Recent nomables.
Computer was in the shop for a bit, but it's back home now, and I made a couple of tasty things that I want to remember for the future.
First up was meringues, which I used to love as a child and had all but forgotten about. They're dead easy to vary -- just find a basic recipe, beat the eggs, cream of tartare, and sugar together, and then add the flavorings your heart desires. I made a batch that was hot toddy flavored: 2 tbsp bourbon, zest of 1 lemon, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/8 tsp each of ground ginger and clove. Next time I'll omit the vanilla, punch up the bourbon, and maybe reduce the ginger a bit. Still, though: yummmm. Right now I've got a batch in the oven that were made with orange blossom water, and they taste like heaven.
The second success was a tropical salad, inspired mostly by the odd assortment of things available (and stupidly cheap) at a nearby produce market. I mixed grapefruit (just the flesh separated -- messily and by hand -- from the skin and section membranes), thinly sliced pineapple, shredded purple cabbage, two avocados, and a diced serrano together with a dash of rice vinegar and a dollop of agave nectar, then threw some shredded fresh watercress on top. Oh man, this is the most amazing combination of sweet/sour/tart/spicy. It's making my mouth sting like hell where I bit my tongue, and I still can't stop eating it.
Any of you guys had any kitchen adventures lately?
First up was meringues, which I used to love as a child and had all but forgotten about. They're dead easy to vary -- just find a basic recipe, beat the eggs, cream of tartare, and sugar together, and then add the flavorings your heart desires. I made a batch that was hot toddy flavored: 2 tbsp bourbon, zest of 1 lemon, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/8 tsp each of ground ginger and clove. Next time I'll omit the vanilla, punch up the bourbon, and maybe reduce the ginger a bit. Still, though: yummmm. Right now I've got a batch in the oven that were made with orange blossom water, and they taste like heaven.
The second success was a tropical salad, inspired mostly by the odd assortment of things available (and stupidly cheap) at a nearby produce market. I mixed grapefruit (just the flesh separated -- messily and by hand -- from the skin and section membranes), thinly sliced pineapple, shredded purple cabbage, two avocados, and a diced serrano together with a dash of rice vinegar and a dollop of agave nectar, then threw some shredded fresh watercress on top. Oh man, this is the most amazing combination of sweet/sour/tart/spicy. It's making my mouth sting like hell where I bit my tongue, and I still can't stop eating it.
Any of you guys had any kitchen adventures lately?