She Wouldn't Be Stopped

She had never cooked lamb.  It was Easter and she did it!

Hold your applause.

As late as Saturday morning before, out picking up Easter plants she made the meat market her next stop.  The butcher grabbed her attention as she stood somewhat near wondering if she shouldn’t get a whole fish, “can I help you?” he asked, and that was it. 

“I want to cook lamb,” she blurted.  He stared, obviously needing more information than that and she knew it so quickly added, “Leg of lamb, do you have one?”

A best friend from years ago, Louise, would cook leg of lamb every Easter. 

“I’ve never cooked lamb,” she told the butcher, talking too much maybe but thinking her words might help him make a better selection for her.

He reached into the glass-enclosed compartment of stacked leg of lamb options, lifted up his choice (she could see it was partially frozen) but seemed a smaller one.

“How much?”   

He positioned the icy leg on the scale and turned to her, “$48.00.”

“Hmmmm,” she heard her thinking escape as a response.   Not heard were the words shaped in her mind,  “It’s too expensive for a novice. What can I do?” I really want to fix lamb.”  But the butcher must have known her dilemma, for he suggested she check the packaged meats farther down the aisle for other cuts of lamb.

She brought home four lamb shoulder blade chops, found a baked lamb recipe in her tablet, with video instructions, and got busy.

The chops had to marinate for 1-2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.   She wanted her Easter meal on Easter so 2 hours it would be. 

It was a red wine marinate.  The only red wine in the house was a bottle stored in the dining room – been there for years.  Could it be too old?  Online research said the 1983 burgundy was not drinkable, didn’t say she shouldn’t cook with it. 

She needed rosemary leaves, 2 tablespoons of chopped or dried. She had dried . . . half that required . . . so oregano filled the gap.

Didn’t have a head of garlic.  She substituted, from a bag in the refrigerator, used 6 or 7 peeled garlic pieces.

She had the called for sweet potatoes and a fine large onion.  No creativity needed.

It looked good going into the oven at just after 9 pm.  Directions said to bake 40 minutes; securely covered with aluminum foil only the first 20 minutes.   At that time frame the potatoes were practically raw.  She went through several time-consuming foil on/foil off sequences before determining her dish was done.

She cooked her lamb 30 minutes longer than instructed.

The lamb was not tasty and very tough. 

The onions were tough. 

The sweet potatoes were delicious.

She ate her Easter dinner and completed the kitchen clean up just minutes before midnight.  And she had fixed lamb.  She was happy.

                   +     +     +     +     +     +     +

     She was not pleased to have used a 32-year-old bottle of wine.  (She’s thrilled she didn’t get sick.)

     She was not pleased to have freely ‘substituted’ ingredients. 

     She would not, again, select lamb shoulder blade chops.  
     She would not overcook lamb and everything else, in pursuit of a properly cooked potato.

     Creativity should not have compromised good sense.