Have you ever seen anything more beautiful than a bowl of fresh strawberries? They are even better when you add a little cream. So, this morning, I leave you with a little inspiration to find something beautiful to eat today.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Art for Breakfast
Have you ever seen anything more beautiful than a bowl of fresh strawberries? They are even better when you add a little cream. So, this morning, I leave you with a little inspiration to find something beautiful to eat today.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Stuffed Bell Peppers
I had multiple things dying in my refrigerator due in large part to myriad good intentions. Specifically I had a yellow and a green bell pepper that were threatening to get wrinkly skin if not consumed immediately. I also had some wonderful yellow and red grape tomatoes that were already wrinking. While I generally eat them like candy, I dont like them when they a
rent pretty any longer. Hey, I am from LA it should be expected that I am superficial regarding how things are visually represented! I am not one to waste tasty tomatoes though so I needed to use those too. My garlic was also starting to sprout, and I had some ground turkey in the freezer. So, apparently, bell peppers plus tomatoes plus garlic plus ground turkey makes me want to make stuffed peppers. Warning...I have never made stuffed peppers before, but I have to say that they turned out pretty damned good.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
2 bell peppers (ones that arent green tend to be sweeter in my experience)
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 pint of grape tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, diced
4 scallions, sliced until the green portion
1/4 cup flat leave parsley, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped
3/4 can canelli beans
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 egg white
grated parmesan
salt & pepper
Because my tomatoes were kinda sad looking I made a pseudo pasta sauce with them by cooking them down with chicken broth and seasoning them with the garlic and scallions. It was a pain in the ass to remove the skins but I prevailed! Plus, in the end I think the tomato concoction made the meat extremely moist.
Next I combined the tomato sauce mixture with the turkey, egg white, herbs, and canelli beans. I halved each of the bell peppers and filled each of them with 1/4 of the turkey mixture. I placed the peppers in a baking dish that I had coated with olive oil, after all, whats the point of cooking food if you cant get the damned things out of the container to eat. After topping them with the grated parm I stuck them in the oven at 375 for about 35 minutes or until the internal temp of the meat w
as 165.
I have developed a recent fondness for things that bake in the oven because you can generally tell when they are done when it starts to smell really good. The aroma is an efficient way of getting me out of my article-induced daze and allows me to not purchase a timer.
I let them cool for about 10 minutes and ate in my usual spot, directly over my laptop. I am sure that my eating location is less than ideal for both my life and the life of my laptop but the computer is 1) my way of contacting the outside world and 2) my resource for finding the articles that will bring me closer to writing my masters.
rent pretty any longer. Hey, I am from LA it should be expected that I am superficial regarding how things are visually represented! I am not one to waste tasty tomatoes though so I needed to use those too. My garlic was also starting to sprout, and I had some ground turkey in the freezer. So, apparently, bell peppers plus tomatoes plus garlic plus ground turkey makes me want to make stuffed peppers. Warning...I have never made stuffed peppers before, but I have to say that they turned out pretty damned good.Stuffed Bell Peppers
2 bell peppers (ones that arent green tend to be sweeter in my experience)
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 pint of grape tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, diced
4 scallions, sliced until the green portion
1/4 cup flat leave parsley, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped
3/4 can canelli beans
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 egg white
grated parmesan
salt & pepper
Because my tomatoes were kinda sad looking I made a pseudo pasta sauce with them by cooking them down with chicken broth and seasoning them with the garlic and scallions. It was a pain in the ass to remove the skins but I prevailed! Plus, in the end I think the tomato concoction made the meat extremely moist.
Next I combined the tomato sauce mixture with the turkey, egg white, herbs, and canelli beans. I halved each of the bell peppers and filled each of them with 1/4 of the turkey mixture. I placed the peppers in a baking dish that I had coated with olive oil, after all, whats the point of cooking food if you cant get the damned things out of the container to eat. After topping them with the grated parm I stuck them in the oven at 375 for about 35 minutes or until the internal temp of the meat w
as 165.I have developed a recent fondness for things that bake in the oven because you can generally tell when they are done when it starts to smell really good. The aroma is an efficient way of getting me out of my article-induced daze and allows me to not purchase a timer.
I let them cool for about 10 minutes and ate in my usual spot, directly over my laptop. I am sure that my eating location is less than ideal for both my life and the life of my laptop but the computer is 1) my way of contacting the outside world and 2) my resource for finding the articles that will bring me closer to writing my masters.
My Present to Myself
I bought myself a food processor! I had been looking at all these wonderful recipes for hummus and other blended goodies and realized that I had no means of actually blending. 
Normally I am all for the technique of smashing things up in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, but, since moving out, I no longer have a rolling pin to smash with. :(
The food processor I purchased is a low priced Black & Decker model but promises to process the foods I need processed. As my father says, "Well, you arent going to use it every day, so it should be fine." I am hoping he is right.
I already put the top on backwards...typical grad student, too smart to read directions. I had to have R from down the hall come and pry the incorrectly placed top from its non-budging position with his man hands. Photos of processed foods to follow!
Normally I am all for the technique of smashing things up in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, but, since moving out, I no longer have a rolling pin to smash with. :( The food processor I purchased is a low priced Black & Decker model but promises to process the foods I need processed. As my father says, "Well, you arent going to use it every day, so it should be fine." I am hoping he is right.
I already put the top on backwards...typical grad student, too smart to read directions. I had to have R from down the hall come and pry the incorrectly placed top from its non-budging position with his man hands. Photos of processed foods to follow!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Substitutes
Yesterday I made my Poblano and Tomatillo Potato Salad, but this time I didn't really have all the ingredients. As is my typical style, I do not let lack of ingredients get in my way, at least not if I have something somewhat similar to substitute. This time I think I actually did myself a favor and made the same salad with the same great flavor with less fat. Crazy, I know!
I was out of green onions so I substituted some shallots instead. Although the shallots were good in it I think the green onions added more flavor somehow. Maybe next time I will try adding chopped red onion.
The fat-saving bit happened because I wanted to use of the rest of the plain yogurt I had painstakingly drained last week before it went sour on me. The yogurt, of course, was a substitute for the sour cream. I have to say, both the consistency and the appearance did not suffer from the swap. Go yogurt!
As a strange coincidence, the poblanos I was able to get at the farmers market in Lafayette were much smaller than I am used to. I don't know if in this instance size made the difference, but the poblanos were fairly spicy! I think that the spice interfered with the flavor because I actually like the roasted flavor of the chilies over the spicy flavor.
Sorry, no photos this time folks (not that mine are any good) but you can see what the original looked like by following the above listed link.
I was out of green onions so I substituted some shallots instead. Although the shallots were good in it I think the green onions added more flavor somehow. Maybe next time I will try adding chopped red onion.
The fat-saving bit happened because I wanted to use of the rest of the plain yogurt I had painstakingly drained last week before it went sour on me. The yogurt, of course, was a substitute for the sour cream. I have to say, both the consistency and the appearance did not suffer from the swap. Go yogurt!
As a strange coincidence, the poblanos I was able to get at the farmers market in Lafayette were much smaller than I am used to. I don't know if in this instance size made the difference, but the poblanos were fairly spicy! I think that the spice interfered with the flavor because I actually like the roasted flavor of the chilies over the spicy flavor.
Sorry, no photos this time folks (not that mine are any good) but you can see what the original looked like by following the above listed link.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Peach Cobbler with Orange and Ginger
As a person who blogs about food you are bound to be inspired by some beautiful picture you see. I was so inspired by Pioneer Woman Cooks and her blackberry cobbler. My local farmers market lacked blackberries but did have some very ripe peaches and so the story of the peach cobbler begins.
There were a number of ingredients in the blackberry cobbler recipe that I didn't have and I didn't think following it to a T would work anyways due to the fact that blackberries aren't always as sweet as peaches which might need less sugar. Yes, I played with the recipe and, in fact, didn't really use one at all, well not one that was written down before today.
Peach Cobbler
with Orange and Ginger
8 very ripe peaches
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 T. flour
1 T. corn starch
1/2 an orange worth of juice
1/2 an orange worth of zest
1 1/2 T. finely grated fresh ginger*
1 3/4 cup flour
4 T. granulated sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/4 cup butter - cubed
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 an orange worth of zest (really you can sub any citrus you have on hand)
Begin by preheating the oven to 375
Combine the orange juice, orange rind, 1 T. of flour, corn starch, and ginger in a ziplock bag. Slice the peaches and put add them to the ziplock bag. Seal the bag well and smoosh things around until well coated. Sample one or two to be certain it doesn't need more sugar. Pour contents into a baking dish of your choosing.
Combine the rest of the dry ingredients. Add the butter and combine until mealy either with your hands, a fork, or a pastry blender. Add the cream and the zest. Drop finger fulls of the biscuit topping onto the peaches. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are light brown.
*I just figured out the best way to preserve fresh ginger is to throw the root in the freezer. As with anything frozen the flavor diminishes over time, but I typically have used it all by then. When frozen it is also very easy to grate.
There were a number of ingredients in the blackberry cobbler recipe that I didn't have and I didn't think following it to a T would work anyways due to the fact that blackberries aren't always as sweet as peaches which might need less sugar. Yes, I played with the recipe and, in fact, didn't really use one at all, well not one that was written down before today.
Peach Cobbler
with Orange and Ginger8 very ripe peaches
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 T. flour
1 T. corn starch
1/2 an orange worth of juice
1/2 an orange worth of zest
1 1/2 T. finely grated fresh ginger*
1 3/4 cup flour
4 T. granulated sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/4 cup butter - cubed
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 an orange worth of zest (really you can sub any citrus you have on hand)
Begin by preheating the oven to 375
Combine the orange juice, orange rind, 1 T. of flour, corn starch, and ginger in a ziplock bag. Slice the peaches and put add them to the ziplock bag. Seal the bag well and smoosh things around until well coated. Sample one or two to be certain it doesn't need more sugar. Pour contents into a baking dish of your choosing.
Combine the rest of the dry ingredients. Add the butter and combine until mealy either with your hands, a fork, or a pastry blender. Add the cream and the zest. Drop finger fulls of the biscuit topping onto the peaches. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are light brown.
*I just figured out the best way to preserve fresh ginger is to throw the root in the freezer. As with anything frozen the flavor diminishes over time, but I typically have used it all by then. When frozen it is also very easy to grate.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Final Product - Harvest Grains Salad
A few posts ago I wanted suggestions with what to do with my Harvest Grains blend from Trader Joe's. I got an overwhelming response of one,
count it - one, comment regarding how I could add it to a soup. When the weather cools to soup weather, I will try throwing some of it in a soup for certain. Given, however, that it isnt soup weather in Lafayette and this grad student is too cheap to keep her apartment below 82 degrees, I made an almost-no-cook-salad. Its actually what I have been eating for lunch all week. Sadly, I am now out of it. The concoction I created was really very flavorful and refreshing if I dont say so myself. Even K liked it, but thats not really a surprise.
I had purchased a bunch of veggies for the week and I threw them into the salad, so really this can and should be amended to include whatever fresh ingredients you happen to have on hand. As much as I don't like the food that Rachel Ray cooks on her show, I do appreciate that she teaches her audience a method which can later be used on other foods. This recipe is somewhat similar in that you can take the general principle and whip up your own version. This particular version turned into something with the Mediterranean flavors or artichoke, lemon, and green olives.
Almost-No-Cook Harvest Grains Salad
1 1/4 cup Harvest Grains (or Israeli Couscous)
1 3/4 chicken broth
1/2 bundle of asparagus - steamed and cut into 1 inch pieces
5 roasted artichoke hearts - halved and sliced
Handful of green olives - cut from the pit
4 scallions sliced (just the light green part)
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley chopped
zest from 1 lemon
1 garlic glove
2 tablespoons (or so) olive oil
Bring the chicken broth to a boil and add the harvest grains and the clove of garlic. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1
0-12 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone. Remove from heat, add a bit of olive oil to coat the grains just so they don't stick while it cools. Remove the garlic clove. When the grains are cool enough to not wilt the rest of the ingredients, add them to the rest of the ingredients.
The harvest grains themselves makes about 3 cups worth so after adding the veggies you actually have a substantial amount of salad. Like I said, it lasted me three lunches.
My favorite thing about the Harvest Grains mix is that the combination of "grains" make it look super pretty and fairly complicated. In essence, it looks snooty even though this should be one of my Easy-Peasy meals. Again, its all about appearances and reality. In anthropology we call it mystification. It used to be that anthropologists would try and make what th
ey did seem super important and very impressive by hiding the simplicity of it all behind scientific jargon that the popular masses knew nothing about. These days, however, anthropology is leaning away from using science to confusticate readers and is instead employing the mumbo-jumbo of post-modern theory. Unlike the mystification that occurs in the social sciences, I do not feel that it is detrimental to society to make my food seem more impressive than it really is.
count it - one, comment regarding how I could add it to a soup. When the weather cools to soup weather, I will try throwing some of it in a soup for certain. Given, however, that it isnt soup weather in Lafayette and this grad student is too cheap to keep her apartment below 82 degrees, I made an almost-no-cook-salad. Its actually what I have been eating for lunch all week. Sadly, I am now out of it. The concoction I created was really very flavorful and refreshing if I dont say so myself. Even K liked it, but thats not really a surprise.
I had purchased a bunch of veggies for the week and I threw them into the salad, so really this can and should be amended to include whatever fresh ingredients you happen to have on hand. As much as I don't like the food that Rachel Ray cooks on her show, I do appreciate that she teaches her audience a method which can later be used on other foods. This recipe is somewhat similar in that you can take the general principle and whip up your own version. This particular version turned into something with the Mediterranean flavors or artichoke, lemon, and green olives.
Almost-No-Cook Harvest Grains Salad
1 1/4 cup Harvest Grains (or Israeli Couscous)
1 3/4 chicken broth
1/2 bundle of asparagus - steamed and cut into 1 inch pieces
5 roasted artichoke hearts - halved and sliced
Handful of green olives - cut from the pit
4 scallions sliced (just the light green part)
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley chopped
zest from 1 lemon
1 garlic glove
2 tablespoons (or so) olive oil
Bring the chicken broth to a boil and add the harvest grains and the clove of garlic. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1
0-12 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone. Remove from heat, add a bit of olive oil to coat the grains just so they don't stick while it cools. Remove the garlic clove. When the grains are cool enough to not wilt the rest of the ingredients, add them to the rest of the ingredients.The harvest grains themselves makes about 3 cups worth so after adding the veggies you actually have a substantial amount of salad. Like I said, it lasted me three lunches.
My favorite thing about the Harvest Grains mix is that the combination of "grains" make it look super pretty and fairly complicated. In essence, it looks snooty even though this should be one of my Easy-Peasy meals. Again, its all about appearances and reality. In anthropology we call it mystification. It used to be that anthropologists would try and make what th
ey did seem super important and very impressive by hiding the simplicity of it all behind scientific jargon that the popular masses knew nothing about. These days, however, anthropology is leaning away from using science to confusticate readers and is instead employing the mumbo-jumbo of post-modern theory. Unlike the mystification that occurs in the social sciences, I do not feel that it is detrimental to society to make my food seem more impressive than it really is.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Minted Lamb Sliders
I had run into the blog of the Happy Sorceress earlier this month and decided to opt in for the mint blog party. After all, mint is a very summery herb and we are definitely experiencing summer here in Lafayette
My party was small, just me and my neighbor, K, but the food was fantastic and the drink would have put anyone in a good mood. Here goes:
Minted Lamb Sliders with Mint and Cucumber Yogurt Topping
1 lb ground lamb
1 lemon worth of zest
¼ cup of mint, minced
4 scallions sliced thin, just the light portion
3 gloves of garlic, minced
1 egg white (to hold everything together)
Salt & pepper
Mini Hamburger buns
¾ cup plain yogurt, drained (or the Greek stuff if you happen to be fancier than me)
¼ cup mint, minced
1 clove of garlic
½ of an English cucumber, thinly sliced (seeds removed)
Juice of half a lemon
Salt & pepper
Combine lamb, zest, mint, scallions, garlic, egg white, and salt and pepper. Set aside in fridge for several hours to let flavors meld. Divide lamb mixture into miniature patties. Grill or sauté until just cooked through. Place on warmed buns.
Combine yogurt, mint, garlic, cucumber slices, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Once the sliders are cooked top the patties with a hearty amount of the sauce and serve.
Mint, Cucumber and Lemon Gin and Tonic
Monday, August 13, 2007
Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta
One of the won
derful things about Lafayette
derful things about I decided to have a go at Presto Pasta Night for the first time since beginning this blog o’ mine. While I really wanted to make a grilled tomato pasta, I opted for a roasted tomato one instead due to the fact that I don’t actually own a grill. A girl can dream! The pasta turned out beautiful and tasted fresh to boot! As K said, “Are you making that fresh
My cooking style tends to be “add a little of this to a little of that, stir, and taste to augment” so I apologize if the recipe isn’t very exact. Here it goes:
Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta (If you think of a better name, drop me a comment)
1 basket of grape tomatoes halved
½ lb pasta (your choice)
3 T. basil chopped
1 head of garlic
Salt & Pepper
Lay the halved tomatoes on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and dri
zzle with olive oil. Cut the bottom 1/3rd off the head of garlic and place cut-side up on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast the tomatoes and garlic at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.
Boil and drain the pasta.
Lightly coat the pasta in olive oil. Stir in chopped basil and roasted tomatoes. Squeeze the garlic out of the clove skins and into the pasta. Toss and top with parm.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
To the Geniuses at Andes Mints: You Rock My World!
Lately I have been slightly obsessed with Andes mint
s. It all began with an innocent visit to Culvers Butter Burgers and Frozen Custard. After my burger I ordered the equivalent to a DQ Blizzard only I had Andes Mint bits mixed in, something not available at DQ. It was freaking amazing. Of course, it helped that the frozen custard hit the spot at the time also.
on top once they are out of the oven. The heat from the brownies will melt the mints and by simply running a knife or spatula over the melted candies, a marble effect is created without any fuss! I think it is great that I can do something so simple and have it look like I slaved over it all day. Its all about appearance and reality, my friend!
Does it count for Browniebabe of the month if I used a packaged mix? I guess we will see!
s. It all began with an innocent visit to Culvers Butter Burgers and Frozen Custard. After my burger I ordered the equivalent to a DQ Blizzard only I had Andes Mint bits mixed in, something not available at DQ. It was freaking amazing. Of course, it helped that the frozen custard hit the spot at the time also.On my first grocery store excursion since returning to 
do with them. For the last few days I have been topping my vanilla ice cream with them and that had been making me pretty happy, but still, I wanted more.
My friend K went to the store and brought back brownie mix for me. I figured that if topping ice cream with the mint bits was good then topping something chocolaty with them would be even better. I whipped up the brownie batter, sprinkled the bits over the top, and stuck the sucker in the oven. When I took them out the mint aroma from the oven made my eyes water it was so strong! After waiting about, oh, five seconds for them to cool, I dug into find out how they were. Fabulous, of course!
Needless to say, my curiosity was perked and I spent the next day scouring the web for Andes Mint recipes. I found the Andes Mint website and they have some drool-worthy suggestions for certain.
on top once they are out of the oven. The heat from the brownies will melt the mints and by simply running a knife or spatula over the melted candies, a marble effect is created without any fuss! I think it is great that I can do something so simple and have it look like I slaved over it all day. Its all about appearance and reality, my friend!Does it count for Browniebabe of the month if I used a packaged mix? I guess we will see!
What to do with Harvest Grain?
Before I left for Indiana I stopped by Trader Joe's and purchased some items that I knew they didn't have at the Indiana stores. One of the things I bought was this Harvest Grains blend. The thing is, I have NO idea what to do with it.It is made up of Israeli Couscous, Orzo, Baby Garbanzo Beans, and Red Quinoa. The cooking directions are to bring chicken broth to a boil, add the grain mixture, and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
The serving suggestion
provided on the package ("Serve as a side dish with meat") left a little something to be desired. Please let me know what you would do with this product. I really want to bring out its full potential!
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Not Your Regular Ol' Cup of Noodles
I happened to find a Mexican grocery store in Lafayette 
e able to make it through the school year less depressed thanks to the comfort of mole, adobo, and carnitas. La Tapatia has a decent (better than Payless or Marsh) produce section and even has a prepared foods section so I don’t have to slave over carnitas. Again, if I believed, I would be in heaven.
e able to make it through the school year less depressed thanks to the comfort of mole, adobo, and carnitas. La Tapatia has a decent (better than Payless or Marsh) produce section and even has a prepared foods section so I don’t have to slave over carnitas. Again, if I believed, I would be in heaven.La Tapatia had a plethora of other oddities, some of which I purchased this time around and others I will be sampli
ng at a later date. Being that grad students don’t have much time for anything but studying, I am always on the lookout for quick and cheap meal options. Hence the reasoning behind my purchase of Maruchan Instant Lunch – Jalapeno Cheddar flavor. How bad can it really be?
The truth is, its not bad. It just isn’t any good. It was spicy and the spice-side didn’t have a chemical taste like many instant foods contain. The cheesy it was seriously lacking though. It was cheddar-orange in color, for sure, but also had that orange flavor so often associ
ated with fake foods.
Easy-Peasy Recipe #1
Oftentimes I find that I get wrapped up in cooking fancy recipes that use a multitude of ingredients that I, of course, have to purchase on my grad student budget. Oftentimes, my budget isn't big enough for it all, but what do I do? Do I sit on my couch and pout? NO!
I remember that it doesn't have to be so complicated, demanding, and expensive. Thats when I make one of my backup recipes that takes no time, few ingredients, and creates leftovers. Every ingredient in this recipe is an item I have stocked at all times.
Easy-Peasy Recipe #1 - Tacos
1 baggie of frozen ground meat of your choice (in this case I have turkey)
1 80z can of tomatoes (diced, pureed, whole, or sauce - whichever you have)
Packaged taco/burrito/enchilada seasoning (again, whichever you happen to have)
Tortillas (optional)
Brown the meat until its halfway cooked. Add can of tomatoes and sprinkle seasoning packet over the cooking meat. Stir to combine and finish cooking meat completely.
Build your taco/burrito any way you like. I like to add beans, leftover rice, cheese, and cilantro. At this point it is a good idea to throw in stuff that you have in your fridge that might not be good in a few days. For me, this means I may add lettuce and fresh tomatoes and, i
f I am not planning on using that last lime for my tequila, then I might top the whole thing off with fresh lime juice.
The best thing about this meal is that the leftovers are great with eggs.
I remember that it doesn't have to be so complicated, demanding, and expensive. Thats when I make one of my backup recipes that takes no time, few ingredients, and creates leftovers. Every ingredient in this recipe is an item I have stocked at all times.
Easy-Peasy Recipe #1 - Tacos
1 baggie of frozen ground meat of your choice (in this case I have turkey)
1 80z can of tomatoes (diced, pureed, whole, or sauce - whichever you have)
Packaged taco/burrito/enchilada seasoning (again, whichever you happen to have)
Tortillas (optional)
Brown the meat until its halfway cooked. Add can of tomatoes and sprinkle seasoning packet over the cooking meat. Stir to combine and finish cooking meat completely.
Build your taco/burrito any way you like. I like to add beans, leftover rice, cheese, and cilantro. At this point it is a good idea to throw in stuff that you have in your fridge that might not be good in a few days. For me, this means I may add lettuce and fresh tomatoes and, i
f I am not planning on using that last lime for my tequila, then I might top the whole thing off with fresh lime juice.The best thing about this meal is that the leftovers are great with eggs.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Poblano and Tomatillo Potato Salad
Staying true to the rules I set for myself when in California , I made a potato salad with ingredients I wouldn’t be able to get in Lafayett e
I ended up roasting the poblano skins off myself, setting off the smoke d
etector multiple times even though the vent fan was on. I also had no idea what tomatillos looked like inside and had previously assumed they were similar to tomatoes. Just goes to show, you can learn something new everyday!
Poblano and Tomatillo Potato Salad – courtesy of Bon Appétit
3 medium poblano chilies (about 9 ounces total)
2 pounds small red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, each cut into 6 wedges
6 medium tomatillos (about 7 ounces), husked, cut into1/2-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
preparation
Char chilies over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in a paper bag or (my personal favorite) wrap in paper towels. Let stand for 10 minutes. Peel and seed the chilies. Cut chilies into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer to a large bowl.
Place potatoes on steamer rack set over boiling water in pot. Cover and steam until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. Cool. Transfer to bowl with chilies. Mix in tomatillos, green onions and chopped cilantro.
Whisk sour cream, lime juice and cumin in small bowl to blend. Add to potato mixture and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.)
Mound potato salad on platter. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve.
Repurposing...
I appreciate when one item can do multiple handy things instead of being a one-trick pony. For instance, my microplaner has become my zester! Sure, its nothing revolutionary, but it does keep me from having to find a place for two separate items. This last week my father and I were making dinner for 
some friends that were coming over to visit with me while I was in LA. I decided to make a Key Lime Cheesecake for dessert in an attempt to use items that just aren’t available in Indiana preparation
some friends that were coming over to visit with me while I was in LA. I decided to make a Key Lime Cheesecake for dessert in an attempt to use items that just aren’t available in When I told my dad how much juice we needed for the recipe, he looked at the bag of limes and said, “This is going to take all f@#$ing day!” Cleverly, he reached for the garlic press and began juicing the limes in a quicker and much more efficient way than I would have. Not only did it ren
der more juice than manual squeezing, but it kept all the seeds out of the juice as well. Two birds with one stone!
Unfortunately, I have been a stickler about purchasing a garlic press. I like to get involved with the food I make and feel like I can take more ownership of the meal when I chop and mince things by hand. This, certainly, only goes so far…though I have made Tabbouleh by hand before. It seems that this repurposing event is actually going to cause me to purchase an item rather than allow me to get rid of one. Alas, I will surely live.
Key Lime Cheesecake - courtesy of gourmet magazine
For crust
1 1/4 cups fine graham cracker crumbs (5 oz)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
For filling
2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup fresh Key lime juice (strained from about 1 1/2 lb Key limes) or bottled
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
For topping
2 large firm-ripe mangoes
1 tablespoon fresh Key lime juice (strained) or bottled
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
Special equipment: a 9- to 9 1/2-inch springform pan; a mandoline or other adjustable-blade slicer
preparation
Make crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F and butter bottom and side of springform pan.
Stir together crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press evenly onto bottom and one-third up side of pan. Bake crust in middle of oven 8 minutes and cool in pan on a rack.
Make filling:
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy, then beat in sugar. Add lime juice, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Mix in flour and salt at low speed, scraping down side as needed, until just incorporated, then add eggs all at once and mix just until incorporated.
Pour filling into crust and set springform pan in a shallow baking pan. Bake cake in middle of oven until set in center, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool completely in springform pan on rack. (Cake will continue to set as it cools.)
Run a thin knife around edge of cake and remove side of pan. If desired, transfer cake with a large metal spatula to a serving plate.
Make topping:
Peel mangoes and, leaving fruit whole, slice very thinly lengthwise (slightly less than 1/8 inch thick) with mandoline (use caution — peeled mango is slippery). Halve wide slices lengthwise. Gently toss mango slices with lime juice.
Beat cream with sugar in a bowl with electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks, then spread over top of cheesecake. Bending and curling mango slices, arrange them decoratively over cream.
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