We started this week’s cooking adventure with high, serene hopes that we had not bitten off more than we could chew. Who could know that the simple act of spooning a cup of mayo into a mason jar would nearly bring down the operation? Now, you might be wondering what a cup of mayo is doing in a meal of fajitas and corn salad, and you’d be right to ask, but if you focus on philosophical questions of where mayo does and doesn’t belong, you will miss the essence of today’s Ben’s Day Wednesday.
Ben found the picture of the “puffitas” (Ben’s pronunciation of fajitas) in his new cookbook, Hope’s Table. It is an excellent cookbook, but it isn’t exactly the one I would consult for Mexican food, given that it is written by a Mennonite, but the heart wants what it wants, and Ben obviously wanted fajitas. The recipe involved cutting vast quantities of chicken thighs into strips and marinating them (a mom job, but I was on board) and then cooking the chicken with the marinade, covered, over medium heat. I knew this would result in more steaming than charring, but I’m always willing to try a new technique. However, the most unique aspect of the dish was Hope’s suggestion to serve the fajitas with her homemade ranch dressing. Enter the mayonnaise.
The thought bubble over my head, as we embarked on the ranch dressing, would have read, “How efficient it will be to just spoon some mayo into a mason jar, up to the one cup mark, then add in half a cup of buttermilk, the other ingredients, and shake.”
The thought bubble over Ben’s head may have read, “I’ve got this… Wait. This is harder than it looks. Oops! Well, that’s not good.”
The thought bubble over the mayo may have read, “You’ll never take me alive!!!! Never!!!!!”
Mayo was EVERYWHERE. The teacher in me made me hold off from intervening while Ben struggled for maybe three Mississippis, to build resilience or something, but I finally jumped in with paper towels, “I can’t take this anymore!”
“Oh, thank goodness,” a relieved Ben responded, knowing he was in over his head.
So, that was how the first ingredient, in the first of three recipes, set the tone for the evening. You think you can scare me, charred veggies? Think again. I’ve seen horrors you can only imagine.
I must admit, the ranch dressing was delicious, and made an interesting addition to the fajitas. Here is Hope Helmuth’s recipe:
Ranch Dressing
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
In a small bowl, mix ingredients together well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
The hit of the night was Jeff Mauro’s Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/grilled-mexican-street-corn-salad-5288984
