Tag Archives: Garlic

FOOD

A Crunchy, Yummy Salad Rich In Antioxidants Is Bliss Inducing

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By Lakshmi:

One look at the picture of this salad and there was no doubt in my mind that this is one culinary experience I did not want to forgo.  Yes, it came from the kitchen of Ottolenghi, a chef whose body of work I have only recently discovered.  He was inspired by flavors he experienced in Turkey and vacillating prose like this…”This salad is so crunchy and sweet you can eat it with a spoon, and never stop.”  And the best part…it was so easy to put together.

A few staples (onion, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, oregano, allspice, garlic, olive oil), a dash of the slightly exotic (pomegranate seeds) and some not readily available ingredients (pomegranate molasses which I substituted with some Modena Vinegar and brown sugar) came together in a happy marriage that looked beautiful on the plate and just as tasty on the palate.

As the weather gets warmer, try this salad whose recipe is featured on this link.

http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/tomato-and-pomegranate-salad-with-garlic-dressing

I plan to serve it the next time with a slight twist in tiny phyllo cups.  It’ll look like a million bucks and taste like that too.

PS.  The picture here is my creation!

FOOD

Can A Simple Combination Of Pasta And Veggies Create Something This Divine?

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By Lakshmi:

Anyone who has ever stepped into a Cheesecake Factory will vouch for the fact that indecision over what to order from appetizers to entres to desserts is tour de rigueur.  For us vegetarians, it is a bit of a blessing that the choices are more restrictive.  It is from this  more limited menu option that we decided to order Evelyn’s Favorite Pasta.  The description was mouth-watering.

“Penne Tossed with Broccoli, Oven-Dried Tomato, Roasted Eggplant, Peppers, Artichoke, Kalamata Olives, Garlic and Pine Nuts.”

After a non stop eating expedition visiting family and friends in DC, none of us was particularly hungry.  So a single dish of Evelyn’s Favorite Pasta was scooped up by five of us, leaving not a single morsel on the plate.  What was it about the dish that made it so delicious?  The richness of olive oil infused with sautéed garlic, the crunchiness of the pine nuts, the rich flavors of the oven roasted veggies blending in with the saltiness of the olives all melded to create a sensory experience which lingered long after the meal was over.

A few weeks later, sitting in my kitchen in New Jersey on a cold, wintry day, I craved for this pasta.  I did not want to drive, I did not want to wait in line, I wanted it now.

So, out came the ingredients from the pantry.  I had no penne, but my beautiful batch of bow tie pasta seemed to be the perfect substitute.  I heated up some extra virgin olive oil and on a lark decided to throw in some red pepper flakes to perk up the dish.  In went some crushed garlic and roasted pine nuts and the kitchen was already smelling heavenly.  I picked up some previously roasted eggplant bits, pulled out some sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, a small can of chopped black olives, some sliced orange peppers and a few quickly blanched broccoli flowerets.  A swish here, a turn there and behold……what emerged in the pan was this absolutely beautiful pasta dish that tasted like a million bucks.  And that’s the picture at the top of this post.

Since then, the dish has become a staple in our household and Evelyn has been relegated to the back room while Lakshmi has taken over:)

If you’ve experienced the joy of recreating a restaurant favorite in your own home, we would love to hear about your agony and ecstasy in getting there.