can we all agree that winter dragged on for far too long this year? in dc, we’ve been eagerly awaiting spring, but instead we skipped straight to summer – literally a 40 degree temperature change over one week. at this point, it’s easier to just accept the weather.
the only problem is, skipping over spring means less time to find delicious rhubarb. to be honest, i’d only used rhubarb one time before this, in a traditional strawberry rhubarb pie, but earlier this week i had the pleasure of guest-judging a foodie fight where the ingredients were rhubarb and coriander, so my eyes have been opened to some more creative preparation.
but i love sweets, so i had to try this tart with an orange glaze that ended up being so good, after a huge dinner and swearing we would only split a piece, it disappeared in a matter of minutes. it’s sweet without being cloying, and tempered perfectly by the puff pastry. the only drawback is that the glaze is incredibly sticky, so be careful you don’t, say, drop a piece sticky side down on yourself. i suggest enjoying this tart on your front stoop (if you’ve got one), watching the last minutes of sunlight dip below the horizon on a warm spring/summer evening. romantic, eh?
over the weekend, i engaged in deadly (not really) food battle against nick! if anyone reading this blog doesn’t know who nick is, you need to get to know him. nick runs an amazing blog called macheesmo, where among many other things, he allows other bloggers to challenge him to a cook-off. i was psyched to find out that he accepted my challenge and the ingredients were chosen: lamb and leeks. read my post, then find out what nick made, and then vote for your favorite at the end of this post.
my head was swimming with possibilities, so i bought a few different cuts of lamb – shoulder and butterflied leg. i ended up combining them to make a great ground lamb mixture in the food processor. but what would i do with all this ground lamb?
dish 1: lamb sliders with caramelized leek jam. i decided on a mediterranean flavored slider, so i mixed the lamb with feta cheese, mint and garlic.
i quickly shaped the patties and set them in the fridge to firm up while i tackled the next dish.
here’s a nice picture of leeks to break up the photos of raw lamb. next up…
dish 2: lamb in a slanket with leek yogurt sauce. once i had the sliders going, i got inspired to make more lamb-ified bar food. lamb in a slanket are basically pigs in a blanket, except made of lamb, and indian-spiced. i mixed together ground corriander, curry powder, ginger, cinnamon, cliantro and a few other spices and shaped the lamb into mini-hot-dog shapes.
these are about to get wrapped in pillsbury crescent roll dough.
now the leeks! the first topping to make was the leek jam, which is leeks cooked down with butter and cream until it’s an incredibly thick and rich sauce.
the next sauce was a leek yogurt sauce for the lamb in a slanket. i was looking for something refreshing and cool to match up with the spices. leeks have a pretty mild flavor, but it still came through in the sauce.
here’s the assembled meal – one thing i didn’t get pictures of was the making of the crispy fried leeks. i dipped strips of leek in tempura batter and quickly fried them until crispy. the whole thing came together nicely, and everything was delicious.
the bonus to this food battle was actually getting to MEET nick face to face so we could try each other’s dishes. he and betsy were kind enough to host the girl and me over so we could feast and swap stories (oh the crazy lives food bloggers live). it was awesome to hang out and i can tell you that nick is just as generous, funny and talented as it appears on his blog.
finally, here’s a sneak peek at what nick made (it was great!).
a year ago today, after spending about 70% of my reading reading food blogs, i decided to dedicate the other 30% to launching my own.
it’s been nothing but a positive experience, and i just really want to say thank you to everyone who reads it. i still get an incredible feeling anytime someone leaves a comment.
so i’m celebrating by taking the day off. and cheating. that’s right, this here cake is straight up funfetti! if you’ve never had funfetti before, it’s a box cake made by pillsbury filled with tiny colored candy things that melt in the oven and give the cake a “festive” feel. what you really need to know about this cake is that you can’t eat it and not be overcome with joy. it’s almost too fun, but fortunately, the lab boys at pillsbury did sufficient research to pull it back just to this side of giddiness.
i actually made this for the girl’s birthday last weekend (along with a “real” cake – tres leches!), but there was so much of it, i’m still working my way through. my inspriation for the finished cake was the world peace black and white cookie (LOOK TO THE COOKIE, ELAINE).
i can’t apologize for loving this cake because, well, it’s just too good. but i wish i could send a piece to everyone – this blog would be nothing without you. thanks.
