Cooking with Coley

Once upon a time, in a land of culinary bliss, every cooking venture was a success.  Nothing ever burned. Nothing was ever too salty.  Everything was perfect. Unfortunately, I’m not living that fairytale.

And while I’d like to think I’ve mastered some dishes and hit the ball out of the park with some others, that’s not always the case. We all mess up, ok maybe not everyone. I don’t know if Giada messes up or Rocco, but I sure do. I’d like to share some of the dishes over the past year that just didn’t make the cut to be featured on Cooking with Coley. They sure did look pretty though.

Note: no recipes are included, nor will they be until I’ve “conquered” the dish.  Recipes for lackluster dishes would hurt the integrity of the blog.

Lobster and Shrimp Risotto with Asparagus Those of you who watch any cooking competitions like Top Chef know that risotto is one of those uber tricky dishes to get right. I only tried it once, and I fell victim to its level of difficulty. While it was still yummy and my guests enjoyed it (I guess it’s hard not to enjoy fresh lobster and shrimp dishes), the consistency was just off.  This, however,  won’t be my last venture into risotto…

Braised Short Ribs with Garlic Mash Short ribs are one of those meats that I just love.  It’s hard not to order them when I see them on a menu.  Although fatty in nature and not all that healthy, I cannot resist their sweet and savory melt-in-your-mouth appeal.  I was dying to try them at home. Although they were tasty, I rushed the dish and didn’t allow for enough braising time.  As a result, they didn’t fall off the bone.  Next time, I’ll allot more time.

Steak Fajitas Steak Fajitas Nothing really went wrong here.  Steak fajitas were just  boring and the picture didn’t show off any added flair, so I just passed on including this.