The Sorry Price of Left Brain Use...

I get to have a treat soon. There is a particular item which at the same time arouses many emotions in me; nostalgia, delight, giddiness, and of course... hunger. I am talking of course about meatloaf. the meal everyone knows and only a few fear (I'm guessing they eat the wrong meatloaf.) But this is a journey I had to come to on my own. A trip around my own head and back to where the heart is.

This story begins about the time I was 10 when my father told my mother that her meatloaf reminded him of dog food. Don't jump to conclusions, my father is the hardest eater to please. He wont eat anything complicated. He wont even eat chicken. Enough about him; fast foreword in time to my college years when a scent, being the strongest memory activator, reminded me of a dinner we hadn't had in years. I asked my mom why she stopped making her meatloaf that I remember so well and you can see why.

A rebirth, nay, a renaissance if you will, took place in those weeks to come. However, I am no ordinary lover of the kitchen, I am one to experiment. I will get into that later but even when I brewed beer, the style was not as important as the ingredient. The twist to make it unique, to bring out its essence. I turned this murderous eye on my poor mothers meatloaf. I made creativity upon it.

I began with the meat itself, I used pork for flavor and turkey for health. I then removed the mouthwatering sauce in favor for a bacon shell. I shrieked and laughed into the night as I made my monster and it lived... oh, it lived. But some beasts are not meant for this earth. The meat, lacking proper fat was dry, the edges thick with rendered bacon grease. Not even mashed potatoes could save this feast.

I learned a lesson that day. There are any number of ways to prepare a dish but there is only one way to do it right. Soon I will make the meatloaf as it was made by mother, with the same meat, and the same sauce. I will love it, and I will mourn the empty pan.

"If it aint broke, don't fix it." It goes to show you, that creativity is fun and all, but within reason. Ill try to keep mine under control.