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Interesting Combination

I've mentioned here and there that the Mild Wife is a really good cook. I mean, I try to pull my weight and I have a trick or two up my sleeve, but I can't quite make up the differential in time and reps that the Mild Wife has. Basically, she's put in a lot of effort into honing her craft in the kitchen, and it shows.

I'm leading with that only because it's the only explanation I can find for some of her inspirations. It's not so much that she's imaginative, it's more that she has inklings that certain ingredients will taste good together. I firmly believe that a good part of the reason for this is that she has worked with these ingredients enough to truly get a grasp on their flavors.

Think about it; if you're a carpenter, your experience gives you a good idea what type of wood or nails are best for a particular project. If you then have to build something you've never made before, you can probably guess which materials you could apply. Heck, you might even do something unconventional that still manages to be structurally sound.

I think the same basic principle applies here; the Mild Wife has a really, really good grasp of her materials. There have been times when she has chosen to combine ingredients in ways that had never occurred to me, but I'll be darned if it doesn't work. Honestly, at this point, I'm no longer surprised, and I just nod along when it happens. I mean, if it's not broke, why fix it?

Still, I think one of the latest fun mixes is my favorite of all time. I realize that's high praise, but I will let the picture speak for itself:
See if you can pick out the unconventional ingredient

In case you missed it, those are dumplings in the salad. I repeat: there are dumplings in the salad. I don't just mean those little tortilla strips or pieces of the filling, I mean actual, whole dumplings in the salad. And you know what? It was flippin' delicious.

Seriously, how many of you would have ever thought to put dumplings in a salad? I know I certainly wouldn't have until I saw the Mild Wife do it. It was also tasty enough that it has quickly become one of my favorite salads, pretty much ever.

In fact, I was so amused that I shared the picture with a few mutual friends. My favorite response was something like, "that looks good. It's probably the only way I would actually eat salad. I fully approve." If that doesn't tell you how genius an idea this is, I don't know what will.

Mastering her ingredients indeed.
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