Cooking at 7200

     I recently I drove to Laramie Wyoming to visit my son and daughter in law. As usual, when we get together we cook. We try new techniques  and recipes that we think will compete or beat restaurant meals. I believe that we were successful with our attempts this time. Although it took me awhile to adjust to cooking at a high altitude. It takes a longer time or hotter temp to complete your dish. First up, Ty.

    Ty was anxious to show me a new technique. He used a Sous Vide to cook a Prime Rib Roast. A Sous Vide device brings your dish to a perfect temperature in a vacuum sealed bag in water and holds it there until you are ready. In this case it was a rib roast. After reaching the assigned temp he then seasoned the roast and seared all sides to finish. For a beef eater this was outstanding. I can see a Sous Vide device in my kitchen soon.

    I had a Cooks Country magazine from Feb/Mar 2020 with me to try some new recipes. I made their Italian Meatloaf. Their claim is that an Italian meatloaf is like an oversized meatball so cook it in the sauce as you would meatballs. This winning recipe was paired with a Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower recipe from the same magazine. This side dish was really simple to make and quite flavorful it will be a regular for my future meals. Of course there were leftovers for an Italian Meatloaf Sandwich the next day.

    Ty had to be away on business for a day so I made Samantha and I a fish dish based on a recipe from the magazine. I poached Flounder on a Leek Compote. I have used leeks in soups but had never had it as a side on its own. It was cooked with garlic, white wine and chicken broth. Then the fish was placed on top  and poached.

    I next made Yellowstone Chili. You may ask why Yellowstone? Ty's friend Marc ( the most avid outdoorsman I have met) was lucky enough by lottery to get a permit to hunt Bison. He harvested one near Yellowstone Park. I chose to make Chili with some of the Bison he shared with us. The recipe said this would be thick with almost no liquid remaining at the end as it is thickened with a corn muffin mix. This was an unusual technique for me but one I'll use again. Before I left Wyoming Marc and his wife gave me a selection of wild game that I haven't cooked with before. I hope to make some special dishes with them. Next time I get to Wyoming I hope I can cook for Marc and his family.

    For my finale I made a dish that didn't go over so good. Yes, I got "chopped". Maybe I can redeem myself next time. These are definitely carnivores that I cook for!