Partying Like It's 1999

Back in the 20th century, I did a lot of cooking. A lot of it was because it was my job, but I also spent a lot of time cooking for myself. However, since then, I met and married Emily, and we have developed a routine that smacks of a traditional marriage. And by that I mean she cooks every night. But I am still a 21st century, sensitive new-age guy. So part of our arrangement is I always do the dishes.

This works out really well because Emily and I both agree she is a great cook, I tend to cook only things with meat, Emily hates doing the dishes and somehow is very bad cleaning them, and when I cook we sometimes end up eating at 9 p.m. But with Emily cooking our meals are more punctual, healthier, more varied, and lighter than if I was cooking.

But, I was inspired by Thirty Day Challenges taking place at The Deets' household in the Lake-8 Neighborhood of Minneapolis. So I am trying it out myself. I have challenges for January through April figured out, and will post them along with May and June, a la Deets, once I get May and June figured out.

But January's challenge has been to cook a Sunday meal, a huge dish that will have tons of leftovers. I failed to do this last Sunday, but did it today.

So today I made this pork chile verde recipe. I doubled the recipe.



I was skeptical of how it would turn out while the witch's brew simmered. But I remembered to give the food our usual blessing ("Hope it doesn't suck."). And the dish ended up being exactly as I hoped. The meat was tender, the sauce spicy, but not so spicy it drowned out the tangy goodness of the tomatillos. As an aside, only once have I neglected to bless a dish I have made with "Hope it doesn't suck." And, Emily will back me up here, this was the one time something I made really sucked.

But I digress. I think Emily liked the chile I made Sunday, just not as much as I did. But as you may predict, she found it a bit too meaty and greasy. What a pansy-ass Minnesotan she is. I'm joking of course.

And the best part for me is, tonight Emily has to clean up the kitchen and wash the dishes.