7/20/2006 03:09:00 PM|||Jenny|||

For me, the perfect meal is never one that I cook myself. When I'm the cook, it's always too salty, too hot, too dry, too something. Worse, I am always stuck doing the dishes and cleanup.

Much, much better is the meal that arrives at the door, completely cooked and ready to be served to the hungry family. A few weeks ago, I was treated to not one, but 10 such meals, all in a row. It was like a week in paradise.

Each day, trays of salad, of pasta, of rice, chicken, fish and vegetables arrived. Each dish was an adventure, a dish I had never ever tasted before, prepared in a way that I had never even thought of preparing it.

Besides being utterly thankful for the cooking expertise of others, I was especially pleased at the cooking lessons that were folded into these meals. For example, a friend who is Chinese brought over three large Ziploc bags. One was filled with rice that was lightly sprinkled with soy sauce. The second bag was filled with perfectly diced carrots and celery and tiny cubes of pork. Delicious.

The third bag was even more interesting, as it held a stir fry of chicken and tofu. I have yet to secure the recipe for this, but I fully intend to get it. It was a dish that celebrated the simple goodness of good food. Both the chicken and tofu were pleasantly salty, and slightly sauced. Just in case you don't know, adding tofu to this dish turns it from being simply healthy into a nutritional powerhouse -- a perfect prescription for anyone who is slightly iron-deficient. Tofu has three times more iron in it than beef, which is what most people reach for when they think they need a boost of iron. I can't wait to add this dish to my repertoire.

More dishes that intrigued me included a simple chicken dish that was dressed with caramelized onions and a barbecue-like sauce that was sweet and savory at the same time. Everyone loved this dish, and even though I rarely like sweet-savory combos, I loved it too. My daughter's favorite, and therefore one that I need to master, was the
tortellini soup, a simple soup made with cannellini beans, tortellini, bits of chicken, beef broth and fresh basil. The soup can be topped with cheese, but my daughter preferred it plain.

The one dish that I'm not sure I would make often -- mainly because I know it must have taken hours to make -- were these incredibly delicious, healthy, creative chile rellenos. The large roasted poblanos were stuffed with cheese mixed with chicken that kind of melted into a sauce. But that's not all. On top of that was a mix of shredded zucchini and tomato sauce. These were beautiful and delicious enough to be served in the finest restaurant. We felt so spoiled!

Now, I'm back to the stove, cooking for my family once again. Last night it was bottled sauce on pasta. The night before, pizza that I did not make myself. Before that, Indian wraps from a great little place down the boulevard. I did cook rice to go with. Tonight? I'm pretty sure it will include cucumbers from the garden because that's what we have on hand.

-- Jolene Thym

|||115343376069197794|||Perfect meal