AvraShow
Saturday, February 16, 2008
I once asked a lady with an English accent working behind a sandwich counter about an ingredient of one of the sandwiches. I've heard of chutney, I told her, but what can you use it on?
She brightened up and said, "Everything!" I told her that didn't really help me. Could I put it on meats? Absolutely. Is it good on vegetables? Oh yes. I think I might have asked her about ice cream, but I might have assumed the answer.
I thought of this because I've recently mixed up something very versatile. I bought a stick blender that cooks who know what they're doing can use to purée vegetables in a soup or for smooth sauces. I use it for one purpose.
I make a blue cheese dressing with an inch or more of olive oil, a dash or two of balsamic vinegar (sweet and mild), a garlic clove, some pepper, and a couple of chunks of blue cheese in the plastic glass that came with the stick blender and blend to a smooth thick liquid. I then stir in a tablespoonful of both mayo and plain yogurt (adding tanginess). In the refrigerator, the olive oil solidifies and it takes on the consistency of soft butter.
I use this on green salads, but it's also really good on baked potatoes. [I use the microwave and after piercing the potato with a fork a few times to let the steam out, five minutes later I have a steaming hot and thoroughly cooked russet potato.]
But I found another use for this dressing. I get a local ciabatta bread and toast up a few pieces, then slather them with the refrigerated and solidified blue cheese dressing as if I were putting butter on bread. It's good as is, but for a treat I sometimes grate some Parmesan cheese over the toast and top with a little fresh pepper. It's a meal in itself.
In fact, I'll bet it would be good on a lot of things like vegetables maybe even pasta. Of course it wouldn't be good on sweet things like sliced fruit salad because of the garlic. But if I omitted the garlic, maybe it would be good on just about... no, I'm not going to say it.
She brightened up and said, "Everything!" I told her that didn't really help me. Could I put it on meats? Absolutely. Is it good on vegetables? Oh yes. I think I might have asked her about ice cream, but I might have assumed the answer.
I thought of this because I've recently mixed up something very versatile. I bought a stick blender that cooks who know what they're doing can use to purée vegetables in a soup or for smooth sauces. I use it for one purpose.
I make a blue cheese dressing with an inch or more of olive oil, a dash or two of balsamic vinegar (sweet and mild), a garlic clove, some pepper, and a couple of chunks of blue cheese in the plastic glass that came with the stick blender and blend to a smooth thick liquid. I then stir in a tablespoonful of both mayo and plain yogurt (adding tanginess). In the refrigerator, the olive oil solidifies and it takes on the consistency of soft butter.
I use this on green salads, but it's also really good on baked potatoes. [I use the microwave and after piercing the potato with a fork a few times to let the steam out, five minutes later I have a steaming hot and thoroughly cooked russet potato.]
But I found another use for this dressing. I get a local ciabatta bread and toast up a few pieces, then slather them with the refrigerated and solidified blue cheese dressing as if I were putting butter on bread. It's good as is, but for a treat I sometimes grate some Parmesan cheese over the toast and top with a little fresh pepper. It's a meal in itself.
In fact, I'll bet it would be good on a lot of things like vegetables maybe even pasta. Of course it wouldn't be good on sweet things like sliced fruit salad because of the garlic. But if I omitted the garlic, maybe it would be good on just about... no, I'm not going to say it.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
There's a new movie, Juno. Haven't seen it.
But the director Jason Reitman (son of Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman) also directed a movie I saw on cable recently that has become one of my enjoyable-to-watch-again movies.
Only a few critics enjoyed it, but I thought "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" was humorous with likable characters. I totally believed Uma Thurman as an overworked superhero.
These are movies I've seen more than once and will watch again:
tender mercies
shawshank redemption
princess bride
ferris bueller's day off
it's a wonderful life
much ado about nothing
groundhog day
glory road
moonstruck
toy story
galaxy quest
as good as it gets
But the director Jason Reitman (son of Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman) also directed a movie I saw on cable recently that has become one of my enjoyable-to-watch-again movies.
Only a few critics enjoyed it, but I thought "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" was humorous with likable characters. I totally believed Uma Thurman as an overworked superhero.
These are movies I've seen more than once and will watch again:
tender mercies
shawshank redemption
princess bride
ferris bueller's day off
it's a wonderful life
much ado about nothing
groundhog day
glory road
moonstruck
toy story
galaxy quest
as good as it gets
