Balsamic Marinated Chicken

Hello, my name is Bryan and I am a food snob... I didn't think I was a food snob, in fact I was pretty sure that I was open and accepting of all kinds of food, I have eaten my share of freezer burned dinners and burritos from Aldis. However there were several events that came to a head a few years ago that acted as a bit of an intervention for me.

The first event: My beautiful wife Kris and I were newlyweds, she offered to make dinner for me, she pulled out a box of Shake and Bake for the chicken she had thawed. I said "honey why use Shake and Bake I have toasted brioche bread crumbs in the pantry that we can use."

She gave me that look that I would later learn she gives when she is thinking "really, are you sure you aren't gay?" but thankfully she just said, "you are such a food snob!"

The Second Event: Only a few days later I was at work, we were planning a big catering event (about $45,000) one of my co workers had said that she ordered the Sushi for one of the tables and would have it in the day before the event. I asked if it was a good idea to get the Sushi Platters in 36 hours before the event would take place. My co worker said it would be fine because most of them were veggie (California Rolls) or made with Krab Delights.

I calmly said "If you can't legally spell crab with the letter "C" it isn't crab and just because you roll it in sticky rice doesn't mean it is Sushi." My boss pulled me out of the office and told me that I needed to shut up because I was being a food snob again, again?!? can you believe that?

The third event: A few days after that I was taking my oldest girls back to their mom after a weekend visit. We used to meet at a Perkin's Restaurant in Madison WI. I talked a little bit about the catering event and said, "can you believe my boss called me a food snob?" My ex wife, her husband, and my two oldest daughters all nodded their heads in unison. Maybe my food snobbery ruined my first marriage... well maybe not.

Anyway all of those events happened within a few days so I started to wonder, maybe I am a food snob. OK, probably, I mean none of these people had ever talked to each other before and they all came to the same conclusion. I have worked on it, like any addiction I can stray and get all uppity with food and get the attitude of, "well if you don't like that it is some sort of character fault of yours." Because it couldn't be that squid tentacles are actually kind of gross or that Preserved Lemons are impossibly tart.

Recently Kris posted this blog on a website that she frequents and someone made a comment like, "Brussels Sprouts, BLECH! and what is up with those dumplings, does he have any recipes that aren't weird?" I realized that I had fallen off the wagon again! I enjoy this forum, I like to try new ideas and combinations of food, but I do prepare food that makes some of the pickiest eaters that I know (Kris and our daughter) eat well.

This is one of those dishes, because it is so easy to prepare and just good it probably comes up about once a month.

Balsamic Marinated Chicken:

In a glass or stainless steel bowl mix

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 cup Olive Oil

2 Cloves of roughly Minced Garlic

a TBS of Honey (it think, I have never measured)

Salt and Pepper

Stir the marinade with a fork until it is well mixed and adjust to your taste. Then add 2 Chicken Breasts. I usually set this up the night before so I can come home from work at 6:00 and still have time to make dinner before we are all starving. I usually make this on the grill, I put the chicken on a medium hot grill for about 4-5 minutes one each side. The last time I made it I served it with pasta, just a little butter Olive Oil and Parmesan Cheese.