balsamic.carrots

When I started cooking, I stuck with what I liked. I learned to make my mom's classic dishes, like lasagna better known as pasticcio at home, and basic things like rice and chicken. As I started venturing out on my own, and reading cookbooks, I made dishes I already knew I liked.

My sole objective was making whatever it was that I liked even better, mixing different recipes, substituting ingredients and adding a few unexpected ingredients to the mix, all this worked really well, but I needed a challenge.

That's how I started experimenting with things I didn't enjoy so much, like petit pois, or ginger, or carrots. I now like petit pois and ginger, especially ginger, very much. The only thing I still can't get around to eating are olives, and it is not because I don't give them a chance, I do, I really do, I try them at every chance I get, I even tried them in Morocco, I just don't like them. So, if you have any good recipes involving olives that you think I would like, you know how to reach me (clue: look for the bananas).

I also post this in light of the controversy over Jessica Seinfeld's (Jerry Seinfelds's wife) book 'Deceptively Delicious', which is all about making children eat better by hiding things like spinach (eew) in brownies, which is not only deceptive, it's also sad. I am sure most kids would eat spinach in say, raviolis? There are better ways to nourrish your children, than fooling them into thinking they can eat whatever they want.

By putting spinach in the brownies, you are just ruining the brownies! How about... (just a thought here) the classic... "No, brownies, until you eat-your-dinner!" that seemed to work fine with my generation. Oh, and the controversy surrounding the book is not about the insane premise of this book, it is about plagiarism (!) , turns out someone else thought about this too, poor kids.

Anyway I got carried away with the spinach brownies back there (greenies?). Returning to my carrots, this was the dish that brought carrots back into my life. It also made me realize, that I didn't have a problem with carrots, I actually like them, what I dislike are boiled soggy carrots. I like to eat this as a snack over crackers, it also makes a good side dish.

R E C I P E

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 julienned onion
3 shredded carrots
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

Once you have your onion and carrots ready, heat a large pan add the olive oil and sautee the onion until it becomes translucent. Add the carrots, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and cook mixing frequently for about 7 minutes until they are done. Aside from the heat, add the balsamic vinegar and toss well. Serve it warm or at room temperature.

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