Bang Bang Fizzle

Think fast...when is NOT a good time to start a food blog...exactly. Right before lots and lots of travel. Not that it was exactly in the books. Yet it happened. But!!! Tonight, I am back in the kitchen!!! Cue excitement!

I will gladly admit I am a cheat. I actually think it's just efficient. "Borrow" other people's ideas, then give them a twist or a flair of my own. Cooking is my primary arena for borrowing, and I seem to have a knack for finding recipes that turn out really fabulous. Most of the time.

When I evaluate a recipe, I look at many factors. Ingredients. Equipment. Number of steps. But let's focus on ingredients for now. There are a few ingredients out there that always give me pause. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes I'll "call and audible" without even trying the documented play because I just can't 'see' it. Sometimes I'm like "eh, what the heck, let's roll with it".

Tonight was one of those "eh, what the heck, let's roll with it" nights. And mayonnaise was one of those ingredients. And it didn't work. At least not for me. I followed the recipe precisely. I used measuring cups and everything.

By all appearances it turned out well. But the mayonnaise. Just. Sigh.

Mayonnaise is one of those flavors that either blends in well, or sticks out like a sore thumb. And in this instance, it's a sore thumb. I loved all other aspects of the dish. It was pleasantly spicy, and the shrimp was cooked perfectly, with the paprika giving it just a hint of smoke. But I just tasted mayonnaise in the sauce, and it wasn't yummy. Let's be honest. I ate all the shrimp and left the pasta.

I noted this recipe was slightly adapted, and looking at the source cited, I plan to give the alternate - Greek yogurt - a try the next time I make this. I believe this has a lot of potential, and it was fast to cook up and get on the table - perfect for a night when you're craving home cooked, but can't bear to be in the kitchen for more than 20 minutes.

And I promise. Even if I'm on the road, I won't go another week posting nothing. I had some good food and interesting experiences on my work trip. I'll talk about those soon.