RAIN, COOKING, RAIN, COOKING, MORE RAIN

Marty and I have always been into cooking. We each have meals that are "ours" to cook. We have meals that we cook together. And then there are the everyday meals, loser cooks tonight. We are cooking more and eating out less. Maybe for two reasons: the economy, the rain.

I don't want to think about the economy, so on to the rain. And we have rain again. The dark days make you want to cook comfort food, and at the same time cook complex dishes. So we are doing both. In the last 2 or 3 weeks, we have had Chili Mac, Cincinnati Chili, Pool Hall Chili, just plain chili; homemade soups; pot roast; Cornish Hens; cake; Chinese meals; Mexican meals; Italian meals; and last night's killer meal. (I mean that in a good way. ) A lot of rain, a lot of lunches and dinners to cook. By the way, Cincinnati Chili is really complex flavors as is my Pool Hall Chili. So don't laugh at all the chili dishes.

As I have mentioned before, we test recipes for Cook's Illustrated. Last night was Pub Style Steak Tips in Onion Mushroom Gravy. Oh my word, it is so good. Just the aroma while cooking was wonderful. Sirloin tips cooked medium ( that was one flaw in perfection, cook those babies medium rare ) in this rich deep flavored gravy and serve it over rice. It is almost as good as a Beef Bourguignon. Yet there is no wine in it. The flavors mainly come from porcini mushrooms, the beef broth they soaked in, and soy sauce. We have leftovers in the frig and it is all I can do to stay out of it. Marty cooked the recipe as they wanted us to. The next time we will use beef tenderloin, cooked rarer and make more of the gravy. We like our rice wet with gravy.

This will be Marty's to cook. Usually we test the recipes the night before the deadline to report. Not this one, it sang out winner just reading it. He had to cook it NOW.

So Richard and Louis, when are you coming up for dinner? This is your type of meal.