Mystery dinner a tasty challenge

Editor's note: Don Mauer is taking some time off. This column first appeared Aug. 23, 2000.

I love to eat. My friends consider this a basic truth. Hey, I would have never ballooned up to more than 300 pounds by 1989 if that weren't so.

My ardor led me to - no surprise - my love of cooking. Family and friends who enjoy meals I prepare also know that I relish a challenge. I might discover a recipe in the afternoon and, having never made it before, serve it that night. While a pianist wouldn't play a new piece of music for an audience with no rehearsal and improvisationally improve on the notes, I do just that with new recipes.

Recently my friends challenged me to make a full meal (except dessert) using whatever they brought from the local supermarket. They allowed me to use whatever kitchen utensils, spices or produce I had in my kitchen when they walked through my door.

I couldn't turn the ingredients into something that I had made before and couldn't open any cookbooks. Now, that's a challenge.

I hid my nervousness and dug into the bags. Out popped a couple of oranges, some cherries, a half-pint of raspberries, canned artichoke bottoms, Romano cheese, a pound of fresh shrimp, arborio rice, six pork chops, three green tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, a head of green cabbage, one shallot, one-pound of carrots, two onions and four cans of chicken broth.

So certain I would make something with an Italian flare, another couple brought homemade tiramisu.

As my friends dug into my homemade hummus and fresh veggies, I considered the eclectic ingredients. I made a salad with sliced orange rounds, artichoke bottoms and green tomato slices drizzled with thyme-infused vinaigrette and garnished with cherries, Romano curls and a few stems of basil.

I sautéed arborio rice in a touch of oil with chopped onion, scooped the golden grains and onions into boiling chicken broth, covered it and baked it. I cleaned the shrimp, sautéed the shells and simmered them in added chicken broth. Straining out the shells left a shrimp-flavored broth.

Then, I cut the meat and fat off the pork chops, tossed the bones into a hot skillet, sautéed them until they turned a deep mahogany brown, added chicken broth and let that boil. The bones hit the trash and a beautiful dark, flavorful broth remained.

I whisked together different marinades for the shrimp and the sliced pork and let them each absorb those flavors while prepping the remaining ingredients.

After serving the salads, I fired up the heat under my cast iron skillet and turned the shrimp, carrots, shallots and shrimp-flavored broth into a delicious stir-fry. I spooned the rice on to a huge platter, scooped the shrimp into a medium bowl and brought it all to the table.

As the "oohs and aahs" drifted into the kitchen I stir-fried the onions, cabbage, shiitakes and pork slices in my now blazing-hot skillet. I used the browned pork broth to moisten the dish, added red chili sauce with garlic for heat and sent it to the table.

I can hardly wait to see what they bring over next month, because I accepted the challenge to do it again.

Try this recipe: Since everyone applauded the shrimp with carrots, I'll share the "new" recipe with you.

• Don Mauer appears Wednesdays in Food. He welcomes questions, shared recipes and makeover requests for your favorite dishes. Address them to Don Mauer, Daily Herald Food section, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or don@theleanwizard.com.