From G's to Chefs - Pancheros?

The latest incarnation in my evolving efforts to talk about cooking.

So, last night was a Panchero’s night. There was a trio of evil forces at work, forcing us to dine out: 1) It was Monday. Who gets home from work on Monday, especially after the fantastic weekend we had, and has enough energy to cook? And I say that as someone who really enjoys cooking! 2) Stacia had to run some errands after work and got home a little bit late. Ordinarily we cook together, and if we only get started by 6:00, we’re not going to eat until 7:00 or so. 3) I forgot to thaw things out to cook anything anyway. I had the foresight to make an entire meal plan for the week, but with all the meat still sitting in the freezer, we couldn’t do a thing with it. So it was off to Panchero’s.

Panchero’s, for those who are not from the central Iowa area, is an analogue to Chipotle or Qdoba, but quite a bit tastier in my opinion. It’s your typical burrito-as-big-as-your-head place, a “fast-casual” joint where for about $15 we both end up satiated. It’s one of the usual standbys for dining out options, along with such other fine-dining establishments as Sonic, Tasty Tacos, and Little Caesar’s. In fact, I’d estimate almost two-thirds of our dining out trips are spent in this same “cheap out” category. I’ll readily admit that most of these places are inherently unhealthy, but we go out about once a week, so it’s nothing too serious.

This all leads to the question: as someone who enjoys cooking and likes food, why do you go out to these places and not the fanciest, hoity-toitiest restaurants in the city? Isn’t that a bit incongruous? Actually, I’d argue just the opposite. As my knowledge has increased and my skills have improved, a lot of the typical restaurant fare just isn’t impressive to me. Many times as I’ve sat at a moderately nice restaurant looking at my food, I’ve thought to myself, “I could make this. And for a lot less than $18 a plate (or whatever it was).” Which is simultaneously awesome and just a little bit sad.

First, the kinda sad part. Like almost every person in America, I like to go out to eat. It’s just a fun thing to do, going somewhere different, having people wait on you, and getting to try something new. But as I’ve continued to work at becoming a better cook, the usual fare doesn’t seem quite as spiffy as I one thought it was. Places that were once old favorites are seen in a new light, and don’t seem worth going back to. Couple that with my interest in budgeting and personal finance, and you get a stingy guy who’s unimpressed with his food. Well, you might describe me that way. I wouldn’t exactly, but it gets harder and harder to justify the price tag at the end of the evening.

Now, before you start to think “poor Greg – he can’t go out to eat anymore,” let me show you the other side of the coin: the awesome side. This means that I have the ability to create food that I feel is just as good as the stuff that other people pay professionals to make. That’s a powerful feeling, and not only in the “Greg is really full of himself” sense (although there is that, too). Thinking about cooking, it really is quite amazing. I can take a pile of raw ingredients and through nothing more than my own effort and some tools, I can transform it into something new and delicious. In a primal sense, there really is no skill more vital and extraordinary.

And remember, I started this whole blog because I felt I needed an outlet to be creative. In the kitchen, I truly feel like I am creating in a way I’ve never really experienced before. I was never any good at art, can’t sing or act, and let’s face it: my writing is pretty pedestrian. But if you give me a pile of meat, vegetables and spices, I can make something not only edible, but tasty as well. That is why I cook.

Of course I have a long way to go, and am only beginning the voyage from recipe-follower to originator. It’s like being one step above paint-by-numbers, and looking at the Louvre. I know that nothing I make can hang there yet; Hell, if I tried to copy one of those paintings, it wouldn’t look much better than something a parent hangs on the refrigerator. But I can feel that I’m heading in the right direction. I put down the paint-by-number book, and I’m tentatively starting to sketch. It will take me a while, but I’m looking forward to the journey.

We got a bit tangent-y there at the end, so this one won’t wrap up as smoothly as I usually strive for. Suffice it to say I really enjoyed my burrito as a fast alternative to cooking on a Monday night. And, lest you get the wrong idea, we do go out somewhere nice about once a month for the fun of the whole thing and the chance to see some new ideas in person. For example, we had a great anniversary dinner last month at Dos Rios, which actually gave me a great idea of more authentic Mexican food, should I attempt to undertake that in the future. And somewhere down the line, I bet I will.