I’ve been thinking about entering the local Christmas cookie contest. I had an idea that sounded just perfect. A simple cookie that had a crunchy texture, chocolate and peanut butter, and a little spice from ground ginger plus a hint of orange. I’ve thought about this recipe for weeks. I even put all the ingredients on the counter for a couple of days to really, really think about how the ingredients would blend. I finally made them. I was quite proud because they looked appealing although a little sticky to the touch. A problem I can solve.
I happily plated the cookie and gave it to my younger son. He picked it up and didn’t like the stickiness. I told him that I would fix that and was more interested in the taste. He took one bite and the look on his face was startling. He looked at the cookie and then at me. He put the cookie up to his lips again. And then he put it back on the plate with a “I just can’t eat that.” Then he rushed to the bathroom to brush his teeth. I thought, “Really, how bad could it be? The ingredients should be perfect together.” I took a bite. Well, yes it really could be that bad. My husband then took a bite. Same reaction. Not one of us could take a second bite. Without hesitation I threw the entire batch in the trash.
You might be wondering why I’ve recounted this story. I want to remind myself and other cooks that failure is a part of this business. I’ve been cooking a long time, and I still make mistakes. What do you think I did with this recipe? I put it in my cooking notebook along with a few notes - epic failure being one of the phrases. This isn’t one that I will even try to fix, but I do want to remember what I tried. I have a completely different thought for my cookie entry. The only similarity is a subtle orange flavor. Hopefully I will have better success.
Now onto the successful recipes of the week. I would like to highlight the Blackened tilapia recipe. Blackened refers to the look of the fish after it has been cooked. The spice rub on the fish turns a dark color after it has been cooked in oil or butter. This recipe is so quick and easy and delicious. We have eaten it two weeks in a row and have decided it’s our new fish recipe for fish tacos. Experiment with the spices to make it as mild or spicy as you like.
Happy cooking and eating! Email with any thoughts or suggestions!