We Eat Well

Neither Jason or I are in the running for a James Beard award. If there's any notoriety we have gleaned amongst our neighbors it is the reputation of being the couple who orders or dines out more nights of the week than others. This is a hard won title, as our "emerging" neighborhood has few choices unless you're in the mood for a burrito. Recognizing our "area of opportunity" -- that's the term they use on performance reviews to make your
weaknesses sound more exciting -- Jason's mother gave us a gift certificate to Dinner by Design.
For the kitchen-challenged DbD lays out all the ingredients and you just pile them together, following the recipes in front of you. Moving from station to station, we made about 8 different dishes, all which are placed in freezer pans to take home and cook up later. Peach Pork Chops, Greek Stuffed Flank Steak, Chicken Puttanesca, Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaves. Placing our laundry basket full of food into the trunk, Jason said he felt like we were making off with pirate's treasure. Over two weeks of satisfying meals ahead of us. The manager floats around like a little bumblebee buzzing in your ear, "To buy all these ingredients in the store would be so much more expensive, you know." She's clearly trying to prompt repeat business.
Even when they appear to make it idiot proof though, Jason and I each realized on the car ride home that we'd make a little goof here and there in our recipes. Jason forgot to halve the seasoning for the Shrimp Scampi, so it's bound to be quite flavorful when we defrost it. I had no idea where the instructor was pointing me when she gestured to the souffle cups. To every normal person a souffle cup is the plastic cup that you pump your ketchup into at the cafeteria. I thought she was pointing to these special measuring cups instead. So I followed the recipe, pouring sauce into this measuring cup, even though it seemed a little unnecessary. (In fact, if you look at the photo above, you can see my mistake. Ironically, by looking closer, you see the souffle cups on the rack in the background, untouched by my chef's hand.) Turns out that I was supposed to keep my sauces separate in these little souffle cups, but right now the sauce is dumped in and frozen inextricably with my dishes. We'll see how that cooks up. Might not go so well, but at least there are 20 other dinner trays in our refrigerator.
Last night we enjoyed an amazing Greek Stuffed Flank Steak. Feta cheese, spinach, and roasted pepper rolled up and tied like a pretty package in steak. Seasoned with pepper and sage, I think. It was miraculously easy. And so tasty.
At age 30, will I learn how to cook? (Or will we just sign up for another Dinner by Design session? Next time we will know to bring our own caps and kerchiefs, so as to avoid the glam food service worker tissue paper hats. Lovely.)