Griddle Monster...

 

I grew up cooking for myself.  I didn't like to cook (usually didn't know what I was doing), and didn't particularly enjoy what I cooked... but, ya gotta eat.   Joan, on the other hand, grew up in a big family that sat down for meals together; she learned to cook, and she does an excellent job with our meals.

After getting the propane griddle this past winter, I was determined to learn how to use it and hopefully take some of the cooking duties off Joan.  It has been a learning process, and in that process I find I enjoy the cooking... taking some satisfaction when it all turns out like you think it should.  I have had to learn "timing": figuring out what takes the longest to cook, starting with that, and using the temperature to try to make things finish at the same time.  Like playing a chess game, only you get to get the stuff when you're done.

I credit much of this transformation to the griddle... and YouTube.  If I'm going to make something I haven't tried before, I take a few minutes to research it on "the Tube."  No two posters on there do it the same, but it gives me an idea.

This morning, Joan requested "bacon, eggs, sausage, and pancakes."  We talked about it before digging into the project.  I am fortunate that Joan does the prep work, getting me the ingredients I need, all on one tray that I can carry out to the griddle.  Then, it's up to me to make the meal work out.  After we eat, I clean the griddle while she starts on the dishes.  That breakfast this morning was one of my best - I made small quantities of each: 1 strip of bacon each, one sausage patty, one egg, and one pancake.  The thing that really pulled it all together was a little dollop of last night's cheesy potatoes, really tasty as a bed for the over-easy egg.  If you haven't tried that, I fully recommend it.

As we finished putting away the dishes, Joan said, "You'll have to make that same breakfast again tomorrow, but use the electric griddle to see if it all tastes the same.  I'm kinda looking forward to it.

Tonight's menu: prime rib.  No, I won't be using the griddle.  ;-)