Day 18: Dishing out the flavor…
“LOVE: A word properly applied to our delight in particular kinds of food; sometimes metaphorically spoken of the favorite objects of all our appetites.”
Food has to be “one” of the greatest simple pleasures to responsibly indulge in. There is something so gratifying when you take a bite of rich chocolate cake, or a buttery croissant. Of course, there is also the “Every now and again” greasy cheeseburger that has to be a requirement to help anyone find their smile.
Which leads me to this evening’s Quest to make a new recipe and see if it could be added to the list of simple pleasures. This is a recipe that I have never made before and not a difficult challenge by any means. I chose to make stuffed portabella mushrooms. The stuffing was a combination of low fat cream cheese, onions, peppers, fresh parmesan cheese, rosemary, garlic, cayenne pepper, stuffing mix and yes, some melted butter drizzled on top… No, certainly nothing healthy about this recipe, but the intent was to awaken the taste buds, satiate the hunger and perhaps even create desire for just one more bite…
The preparation was quick… simply wash and de-stem the portabella mushrooms, mix the stuffing, fill the mushrooms, drizzle with melted butter and bake @350 for 30 min. The aroma of garlic and rosemary permeated the air and the butter made my mouth salivate as I anxiously awaited the oven timer going off. Finally, the mushrooms were cooked and I placed one on my dinner plate.
I waited for the mushroom to cool and slowly cut a small portion off and took the first bite. The cream cheese and parmesan melted in my mouth to reveal the rosemary and garlic flavors. In the end, I could taste the bite that the cayenne pepper had to offer. The mushroom had a delicate taste and I found myself quickly cutting another piece to indulge in. It took about five bites for my brain to finally come out of the simple pleasure fog that it was immersed in, to remind me that this indulgence did follow that one evil rule, “A moment on the lips, is a lifetime on the hips”…. It was then that I took just a couple more bites to revel in this sinful creation and remind myself of the miles I will have to run to work these calories off in the morning… As with any great love of being or thing, there are no regrets, only moments to savor and another simple pleasure to add to the list.
Enjoyed every flavorful bite tonight… Wondering what tomorrow will bring!!!
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