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The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va., Brian Kiehl Real Flavor Column: Use Sauce to Spice Up Your Food

Posted on: Wednesday, 15 February 2006, 09:00 CST

By Brian Kiehl Real Flavor, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

Feb. 15--AS A PASTOR I ponder a lot of things: faith, love, life and -- food? And the question I have been trying to answer as of late is "Is it the sauce or not?" Now you probably expect more from a pastor, but the fact is, I'm always hungry. And recently, I've realized I'm always hungry for things with sauce. A hot dog with hot chili sauce from Hometown Dogs (the one outside of Westover, entering Granville) A Big Mac with "special sauce." Chicken wings dipped in garlic butter. This obsession goes way beyond so called "junk" food. I crave chicken marsala (flourcoated chicken breast braised in a mixture of marsala wine, butter, olive oil, mushrooms and spices), steak diane (filet mignon in a creamy brown sauce with mushrooms, shallots and garlic) and grilled chicken with a roasted red pepper sauce. If it has a sauce, I eat it. So my question is -- Do I like the sauce or the food that is under it? Why don't I just order the sauce? "Could I have some special sauce please?" The answer I think is simple -- it is the sauce -- but it's not. If you are like my mother-in-law, you can eat all your food plain, no sauce. Chicken is chicken. Just eat it! Noodles are noodles. Slurp them down! But if that's what you decide to do, you're just not living life the way you were meant to live. (Now I like my mother-inlaw, I really do, I just think she is missing out on so much in life.) But as I ponder this deep, profound question of life, I think the answer is found when we understand life itself. Is life meant to be enjoyed or just endured? Of course, the answer is obvious. We are meant to enjoy life to the fullest. (What I mean by that is best saved for a column on theological issues.) However, for me, this whole philosophy of life trickles down even to the food I eat. I don't want to eat to survive. I want to enjoy every bite I eat. Now obviously, there are things I enjoy without sauce. No A-1 for me. But for the most part, I want something with sauce, because for me, it adds flare, it adds spice -- it adds excitement to life. So here's my challenge for you, decide for yourself. Is it the sauce -- or not? Warm a little brown sugar and orange juice and put it over your ham or pork loin. Take a little bit of hot sauce and mix it with some ranch dressing and put it over your chicken. Sauce doesn't have to be difficult. It can be easy and fun at the same time. If you have the Internet at home, look up a sauce recipe at foodnetwork.com before you eat. It will take you only a minute. I am willing to bet you will enjoy cooking and eating a lot more if you take my challenge. Enjoy yourself! GRILLED CHICKEN WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE 4 grilled boneless chicken breasts 2 red peppers 1 cup of heavy cream Salt and pepper This little recipe will blow your mind. Your taste buds will explode. Before you grill your chicken, rub the red peppers in olive oil and grill until the peppers are black. Cool the peppers down in a brown bag and then peel the peppers and take out the seeds. (Save all the juices.) Place the peppers in a saucepan with all the juices and salt and pepper and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. When the peppers are tender, puree in a blender. Return the thick puree back to the pan and add the heavy cream. Reduce the sauce on low heat.

Serve on top of your grilled chicken. The chicken and sauce is also great over a bed of seasoned penne pasta with mixed vegetables cooked in garlic and olive oil. BRIAN KIEHL is pastor of New Beginnings Community Church in Westover and a member of The Dominion Post Food Panel. Contact him at food@dominionpost.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

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Source: The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.)

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