Turkey Breast and Stuffing Wrapped in Bacon

I could watch Jamie At Home over and over again. In fact, I have watched every episode tons of times. Every time I watch him work his magic on something from his garden, I want to get up and cook something myself. He makes it look so easy and fun.

The other day, I saw cheese curds at the grocery store. I picked them up and decided right there that I would make poutine that night. And I did.There are ingredients that can inspire whole meals, once you know how to cook. With a well-stocked kitchen, you can run with your inspiration and make a dish on a whim, that you’re proud of. Jamie Oliver, in Jamie at Home, does the same thing: he inspires you to get in the kitchen.

Likewise, there are dishes that teach the principles you need to know how to cook. Baking some bread, perfecting pies, learning about your grill or roasting peppers: all slightly boring and plain, they nevertheless perform a fundamental function upon which you can make those inspiring dishes. These educational dishes, likewise have a patron celebrity chef: Alton Brown. Watch any episode of his show and you’ll learn something, guaranteed.

Finally, there’s a third type of dish: the aspirational, the one you might not get quite right because you don’t have the skill, or the temperament for detail, or whatever. It’s the dish you have to stretch for, one where you constantly refer back to the recipe. You’re not sure you’re going to pull it off, but then it’s done, and it’s not bad. And you start thinking how you can do it better. And it’s embodied by: Gordon Ramsay. No pressure.

The following is such a dish.

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