Gastronome

I was particularly excited when Mike told me about the fourth installment of Mixology Monday, which focuses on apéritifs. I always enjoy my husband’s experiments with spirits, but I feel bad sometimes that my contribution to cocktail hour is generally little more than “thank you, honey.”

When MxMo 4 was announced, we both thought it presented a perfect opportunity for me to take a more active role by preparing a series of appetizers to pair with our drinks. After all, apéritifs are traditionally accompanied by a little plate of something savory to whet your appetite before a meal. We discussed it over the course of a few weeks, then decided on three pairings based upon the spirits we wanted to play with and ingredients which we thought would complement their flavors. Here’s what we came up with.
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I live with one vegetarian and one all-organic (mostly veggie) toddler, but hot veggie entrees aren’t really in my repertoire. Meriko loaned me what’s become my new favorite cookbook, bills open kitchen by Bill Granger, and I dug into it for a veggie dish for tonight’s regular Sunday Night Dinner date with the Borogoves. Chickpea stew with tomatoes and green chilli is what I landed on, but omitted the chillis in consideration for my baby’s palate. I had never cooked chickpeas, never made veggie stew; from what I hear the results were pretty good!
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Anyone else notice how the perfect summer weather seems to have started this week? (Maybe I’m noticing because I’m just coming off a few days at a beach resort!) With my final day off, I wanted to cook something light and summery for lunch, and this recipe from Cooking Light (May 2005, pg 128) was just the ticket. Chimichurri is thick herb sauce typically served with meat in Argentina; this version is lightened up by mint, making it ideal for seafood. I substituted shrimp for the scallops, and served it over a plate of melon seed pasta with an Anchor Summer Beer to wash it all down: a perfect summer lunch! This dish would have been right at home, poolside at the resort. Oh, Cabana Boy?
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I decided that tonight’s gathering to view Kung Fu Hustle needed a crazy dip to go with it. Hence this recipe from the March 2005 Cooking Light. The baked corn chips were sturdy enough to stand up to the thick dip…perhaps they were even a bit too sturdy. But no matter, everything was still damn tasty. Next time I might put the dip together ahead of time and stick it in the fridge until I’m ready to bake it. Golly, 5 kinds of dairy in one dip. It’s enough to make my Dutch heart sing.
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So a recent entery to my 2005 uberlist was to show my partner how to shuck an oyster at home. We randomly found some Pacific BBQ Oysters at Whole Foods today and his eyes lit up and he all but shouted in one long streaming sentence:
“wecouldbuyoystersandtakethemhome! - andyoucouldshowmehowtoopenthem!”

I’d never had this variety, but they were large-shelled and the joints were easy to view - I figured it was a good “starter oyster” for him. I grinned like a kid, agreed happily, politely shunned the first bottle of “cocktail sauce” he picked up, and showed him the Mr. Today’s brand with horseradish and a mean kick.
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Everything in my kitchen is yellow. You see, this evening I made Cumin Curried Hummus from the November 2004 Cooking Light and bore witness to the remarkable staining power of certain spices. The flavor of the hummus comes out similar to Indian lentil dal, and let’s just say I’ve never attempted to make my own dal but the hummus was ready in about 15 minutes flat. I served it with wedges of lavash and baby carrots for dipping.
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Apparently I didn’t get enough cornbread while I was on the Mississippi River because I just made this Corn Fritter Casserole from the September 2004 Cooking Light and devoured a quarter of it in one sitting. It’s a cross between corn bread and corn pudding and technically it’s a side but there’s no sides category so I stuck it under apps. I left out the onions and peppers for my version.
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A few weeks ago I picked up the cookbook by Moro - a restaurant in London that serves Spanish, Morrocan, and other Moorish food. The hummus and lamb recipe went over incredibly well at a recent dinner party. The touch of cinnamon on the lamb reallly tied the dish together - I was surprised at how the dish melded.
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Muhommorah (fondly referred to in our house is Mahna Mahna) is a lovely Mediterranian/Turkish spread made with walnuts, pomegranate molasses, and red peppers. It’s sweet, spicy, and savory, and stands nicely alongside hummous, tofu spread, or cheese. You can serve it with crackers, bread, or pita, or even raw veggies. I first had it at Paul K - and made it for both our tree-trimming party and Christmas dinner this year. My recipe is adapted from this one over at Cakebread Cellars.
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This has come to be my favorite recipe for cured salmon. It involves curing the fish in plain salt for a few days, and then marinating in a bath of tasty things. I have served this a number of times - as a starter at Bornschlegel family vacation, as the protein element for a summer evening picnic-style supper when it’s hot, and most recently, at Mother’s Day brunch. I’m sure you can vary the herbs to good effect; i have a bit, but i love coriander so much that it stays my base. This recipe is from The Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook.
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