 20 clove chicken. I know, I know, normally it's 40 clove chicken but since I was only cooking for two people I figured I'd halve the recipe. A big thank you to the blogger of "Life's Ambrosia" from where I took the recipe. My sauce was a bit saltier than I necessarily would have liked, but it was rich and full of garlic so I loved it anyway. After I'd finished my first plate, I ended up standing at the stove, scooping up the sauce with bits of broccoli (and my fingers...). I was very happy to be able to complete the recipe in full, thanks to what was left of the white wine my friend brought over two nights ago (yes, I drink occasionally, get over it). I added a few more splashes of wine at the end because if I'm going to go through the trouble of putting alcohol in something, I want to taste it. Don't go overboard, of course, but add just enough. Listen to the food and your tastebuds, they'll steer you in the right direction.

I paired the chicken with brown rice and broccoli because sometimes you just have to focus on one aspect of the meal instead of trying to make the whole thing elaborate. Especially if you're crunched for time. For this, it was all about the sauce. The garlic cooked perfectly so that by the end it was nice and tender with a mild flavor; when squished it practically melted so there was no need to take it out of the rest of the sauce. Mmmm... so good... I'll definitely save that recipe if just for the sauce.

Now that my roommate and I are fed, I'm starting to get sleepy. Which is probably a good thing considering the fact that I have work at 8:30 am tomorrow. As much as I'd like to watch another episode of "Dexter" or play a video game, I think it's time to hit the hay. Goodnight!

Recipe link: 40 Clove Chicken