For my last “Cooking at Home” assignment I served three dishes, For my appetizer I made Sun-Dried Tomato Pâté, for the side dish I made Broccoli Red Pepper and Feta Toss, and for the main course, I made Meatball Soup. I had reasons for making each dish, the appetizer I feel represented my adventurous nature because I never have eaten or made any thing like that before. My side dish represented my family, because this dish is very similar to concoctions my mom has made before. The main course to me represented my passion for skiing, because every time my family and I go to the ski hill my ante makes that soup.

Before I started cooking the meal I imagined what each dish would be like. I wanted the meatballs in the soup to be tender and not over cooked. The broth to have a rich smell and taste, the meatballs to look round and even and the broth clear. For the salad I imagined the bell peppers to stand out in the bed of broccoli, the vinegar to add an unexpected zing to the dish, broccoli to be perfectly cooked, and the smell of the salad to be subtle. Lastly for the appetizer, I expected the spread to be colourful red, the basil to accent the strong taste of sun dried tomatoes, the baguette to be crisp and the smell of garlic to be subtle.

While making the meals, I realized that I was demonstrating important skills. One example was my knife skills which have improved greatly through out this course. I remember, for my first cooking at home assignment my slices were uneven and incredibly slow. Although I have much to learn I now know the difference between chopped, diced and minced. Another skill I demonstrated was perseverance, I worked hard throughout the dish to get the finish it in time for dinner. I also tried to be precise with my measurements.

In the end I was pleased with how the dishes turned out. The tomato spread was creamy, the flavours were perfectly balanced, the colour was a beautiful pale orange and the smell was not too powerful. For the salad the broccoli was cooked just the way I wanted, and the colour was not as vibrant as I expected but beautiful all the same, and the balsamic vinegar cut through the subtle flavors. The soup’s chewy gnocchi added a contrast to the tender meatballs, the bright yellow broth provide a cheeriness to the dish, and the taste was rich but also warming.

In conclusion my meal turned out different then expected, but not bad. The appetizer had a creamier taste then I imagined, the side dish did not look like the photograph in the cookbook, and the I completely forgot about the main dish’s gnocchi. If I made something like this again, I would make more evenly sized meatballs