serious eats in a not-so-serious world
This warm German potato salad is da bomb! No, really, the zangy, sweet, and spicy flavors mesh together well to make up this tasty dish. And yes, it did make our kitchen smell of vinegar for a couple hours afterward, but it was well worth it. And in the style of Paula Dean, add the bacon drippings to the dish. Enjoy!
Every year, my department has a hatch green chile competition in September. Contestants are allowed to make anything as long as it has hatch chiles in it. Most of us go to Whole Foods and pick up already roasted hatch chiles. For my entry, I made hatch chile macaroni and cheese. It was good, but honestly it didn’t even come close to this year’s winner: the hatch green chile corn casserole. Not only was it voted best dish by the judges, but it also won the popular vote. It may not look like much, but this little unassuming dish packs a punch and is full of flavor. This corn casserole is spicy, creamy, and delicious! This dish is, of course, better with freshly roasted hatch chiles, but you can also use canned green chiles, which is what I used since Whole Foods is a bit of a drive for me. And it’s an easy dish to make: you literally add all the ingredients together in a bowl, pour them into a baking pan, and put the pan in the oven for 45 minutes. This would be a good Thanksgiving side dish! Happy eating!
It is high time for my semi-annual haircut. I knew you’d want to know. I have this cave woman mop-like shag going on that is in desperate need of taming. I tend to wait until I catch an unsettling glimpse of myself in the mirror, and then I call my hair dresser in frantic desperation, pleading, “Can you get me in today?” My main goal is not necessarily to look trendy but to not scare children. Which is also why I always wear some form of makeup. I also struggle with coordinating my outfits. I once bought an outfit off a mannequin so I wouldn’t have to coordinate it. You do what you gotta do!
Justin and I have been attempting to incorporate more vegetables in our diet. It is an ongoing battle. Just adding salt and pepper to vegetables is fine and dandy, but after awhile, it gets old. When looking for flavorful vegetable-based recipes, I took my cue from India because they are known for their flavorful vegetarian dishes; I was not disappointed.
This zucchini dish has layers upon layers of wonderful flavor. You have turmeric and garam masala, which give the dish somewhat of a curry flavor. The chili powder makes it spicy, and the garlic, coriander, and cumin make up layers of delicious savory goodness. Then add the tomatoes and fresh cilantro, and you end up with a wonderfully complex tomato sauce. We ate this as a side dish with grilled chicken, but it can be paired with any kind of meat.
I first attempted this recipe in a wok, but I found it too small to really cook the zucchini. I quickly transferred it to a larger pot, which worked better. Vegetables cook best when they’re directly touching the pan to access direct heat. This recipe took 30-35 minutes to make, and it was well worth it! Enjoy!
I have never met a piece of corn I didn’t like, but this recipe is especially delicious and so simple. I mean, how can you go wrong with butter, salt, and little bit of spice? Voila!
Continue reading “grilled corn on the cob with butter, chili powder, and salt”
I was recently told that it would be beneficial to my readers if I posted my July 4th recipes before the actual holiday so they could actually make them on the holiday. Sorry, first-time blogger here making first-time blogger mistakes. So for the week and a half we have left before the 4th, I will be posting more recipes than normal so I can get them all posted in time. I have been cooking up a storm much to Justin’s delight. Justin is my taste tester, a role he prizes (or at least pretends to [this is Justin, I love it, continue on]). He is also my editor, content consultant, dishwasher, and oftentimes, even my Amazon echo when I have a cooking question but have my hands covered in flour or oil or what have you. I shout all kinds of questions from the kitchen, which he graciously Googles for me.
“How many ounces are in a quart?” (32 ounces by the way)
“How can you tell when scallops are done?” (they should be white and non-transparent)
“Is this chicken supposed to be purple?!” (we were making coq au vin)
“How do you thicken whipped cream?” (put in refrigerator over night) Continue reading “pasta salad with marinated tomatoes”
In the year and a half that Justin and I have lived in our house, we have only gotten to know two of our neighbors. I think this is partly due to the garages being in the back of the houses instead of the front. The only time we really see our neighbors is when they are getting their mail or mowing their yard. The couple across the street are fun and enjoy good food and drink so we invited them over for dinner. Continue reading “steak and chicken dinner with the neighbors”
the speckled spork 