Works for Peanuts

Truth is, the chicken even would’ve done this for free.  So flavorful and vibrant are the Thai spices that enrobe it, the bird rises to perfection when the grill’s flames seal in all those juices and caramelize the curry paste.  The peanut dipping sauce tempts, but really, the chicken has all it needs. Fine, but…

They Gave You Some Sauce, Right?

An important point, because Jaew dipping sauce is vital to vaulting Thai Grilled Pork Skewers (Moo Ping) past excellent all the way to legendary.  Already, the thinly sliced meat ribboned onto skewers allows the flavorful marinade to permeate every square millimeter.  Then, dunking it in the jaew after grilling enacts some new kind of magic. …

Malabar Coast

On India’s southwestern coast, the sun bejewels a sea washing tropical shores fragrant with flowering spices.  Can somewhere as lavishly endowed with vibrant vistas, aromas and colors produce anything other than an exuberant cuisine?  Definitely, the state of Kerala does, and one of its favorite creations, Chemmeen Moilee, Curried Shrimp and Coconut Soup, headlines today.…

Bacon’s Many Uses

Then there’s Task #386, Setting Smoothly Rich Background Music for Chicken Dishes.    Though today’s entry, Adobo Aromatic Chicken, is a Filipino poultry preparation, bacon infuses the chicken with its signature buttery smokiness when its fat is used to pan sear the bird initially.  After that, bacon itself makes an appearance just before serving, when…

Treasure Beyond Gold and Jewels

Indeed, Persian cookery engages not just the eyes and nose, but it captivates the taste buds as well, unfolding flavors that subtly hint at the delights that await.  The visuals, though, beguile, and make the first pass at seduction. Persians call the pilaf Javaher Polow, or Jeweled Rice, and fittingly so.  Saffron sets the rice…

It’s All in the Sauce

When Cambodians make Chicken Samlá Curry they put everything into the soupy basting sauce – lemongrass, ginger, lime zest, garlic, coconut milk…everything.  Even the chicken itself luxuriates in the impossibly fragrant mixtures, absorbing all manner of wonderful tastes. One thing this “curry” doesn’t have, though, is curry itself.  The name is assigned to any number…

It All Leads to This

August brings exuberant gardens yielding fresh basil, green beans and tomatoes by the basketful, and people firing up the grill in preparation for a balmy evening outdoors enjoyed with family and neighbors.  Plenty of good times and happy memories as we head into one final month of glorious weather.  This is summer’s moment. Today’s entry…

Various Limes

Indeed, today brings Chicken Posole, as well as the limes that make it so delectable a soup.  There’s the citrus, of course, which contributes a vibrant zing, a sweetly tangy melody that boosts the other flavors.  The fruit’s qualities are familiar and require little additional elaboration. However, another sort of lime is significant too.  It…

These Guys Again?

It must be easy to forget all the effort expended in juicing and zesting Key Limes, because less than a year after the cheesecake ordeal, here we are again.  Do you realize how many limes it takes to yield even the relatively limited quantities of essence described in the recipe below?  No wonder most people…

Summertime’s Keys

Today’s entry is key to the upcoming season in more ways than one.  To begin, the summery concoction featured above, Key Lime Cheesecake, represents a warm-weather classic, which hopefully will ignite summer’s engines and will get things moving after the chill has lingered far too long. Key limes’ bright, citrusy, almost floral notes give any dish they touch…