A Peek Inside the Parsonage

I have no idea why I’m always tempted to try a new recipe for company or an important event.  The one thing I do know is that this started very early in my marriage.  We had only been married for a month, when I decided I would celebrate our first month anniversary with a knock-it-out dinner for my new husband.  I was taking Good Housekeeping Magazine at the time and had found some recipes with pictures that looked like the perfect choice for a menu that would “wow” him! 

Thirty years later, the recipe name alone would be enough to make me flip the page in horror, but the picture of the dish looked colorful and appealing so I fell went for it.  What did I make?  Lasagna Broccoli Roll-Ups!  I know, it’s a nasty combination.  Live and learn.  Let me describe the dish – you take a cooked lasagna noodle and place a mixture of broccoli and Ricotta Cheese on  it, then you roll it up and place it in a baking dish.  A spaghetti sauce is poured over all and it’s then placed in the oven to bake until it’s bubbly.  In my memory it looked good.  Tasting it was another story.

My husband came to the candlelit table that was set with our wedding china and crystal.  We eagerly spooned the dish onto our plates and took a bite.  Oh my goodness.  It was DRY.  That Ricotta Cheese was expanding in our mouths like a sponge.  My husband’s description of it (later) was, “Have you ever had something in your mouth that got bigger the longer you chewed it?”  He was a perfect gentleman, not saying anything, but dutifully chewing, smiling and nodding.  What relief came across his face when he heard me say, “This is terrible.  Let’s just eat the salad and bread!”  We did just that.  I’ve been terrified of recipes since then that call for Ricotta Cheese, though I’m sure not all are bad.  It’s just too scary to even try!  It would be like returning to the scene of the crime! 
Do you have an ingredient that you’re afraid to eat or cook with because of a bad experience? 

From the kitchen of my parsonage,