Push Push Push

I was standing at my stove this afternoon, making something for us to eat over the next two "fright" days (days where we are all going in different directions) and I realized that, food-wise, I do push my kids to try new things.  We aren't a "meat and potatoes"-only family.  I am constantly on the lookout for new recipes, new meals to serve, and, frankly, I just expect my family to follow me.

That backfires on me sometimes.  I get all gung-ho about a new taste/flavor, find the recipe, shop for the ingredients, cook the meal and then, just as it's ready to hit the table, this feeling washes over me...I'm not sure they're gonna like this....oh oh.

This happened last summer ('10).

Summer of 2010 was the summer of our kitchen renovation.  By the time July hit, the kitchen was completely demolished and there was literally no end in sight.  I had no stove, no table, no counter top; the microwave was in the hallway, we washed dishes in the bathroom, the fridge was in the dining room.  Everything on the main floor was covered in a thick layer of poly and dust.  We walked on bare wood and lived day to day around the presence of the carpenter and his help.  I remember taking a shower one morning, trying to get that done before the carpenters arrived.  Right as I lathered up, the carpenter arrived, let himself in the front door and proceeded to do some work right outside the bathroom door.  Ohhh, there were some crazy days.

Now, for a foodie like me, you can imagine that the culinary side of me started to suffer from neglect.  A co-worker brought something that she had made to work one day and raved about this new cookbook she was cooking through.  So, my neglected little culinary psyche went and purchased the cookbook and sat for hours on end, at the beach, camping, anywhere, reading through the recipes and dreaming of being able to cook in a fully functioning kitchen again. 

When it was time to go away to the lake, I made an ambitious list of things that I wanted to cook while camping and started to prepare a few things out of the new cookbook.

One recipe stood out in my mind and I was so excited to serve it for supper on one of the first nights at the lake.  The boys seemed excited to try it out and I got busy making it.  Not the easiest recipe to prepare at the lake, but, hey, I was used to no kitchen at home.  Just to eat something new and exciting was worth the humongous extra effort that this recipe required.

I imagine that, by the time we sat down to eat, I was tired from the overly ambitious recipe.  However, freshly cooked food!  Who would not be excited about that????!!!!!

Well.

Um.

One of my boys, who shall remain nameless, was not excited.  At all.

I served the dish and was promptly, VERY promptly, met with "I don't really like that."

"What?  How could you NOT like that?  What's the matter with you?  Try it again!!!!"  .......  push, push, push.

"No, Mom.  It tastes funny.  I thought I would like it but it's too ... {hot, spicy, flavorful, you know}".

And, being the mature person that I am, I handled his feedback extremely well.

I got up and left the table.

I took my plate and walked all the way down to the beach, by myself, and ate my supper, by myself, and watched the sun set over the lake, by myself.  In silence.

Methinks I didn't handle that very well.

After awhile, Said Son appeared at my table-for-one and apologized for his discouraging words/attitude.  Apparently, back at the campsite, the dishes were being done and supper was being cleaned up, and there was an apologetic attitude from the male crew, even though the other 2 had been complimentary.  And so I returned, rather sheepishly.

Was that new and exciting recipe worth all of that drama?  Probably not.  I do need a reminder now and then that you can't force people to be adventurous in the taste department.  And, try as I might, not all of my experiments are great.  ;)

Anyway, to make this long story have a point, today I decided to make that very same recipe for myself to take to work for meals over the weekend.  I had no expectations to share the meal, except with Mr. Dean, who could partake of some, IF he so chose.  I picked up a few items at the store this afternoon and started to prep the food after school.

Said Son walked by, asked what I was making, and then said "You're making that again?  I LOVE those!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

HUH?????????


Ginger-Pork Spring Rolls

1/4 cup hoisin sauce (Asian aisle)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp Asian chili-garlic sauce (Asian aisle)
1/4 cup water
1 bag coleslaw mix (or your own blend, it's cheaper, of cabbage and carrot, grated/thinly sliced)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 pound ground pork
thumb size (or less) piece of fresh ginger, grated  (fresh ginger is a fairly powerful flavor, so start with small amounts and increase if you wish)
12 rice paper wrappers (Asian aisle)

Combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce and water.  In another bowl, combine cabbage/carrots and half of the green onions.  Toss with a bit of the hoisin mixture.

Cook the pork in a skillet (no need to add salt).  When nearly cooked, add 1/2 of the hoisin sauce mixture, the other half of the green onions and the grated ginger and cook until fragrant.

Add the pork mixture to the cabbage mixture and toss to mix.  *If you want to add a bit to this recipe, cook a handful of rice noodles (fine noodles) and toss this with the meat/cabbage mixture*.

One by one, soak the rice paper wrappers in warm water until soft (about 10 seconds).  Spread out on a towel or cutting board.  Arrange about 1/2 cup filling on each wrapper.  Fold in the sides and then roll up tightly, like a taco.

To serve, I mixed a bit of peanut butter in with the remaining hoisin sauce mixture - dip the rolls in the sauce.  Serve room temperature or cold.

Not the easiest recipe to prepare but well worth the extra effort!  The ingredients listed as being available in the Asian aisle are really not hard to find.  There are so many cool things to explore in the foreign food departments!

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