I went to the store earlier in the week to buy some supplies. Maria and Bridget left me to my own devices for a few days. That means one thing – grilling.
Well, it also means video games, staying up too late, not making the bed, drinking beer, playing music louder than usual and yelling at the TV at the top of my lungs, but grilling might be my favorite part.
When they are away, I can take my time cooking and try a few new things. That’s why I couldn’t resist buying Buffalo chicken sausage when I saw them at the grocery store the other night.
Let’s get one thing straight – God was on his game when he made Buffalo wings. I discovered this heavenly food in 1986 when I went away to college and haven’t looked back. I really, really, really love wings.
The bad thing is that I am now a lot more health conscious than I was at 18. The good thing is that people have come up with new and exciting ways to get that same great taste without the heart-clogging gristle. Mmmmmmm, gristle.
I remember the first time I saw something with Buffalo sauce other than on a plate or basket or bucket of wings. Maria and I went on our first annual anniversary vacation in Delaware, and a pub near our hotel had a Buffalo chicken sandwich. They breaded a chicken breast and dunked it in wing sauce before cooking it in oil.
That did it for me. I needed to find out every conceivable way to utilize wing sauce from that point onward. I convinced a local restaurant to put their own Buffalo chicken sandwich on the menu. They did things differently than the place in Delaware, but it tasted just as good.
Since then, things have taken off. You can still get wings, but you can also get Buffalo chicken bites or strips. And now, thanks to, of all things, a health food company, you can get Buffalo chicken sausage.
I had seen the package in the store before, but just couldn’t pull the trigger. First off, I wasn’t so sure about chicken sausage. I don’t know why because I like chicken and I like sausage so pairing them up shouldn’t freak me out.
Then I worried about how spicy the sausage would be. I have bought Buffao-flavored things before and just not been able to take the spiciness. That doesn’t happen very often, but I didn’t want to buy a package of five sausages and only have the guts to eat half of one.
I asked the guy stocking the meat section if he had ever eaten them, and he said he hadn’t but really wanted to try them. I couldn’t turn back now. I had to show that I had gumption to eat them.
What a great decision. I grilled them up a few nights later and had an outstanding dinner. The sausages went perfectly on a hot dog roll with a healthy portion of blue cheese dressing. And you must use blue cheese, not ranch. I will not be moved on this matter.
Top it off with a cold beer, an empty house and an episode of Scrubs I have seen at least a half-dozen times, but still find incredibly funny, and you have the recipe for a perfect “bachelor” evening.
I just hope Maria and Bridget come back soon because I’m almost out of leftovers.