As the cook in the family, I try to make sure everyone gets fed and that there are leftovers for later. Most of my cooking happens by touch, smell, and timing these days, which works surprisingly well. It had been a busy day, and I had set aside six pork chops to cook in the electric skillet. I gathered everything I needed: cream of mushroom soup, freshly sliced mushrooms, milk, and all-purpose seasoning salt.
Everything was going well. I seared the pork chops in olive oil, then flipped them over after a minute. Next came the mushrooms, seasoning, soup, and a splash of milk. On the side, I was making mashed potatoes and canned corn. I opened the can of corn and cooked it in the microwave. The mashed potatoes came out just right, not too much milk and extra butter the way my family likes it.
I had a meeting to rush off to, so once everything was finished, I quickly ate dinner and headed to my computer. A little later, my wife walked in and asked, “Why are the pork chops so pink?”
Now, this wasn’t the first time I’d accidentally grabbed the wrong ingredient. There was the time I made macaroni and cheese with chocolate milk. For the record, I do not recommend it. Scrambled eggs made with chocolate milk aren’t much better.
So when my wife asked about the pork chops, I had a sinking feeling. A quick trip back to the kitchen confirmed my suspicion.
It turns out I had used tomato soup instead of cream of mushroom soup. I probably should have taken the extra time to scan the can with my barcode reader before dumping it into the skillet. The sad part is that I didn’t notice while I was eating.
A good cook is always willing to try new things. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a five-star restaurant kind of day. Still, I’ll keep experimenting. Who knows? Maybe someday I’ll stumble across a combination that actually deserves to be called a new recipe and brings your taste buds something truly enjoyable.
Until then, I recommend scanning the can before you season the pork chops.
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