Better Date Than Never

      With every recipe there is a lesson learned, the fun comes when you learn a lesson that is unexpected...
      I chose my recipe for last week's dinner based on simplicity (rule #1-as few ingredients/steps as possible).  Of course it did require ingredients that are NOT naturally found in my pantry (Note: things commonly found in my pantry include black beans, power bars, instant oatmeal and york peppermint patties).  So off I went in search of my 3 ingredients to Whole Foods on a SATURDAY!!!  OMG! HUGE MISTAKE!!!
     Now I know what the rest of Memphis does on Saturday-they go to Whole Foods.  It was so crowded, the check out lines trailed down the shopping aisles and threatened to reach the back of the store.   For a minute I was tempted to throw down my list of 3 ingredients and stomp back out cursing my beloved city for not having a properly sized Whole Foods (but that is another blog post for another day).  Alas, I could not claim defeat, because I had invited Lana to come with me. We'd come all this way for the promise of organic produce and a greener life.  So we were committed to seeing this project through. (At least I wasn't going to be the one to say "uncle").  So we decided to ease into the organic madness by starting at the smoothie counter.  I got the Green Genie. Wow.  Empowered by wheat grass and other green genie stuff, we accepted our fate and settled into the bustle and flow of Whole Foods. And so it went.  I bought my three ingredients among many other things.

      I will say that if you are making a recipe that only requires a few ingredients, then it is important to make sure that those few ingredients are high quality ingredients...

So here it is the recipe for Bacon Wrapped Dates with Parmesan a la Perfect Party Food by Diane Phillips:




1) Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until it has rendered some fat and begins to turn translucent; don't let it brown at all.  Remove from the pan and drain thoroughly on paper towels.

Exhibit A

2.) Make a slit in each date and stuff with a small piece of cheese. (I'm going to add here to take out the pit--for those other novices out there, who like me may not have inferred that right away).  Wrap in a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick if needed.  (Haven't found organic toothpicks yet.  Am I the first person to think of this?) Place the wrapped dates in a baking dish.

Exhibit B

3.)  Preheat the oven to 375 F and bake the dates until the bacon is crisp, 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove from the oven, drain the dates on paper towels and set on a platter for serving.  Thin shreds of any leftover Parmesan make an awesome garnish.

I realize that my photog skills need work.  Next!

Again for the novice cook who needs explicit directions (me), I would like to add for the record that once the bacon has crisped up you should take the toothpicks out before serving them.

Ta Da!!--No these are not pigs in a blanket!

SEE!  They're dates in a blanket!  Oh la la!

I thought the dates were deliciously sweet and almost could have been a desert!  But the real moral of this story is:

Don't go to Whole Foods on a SATURDAY!  Never again!