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Posts tagged ‘parmesan’

Jun 7

3 Comments

Roasted sunchokes with pumpkin seeds, pickled red onion, and shaved Parmesan

Duo_sunchokes

It took me years to take a serious look at a sunchoke (aka Jerusalem artichoke). I’d pass them by at the market, eagerly turning to more comprehensible things. I had no idea what they were, much less how to prepare them, and I wasn’t even sure if they were vegetable or some exotic form of ginger. I mean, look:

Sunchokes_board

Not exactly the sort of vegetable that inspires confidence. That peel. Those knobs. The sheer wall of intimidation, having no idea what one might do with such a thing.

But, boy, was I wrong. Despite their gnarly outer appearance, sunchokes are pretty fantastic. They have a sweet, nutty, almost creamy flavor that retains a hint of crisp even when thoroughly cooked, sort of like a water chestnut, and they’re lovely roasted or pureed or even deep-fried in thin slices like potato chips. There’s no need to deal with the peel, which is thin and edible, and cutting off the knobs is actually kind of fun. Should you find yourself facing a sunchoke, do not shy away! Go on in. Read more

Feb 6

1 Comment

Easy cornmeal Parmesan crackers

I love those moments when I realize that something I had previously stashed away in the “too difficult” or “too complex” box should really have always been stored somewhere else, somewhere far more accessible. And not for lack of experience or training, but just because I had completely misconceived it as something more difficult or complex than it actually is. I’ve been trying to put quite a few of those on my Food Lists, and crackers is now another.  For some reason I thought crackers would complicated, with complex equations of ingredients and technique to get just the right crunch, just the right flavor. I’m sure there are some complicated crackers out there, and certainly there are many varieties, but I can tell you right now that I’ve found a pretty awesomely simple basic cracker.

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