February 22, 2013 (Friday)
“I never met a meal I didn’t like”–Charles Fake
I’ve discovered a new way of cooking: the “Acanna” Method. Just open acanna this and acanna that, mix ’em up, stick ’em in the microwave and/or warm them on the stove, and voila, dinner! *
I’ve tried it, at least I tried it once. This week. I got to thinking about foods I’ve enjoyed that I rarely get anymore, and kept having this vision of creamed peas. So I looked up “creamed peas” and found out that that gooey stuff that enhanced flavor was milk, butter, flour, sugar, salt and pepper. Fortunately, I had all those in my cupboard and fridge. I also had the Sweet Peas, left over from some grandiose idea about soup in mid-winter. A constant in my cabinet is Ramen soup**, so I crushed the noodles in a package, dumped them in a pot, covered them with water and cooked them a few minutes to make them soft, while heating the peas in the microwave. I dumped the hot peas into the hot noodles, added the butter, etc., and then–as my coup de grace–added a can of (i.e., “acanna”) chicken breast –the kind used to make chicken salad. I patiently stirred the mixture, until good and hot, then added the stuff to my favorite bowl, grabbed a tea spoon, sat down in front of my NCIS friends, and enjoyed a brand new gourmet delight. It shall be known as crème de pois avec nouilles et poulet (French for creamed peas with noodles and chicken).
Folks, I’ve got this cooking thing down to a fine science.
If you are thinking of dropping by at dinner time, please let me know. I think I know what you might think of my new dish, so your call will give me time to get to the “to go” counter at the chicken place and back home to await your arrival. That’s what is known as “home cooking” because I’m sure all those employees at the chicken place have a home somewhere.
* I drew my inspiration for the “Acanna” Method from an old “Blondie” cartoon strip. Dagwood comes home and finds a note from Blondie about how to heat up the leftovers in the fridge. The last panel shows him sitting at the table, eating with a spoon from a can, the lid with jagged edges bent back, and saying, “Wives think their husbands are so helpless.”
** I have a package of chicken seasoning left over from the Ramen soup. Who knows what that will lead to? Stay tuned for more from the new chef on the block.