By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
PALMYRA, Mo. -- No matter what's on the menu, McKenzie Disselhorst says attitude is a key ingredient for any cook.
"If you want to cook and think it will turn out well it has a much better chance. If somebody thinks 'I can't cook, I'm going to burn the pancakes' they probably will, and if they do, they won't try it again and learn from their mistake," Disselhorst said.
"Not everything you make will turn out well especially when you try a lot of new recipes or when you're just learning to cook. Eventually you'll learn to fix what went wrong."
Disselhorst honed her own positive attitude toward cooking at an early age.
"My parents are both really good cooks. I kind of grew up watching them," she said. "I really started cooking when I went to college. My roommates and friends didn't cook, so when I did cook it was a big deal to them."
Their appreciation of main dishes like lasagna and roast beef inspired Disselhorst to cook even more -- and to put her own stamp on traditional "meat and potatoes" recipes now made with her family's farm-raised beef, pork and lamb.
Disselhorst, the new membership director for the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce, enjoys sharing new dishes with friends and family -- and it was part of her job while working with the Missouri Cattlemen's Association.
Cooking for grocery store demonstrations in college helped introduce shoppers to new recipes or new cuts of beef.
"Most people did not argue with a free sample of beef, especially when they were hungry," Disselhorst said. "It was really interesting just hearing the feedback."
Sharing feedback on recipes, and from people who try them, is just a click away on her blog, kenzieskitchen.blogspot.com. Disselhorst launched the site more than two years ago as a way to share recipes once or twice a week with family and friends -- and to track her own response to new recipes.
"I don't know if I've ever made one whole meal exactly the same," she said. "I like to try new things. Usually the first time I make a recipe, I follow it to know what it should look like. If I make it again, I adapt it."
Variations of her Beef Bruschetta suit every season of the year.
"One is for summer when you have fresh tomatoes and fresh basil, but it's just as good in the winter. You don't have to feel like you can't cook it," she said of the recipe adapted from the award-winning one the Cattlemen's Association served to hundreds of people at a Missouri Department of Agriculture function.
More year-round summertime flavor comes from Pork Fajitas with Apple-Avocado Salsa, which relies on a spice rub made from pantry staples.
Husband Ken lends a hand in the kitchen.
"He grills quite a bit," she said. "His specialty among our friends and family is pork loin on the grill. He cooks it for a lot of football games and family get-togethers."
Disselhorst puts her mark on the traditional panzanella bread salad with the addition of strawberries. "I made it into a dessert instead of a savory dish," she said. "It's definitely better in the summer with fresh berries, but with frozen berries, you can have it in the winter every once in a while."
After focusing on main dishes for years, she tried baking about three years ago and found an apple pie recipe that took first place at the Marion County Fair two years in a row. Pear, Raspberry and Brie Turnovers do double-duty as both an appetizer and a dessert.
Another sweet treat, perfect for Valentine's Day, is Mocha Sweethearts, brownies cut into heart shapes and glazed.
"I like chocolate. Valentine's Day is a good excuse to cook with chocolate," she said. "I like to take things to work, family, friends and neighbors."
-- dhusar@whig.com/221-3379
