Summer Salads
Salads in the summer are the best. Very little (if any) stovetop time required and usually very speedy, salads are pretty much the most versatile category of food out there. Hence Mark Bittman’s inspirational list of 101 salads in the New York Times this week! I’ll admit, I was influenced by his run-down (I still have a fig, blue cheese, bacon and balsamic salad on my list to make!) and originally planned to do a trio of salads. Instead I settled for a duo, and added some veggie sausage on the side for more heft.
My first salad is really more of a guacamole than a salad, but I guess that depends on how you choose to define salad. I made my own twist here, but I stole Mark’s idea to serve it in the hollowed-out shell of the avacado. Cute! Continue reading Summer Salads
By Rachel Crawford on July 24, 2009 | 0
Pommes de Terre Sarladaises
After reading my duck confit post, a few people wanted to know what pommes de terre sarladaises were and whether I could share the recipe.
In French, Pommes de terre sarladaises means potatoes from Sarlat, a small town located in the southwestern region of France called The Perigord. This region also known as the foie gras capital of the world is famed for its comfort cuisine and its duck and goose specialties.
As you probably guessed by now, sarladaises are the potatoes I served alongside my duck confit. Though the name sounds fancy, the recipe is way easier than you can imagine. Sarladaises are simply garlic-y potatoes cooked in duck fat and finished with chopped parsley. Continue reading Pommes de Terre Sarladaises
By Raissa Nebie on July 23, 2009 | 0
A Little Splurge on Duck Confit
Every now and then, one should step out of the thrifty zone and splurge on something delicious. I’m not saying to empty the piggy bank on foie gras and caviar, but a fancy meal here and there doesn’t hurt. Duck confit is a dish I consider a reasonable splurge.
For a long time, I viewed duck confit as one of those dishes that were better left in the hands of French chefs. But as I started making it at home, it dawned on me that it was nothing more than salt-cured duck legs that are slow-cooked in duck fat. Continue reading A Little Splurge on Duck Confit
By Raissa Nebie on July 22, 2009 | 0
Creamed Rice: A Three-Ingredient Dessert
I may not have been the only student that ate the creamed rice served in my school’s cafeteria, but I’m pretty sure I was the only one to ask for seconds.
I couldn’t get enough creamed rice. I still can’t. The only difference? The creamed rice I now make at home is about 100 times better than the stuff I craved in school.
Creamed rice is a cheap and easy side dish or a light and affordable dessert. I always have the three necessary ingredients on hand but tend to make it the most when my milk is nearly expired and I want to use every last drop.
Add even more milk to make your rice truly creamy, and add more (or less) sugar to suit your tastes. Creamed rice is delicious hot from the stove, but cold, refrigerated leftovers are nearly as good. Continue reading Creamed Rice: A Three-Ingredient Dessert
By Diane Erwin on July 14, 2009 | 1
Wine According To The Goldilocks Principle
At first glance, the narcoleptic, house-breaking porridge-thief known to generations of children as Goldilocks may not seem a likely role model for wine drinkers looking to maximize enjoyment of each bottle purchased (and in these lean times we all want bang for our buck), but her finicky perfectionism when blithely helping herself to the Three Bears’ breakfast is a trait all wine drinkers can learn from. Too often, wine is served at a temperature that is, as our heroine opined, “too hot” or “too cold” – a glass of vino poured when the mercury level in the thermometer is “just right” is less common than one might assume. Continue reading Wine According To The Goldilocks Principle
By Jamie Grafton on July 9, 2009 | 0
