Obsessive/Compulsive Eating 101

I signed up for a "Eat Well, Cook Less" class at the library a few weeks ago. I arrived early, so I had time to browse a bit before the class. Since I was going to a food-related class, I was hungry, so I ended up in the food/cooking/recipe section of the stacks. There I found a neat book called Top Secret Restaurant Recipes by Todd Wilbur. This author of this book has dissected popular dishes at several popular chain restaurants and provided recipes for them. What originally caught my eye was a recipe for the stuffed mushrooms at Houlihan's, which I have loved for years. I can make these at home now? Very cool.

I sat through my class, which was very good, and learned about how to make home-made granola, how to read nutrition labels and pick the healthiest ingredients, etc. Actually a very good class, but I was itching to get home and look at the "Top Secret" book some more.

When I looked closer, I found a recipe for Chi Chi's Fried Ice Cream. My husband and I absolutely LOVE fried ice cream. We also always thought it was actually fried. Not so! The bottom tortilla that the ice cream sits on is fried, but the actual ball of ice cream is simply rolled in crushed Corn Flakes, cinnamon and sugar. Well, there now...you pretty much have the recipe too.

As an aside, the Chi Chi's restaurant chain was named after the founder's wife. Chi Chi was her nickname, which is also a slang term in Spanish for...er...let's just say hooters. Makes you think twice about taking the fam to Chi Chi's now, doesn't it?

Anyway, the following day I stopped by the store, bought the ingredients and made fried ice cream for dessert. Yummy! So yummy that the following night, I made fried ice cream again. And again on the night following that, too. We were in fried ice cream heaven.

The next night, my husband cried "Uncle", but I was on a roll. Fried ice cream for one, please. This stuff was kick-ass good! The next night we both took a break...I think we went out to eat or something.

The following night, I was short on time, so skipped the rolling of the ice cream ball in the Corn Flake mixture and simply fried the bottom tortilla, sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar and put a naked ball of ice cream on top. I was pretty proud of myself. I shaved a few minutes off the prep time and still maintained the gist of the dessert. Still yummy!

After about 7 nights in a row, the newness wore off. The obsession was done. But those Corn Flakes are still in my pantry. They will call to me one day soon. And I will answer.