Salute

I don't know what to say. Even though those horrifying imagines are all I see on the news for a week now, I'm still in disbelief. It's difficult to grasp how in so few moments, everything you've ever owned could be washed away, everything you've ever known could be destroyed, and people you love could be gone forever. I salute those heroic volunteers who are risking their lives trying to repair the nuclear plants, those rescue workers, even all the citizens who are trying to remain calm and orderly. My heart goes out to all of you. It's times like this, I feel so small and powerless, no matter what we do, we can't go back in time, we can't save the lives lost.

It feels wrong to celebrate St. Patrick's day at a time like this. So celebrate, we don't, even though we still had a corned beef and cabbage dinner. When testing for the doneness of the meat with a fork, it should have a little resistance without clinging to the fork. This way the meat was tender, but still retained its shape when slicing. If you are wondering which cut to get, do a little research. You will find that while there are people who stand firmly by the flat cut, more people prefer the point cut. All for the same reason - the fat. The fat makes the point cut more flavorful, as long as you get a piece that's firm, not squishy. Hey, it's only once a year. Plus, there is all that veggie to balance off the meal. =)

Corned Beef and Cabbage
based on this recipe
3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
10 small red potatoes (about 36 oz), halved
1 onion (about 9 oz), cut into 8 wedges
5 carrots (about 20 oz), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 head cabbage (about 26 oz), cut into 8 wedges

Place corned beef in large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 2 and half hours (approximately 50 minutes per pound) or until tender.

Add potatoes, carrots and onions, and bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add cabbage and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.

Slice meat across the grain. (It's easiest if the meat has completely cooled.)

Hop, Hop, Hop

I still remember vividly the first time I had rabbit meat. I was fourteen. My parents were in the US, so my grandma came to stay with me in Beijing. With just the two of us, she made all my favorite food. The aroma in the kitchen was so irresistible that I often sat on a stool in the kitchen while she cooked, and nibbled on whatever that was done. One day, she braised some mysterious meat. It smelled so delicious that I couldn't wait for dinner. So grandma gave me a bowl. It was just as scrumptious as it smelled, so tasty that I couldn't stop myself. I asked for more and more, until grandma looked at me in surprise and said that there wasn't any left. I had finished more than a pound of meat ALL by myself!!! (Yes, I was going through a growth spurt. =) This mysterious meat was rabbit. I also remember grandma telling me that rabbit meat doesn't have much taste - it will take on whatever it's cooked with. While I hear a lot of people comparing rabbit meat to chicken, what I remembered was very similar to pork.

Awhile ago, I saw some wrapped up frozen rabbits at an Asian grocery store. (No, they didn't look like Thumper. There was no skin, and just like chicken, the head, feet and insides were all gone.) I bought one on impulse without a single clue what I would do with it. So there it stayed in the freezer for a few months. Quite a few! Then last week, all of a sudden I got the urge to tackle this frozen log. I read up on Judy Rodgers' Zuni Cafe Cookbook. While Ms. Rodgers explained nicely how to cut up a rabbit, the recipes all call for one type of cuts or another. I wasn't exactly up to making multiple dishes yet, so I went to the most knowledgeable source - the Internet. This recipe seems to the best rated. While I had my doubts, since Ms. Roger said that different cuts require different cook time, I marched on trusting all those reviewers.

I didn't have any shallot or current jelly, so I substituted with onions and grape jelly. I also added a can of sliced mushrooms to the gravy. The end result, you wonder? Well, I loved the gravy! The meat itself was good, but not as amazing as the reviewers acclaimed, and definitely not as succulent as my grandma's. (And obviously not a beauty either.) Due to the long braising time, all the pieces were tender regardless of the cut, but not quite fall-off-the-bone-tender. The flavor also didn't fully penetrate into the large pieces, such as the hind legs. Even though it was very slight, there WAS a gaminess to the dish. I'm not convinced that I want to make this dish again, but it certainly gave me confidence in dealing with rabbits that next time I will try to reproduce my grandma's version.

Hasenpfeffer (Rabbit Stew)
from AllRecipes

3 pounds rabbit meat, cleaned and cut into pieces
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ pound bacon, diced
½ cup finely chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
1 tablespoon currant jelly
10 black peppercorns, crushed
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
⅛ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Sprinkle rabbit with salt and coat with ⅓ cup flour, shaking off excess. Brown rabbit in remaining bacon fat. Remove from skillet, along with all but 2 tablespoons of the fat, and reserve.

Saute shallots and garlic in skillet for about 4 minutes, until tender. Stir in wine, 1 cup water and bouillon. Heat to boiling, then stir in jelly, peppercorns, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Return rabbit and bacon to skillet. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer about 1 ½ hours or until rabbit is tender.

Remove bay leaf and discard. Place rabbit on a warm platter and keep warm while preparing gravy.

To Make Gravy: Stir lemon juice into skillet with cooking liquid. Combine 3 tablespoons water with 2 tablespoons flour and mix together; stir mixture into skillet over low heat. Finally, stir in thyme. Pour gravy over stew and serve, or pour into a gravy boat and serve on the side.

Broccoli, Broccoli, Shrimp, Shrimp

I know, I know. It's been quiet here for over a week now. But I haven't forgotten about you, cross my heart. Just the opposite, in fact. The other day, as I was in the kitchen slicing away, phrases describing the dish popped in my head, all by themselves! =) That's when I realized that this little blog of mine is taking over the way I think and prep. I don't mind it though, not one bit. =)

Anyways, the reason that I have been silent isn't that I stopped cooking. It's just that most of the new dishes I've been making are not exceptional. I didn't want to bore you with something ordinary. Now, on second thought, maybe I should just write about everything. This blog is my journey after all. How can one make remarkable dishes EVERY time? Of course, there will be missteps. But before I go down that route, I have something fabulous for you.

My kids love shrimp. And they absolutely adore broccoli. It's as if Melissa Clark created this recipe just for them. This is quick and easy, and very tasty. The recipe calls for whole coriander and cumin seeds. I didn't have any whole cumin seeds, so I substituted with ½ teaspoon of ground cumin, which worked out very well. The coriander seeds, on the other hand, weren't all that pleasant to bite on. I wish I used ground coriander as well. The flavor would probably be better absorbed too. The 1 ½ teaspoons of salt called for sounds like a LOT of salt. (Sorry, that's by no fault of Miss Clark. I didn't pay enough attention, and missed the crucial word "kosher".) Next time, I think I will reduce it to half. I also got lazy, and didn't zest any lemon. But that doesn't seem to affect the flavor at all. Everybody loved it! With the exception of D - the spices are probably a little much for a 3-year old. The broccoli was wonderful, but some bits got a little burned, so I would probably reduce the roasting time to 8 to 9 minutes as well.

Regardless of these modifications, this recipe is definitely a keeper. In the winter, there is the added benefit for warming up the kitchen with a running oven. =)

Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp
based on this recipe

Serves 4

2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (or ¾ teaspoon regular salt)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon hot chili powder
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons oil, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon regular salt), ½ teaspoon pepper and chili powder. In a separate bowl, combine shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon regular salt) and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper.

Spread broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 8-9 minutes. Add shrimp to baking sheet and toss with broccoli. Roast for 5 minutes, toss again, flipping over the shrimp. Roast for another 5 minutes until shrimp are just opaque and broccoli is tender and golden around edges. Serve with lemon wedges, or squeeze lemon juice all over shrimp and broccoli just before serving.

Got Milk?

Milk isn't a staple in the Chinese diet. When I was little, milk only came unpasteurized in glass bottles. The only way we'd consume it was to boil it in the morning for breakfast. To this day, my parents will only drink warm milk. Even I, after all these years, haven't gotten quite used to cold milk. So to me, the unquestioned pairing of a glass of cold milk with cookies is only an American concept instilled through all those "Got Milk?" commercials.

With all that blabbering about milk, you'd think that's the subject of this post. Nah, I just wanted you to understand what an unbeliever I was. Then you will be able to grasp the strong impact I felt when I tell you that THIS super chocolaty cookie converted me! Something as rich as this, I wouldn't even start without a glass of that white liquid standing by. I've always been a hard core chocolate lover, but this cookie is so chocolaty that even I can't consume more than one at a seating without falling into a chocolate coma. (And my cookies are only half the size of what Bret Thompson recommended.) I almost felt guilty gifting such decadence. (Not really. =)

I happen to have some Pepperidge Farm soft baked dark chocolate brownies in the house. (Yes, you caught me. I'm still hoarding store bought junk food in the pantry. =P) After a side by side comparison, I have to say that the Pepperidge Farm one is sweeter, but not as chocolaty, and more artificial tasting. So if you are a die hard chocolate fan, don't miss out, make yourself a batch, quick!

Milk's Ooey-Gooey Double Chocolate Cookies

Makes 36

1/4 pound (4 ounces) unsweetened chocolate
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet chocolate (chunks or chips)

In a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

In the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a fork, combine the eggs, vanilla and sugar. Mix just until incorporated and set aside.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.

Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients and mix just until combined, then stir in the bittersweet chocolate.

Cover the batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill thoroughly. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Drop spoonfuls of the dough on a greased, parchment-lined sheet pan, leaving 2 inches between each.

Bake until the edges of the cookies are just set and the center is still soft, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Place the cookies, still on the parchment, on a rack and cool slightly.

Bruuuuuuuulée

Unless you are serving soufflé or flambé, most desserts can be prepared in advance. With that said, I can't explain why I chose to make crème brulée. It just came to me as soon as I started planning. Maybe deep down, I have a fascination with torches. =)

I'm sure there are many people who love the "food scientist" Alton Brown. I'm one of you. Alton's recipes are always so straightforward. Same with this one - it completely de-mystified crème brulée. It's so simple and delicious that you will never want to pay $9 at restaurants again. Hubby isn't a big fan of caramelized sugar, so sometimes we even have the crème without the brulée. That's good eats too. =)

I forgot to take a picture. But a crème brulée is a crème brulée. They really can't look very different. If you'd like to watch how they are made, you can watch Alton doing his magic.

Crème Brulée

1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium sauce pan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top.

Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Parmesan Icebox Crackers

Next to the Brie en Croûte is another Williams Sonoma recipe that I've done a few times - the Parmesan Icebox Crackers sans the pepper and rosemary. They were the token savories in my 2009 Christmas gifts.

Rosemary-Parmesan Icebox Crackers

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground pepper (optional)
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, pepper and rosemary and pulse twice to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 pulses. Add the cheese and pulse twice to combine. With the motor running, pour in the cream and continue processing until the dough forms a single mass.

Transfer the dough to a work surface and roll into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat an oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the dough into 1/8-inch-thick slices and place on the prepared baking sheet. If desired, using miniature decorative cutters, cut out the center of each slice, then place the cutouts on the baking sheet. Bake until the crackers are light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack. When the crackers are cool to the touch, transfer them to the rack. Makes about 24 crackers.

Cutting the hard dough seems too tough, so I normally wait for the dough to come to room temperature. However, the log will not retain its shape during slicing. Luckily, the dough is very pliable that you can just reshape the crackers before baking.

Baked Brie en Croûte with Apple Compote

I have made Williams Sonoma's Baked Brie en Croûte with Apple Compote a number of times now. Unless you are making the puff pastry from scratch, this is a quick and easy recipe with great results. It's best served warm when the pastry is flaky, the cheese is oozing, and the apple pieces are as comforting as a freshly baked apple pie.

Baked Brie en Croûte with Apple Compote

This appetizer can be made up to 2 weeks in advance. Assemble the pastry, cheese and apple compote, but don't brush the dough with the egg wash. Instead, wrap the pastry tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until ready to bake. Then brush the frozen pastry with the egg wash and bake in a 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes.

1 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
1 round Brie cheese, 6 to 8 oz. and about 4 1/2 inches wide, slightly chilled
10-inch round of puff pastry dough, rolled out to 1/4-inch thickness
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbs. water
Plain water crackers for serving

In a 2-quart sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the apples and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and have released most of their liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sugar and cardamom, stir to dissolve and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let the apple compote cool to room temperature.

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

With a sharp knife, cut the cheese in half horizontally. On a clean work surface, place one half of the cheese, sliced side up, and evenly spread 1/2 cup of the apple compote over it. Set the other half, sliced side down, over the compote and spread 1/2 cup compote over the top.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and set the cheese in the center of the dough. Fold the dough up over the sides of the cheese, pleating the upper edges to fit snugly around the cheese. Pinch the dough together in the center to seal. Brush the dough evenly with the egg wash and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake until the pastry is golden all over and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to a platter along with a sharp knife and the crackers. Serve any remaining compote alongside.

Simple Clams

A few months ago, I made this. Even though it was good, it was way too much work. Another thing I learned was that Uwajimaya has really fresh mussels and clams. So when I saw Uwajimaya had Manila clams on sale this week for $3.99, I knew I had to get some. I also knew this time I wanted to choose a simpler recipe with white wine.

I did a little search, and chose a recipe from http://www.food.com/. The clams were super tender and meaty. The garlic lost all of its pungency. The prosciutto salty and crispy. Enjoyed with a glass of pinot grigio that the clams were cooked in. Yum. =) Hubby insisted that he didn't like clams. Even better, more for me! =)

The only thing I have to complain is that the sauce was too salty even though I didn't add any salt. (And I'm not one who's on a low-sodium diet, just see what I've cooked in the past and you'd know.) So instead of soaking it all up with bread, I used it to saute the mushrooms for my pasta sauce. Yum, yum, yum!

Clams in Garlic White Wine Sauce
based on this

2 slices prosciutto ham, thin slices
1 tablespoon oil
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1/3 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used pinot grigio)
2 lbs Manila clams (or small clams of your choice, about 30-32, cleaned and scrubbed)

Cut prosciutto into strips. In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Fry prosciutto until crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove to paper towel to drain.

To the pan, add garlic and half of the parsley. Fry for 1 minute. Add wine. Bring to boil over medium high heat. Add clams, cover and steam until clams open, about 5 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.

Sprinkle with prosciutto and remaining parsley.

Ladle clams into small bowls and offer plenty of crusty bread to soak up the delicious broth.

Peach Cobbler

I do buy fruit in season. I do, I do. I just often forget what I've bought, and ending buying more. To use up the peaches and nectarines that are piling up, I decided to make this peach cobbler sans the berries. (I added 1/4 cup of crasins in their place, does that count? =)

I cut down the recipe to fit in my 8" baking pan. To make it vegan, I used margarine instead of butter, and substituted almond milk with lemon juice for buttermilk.

The result? The dough on the bottom got a little soggy, especially after a day. (This is probably because I used a baking pan, instead of a cast iron pan. If so, I have no one to blame but myself.) But the nectarines were really good. Hubby complained that the individual components didn't enhance each other as he gobbled it down. The kids loved it. D first refused it, but once he had some, he asked for seconds, then thirds. No, I didn't give him thirds.

I will definitely make this again when I have berries. =)

Portobello Prosciutto Burgers

Today, as I was cutting up some baby portobello mushrooms for sauteing, I remembered a friend posted a comment to this recipe on Facebook a few days ago. Sure, even the biggest baby bella was much smaller than a regular portobello. But the recipe looked so delish, I still went ahead with 6 of my biggest baby bella caps. To compensate this size difference, I broke a slice of provolone into thirds, and cut up a hot dog bun. (I was too lazy to go get some mini slider buns. =P) My basil leaves were so stubborn that they refused to break up into tiny bits in the food processor, so they weren't quite "one with the mayo". And since it was a last minute decision, I didn't soak the mushrooms in wine either. As I'm writing this, I just realized that I even forgot to top the prosciutto with a basil leaf. Hmm, even with all these missteps, it still tasted so good that I had two! =) This will definitely be in my repertoire from now on. So quick and easy AND satisfying! What more could you ask for?

PS: Another added benefit for using the baby bellas is that the kids LOVE it! I don't know about you, but mine aren't so enthusiastic about large portobellos due to their distinct and strong aroma.

Paupiette

Hubby's favorite protein is chicken. To him, "chicken" and "meat" are interchangeable terms. Asking him what he'd like for dinner is completely useless, because the answer is always going to be "chicken".

Sometimes, it really gets difficult to think of a new chicken dish. Lucky for him, my repertoire had a new addition recently - Chicken Paupiettes with Lemon-Tarragon Sauce.
 (OK, so the lazy me didn't make the sauce, but the paupiette itself is really good.) Just couple of notes:
1. It's VERY important to pound the chicken thinly and evenly, and take special care not to tear.
2. Be stingy with the salt when seasoning the chicken. The prosciutto brings additional salt, so you don't want to over-salt it.
3. I don't know what size spinach leaves the recipe testers were using, but 3 per chicken breast is DEFINITELY not enough. Try about 6-10 per chicken breast, depending on the size of the spinach and the meat.

Good luck, and enjoy! =)

Slow Cooked Chicken Costco Style

Over the years, I have collected a lot of recipes that I didn’t even look at, (That's bad, isn't it? =) which included the Costco Connection magazines. The latest issue did a section on slow cookers. This got my attention since I haven't busted out mine for over a year now. I love the idea of slow cooking, but in order to get all the ingredients ready and into the cooker I will need to plan one more day ahead which I rarely do. =) With a magazine flipped open to the page, there is no way I'd forget. *fingers crossed* Out of the handful of recipes, the Autumn Herbed Chicken with Fennel and Squash looked most interesting.

With the plan set, I went about making sure I had every ingredient, which is a VERY short list. However, I have been getting very forgetful the last couple of years. (It must be old age, or child baring. =) Not to my surprise, I forgot to get fennel. So I used an onion instead. (I also substituted drumsticks for thighs.)

After immersed in the stock simmering for over 6 hours, the chicken was falling off the bones tender. The kids loved it except for the fresh rosemary on top. I found the flavor a little lacking. What did I expect?! It hardly called for any seasoning. I don't think I'd be making this again. I’m sure there is a far more delectable slow-cooked drumstick recipe waiting for me somewhere.

Halloween

About a month ago, K told me that she was throwing a Halloween party. So for the first time in years, instead of waiting in the house for trick-or-treaters, we were going to spend Halloween with some other adults. (That's exciting, isn't it? Yes, I know, my life is boring.) This party was what I looked forward to all week.

Right after trick-or-treating at Bell Square, (if you live in the area and don't know, Bellevue Collections hosts a trick-or-treating and a number of other activities on Halloween that are quite exciting for little kids) we headed over to K's. Being a person whose world revolve around food, I always worry about if there were enough food at parties. You certainly don't want to have guests wondering what else they could nibble on after someone takes that last scoop of dip. So I brought along a baked brie and some Parmesan crackers. I used half of a wheel of brie from Costco. And since that was much bigger than what the recipe called for, I had to roll out the puff pastry quite a bit. The apple compote and the brie complemented each other perfectly. It was a big hit. I wanted to serve the crackers alongside the brie, so I omitted pepper and rosemary altogether. (Oh, who am I kidding? That's just an excuse. The real reason was that I didn't have any fresh rosemary.) I ended up with 36 crackers. I probably cut them a little thin, so the dough kept on cracking (haha, no pun intended) that I had to reshape them a bit. But I thought they were the perfect thickness, I wouldn't want them any thicker.

I also made a French Onion Tart based on fellow seattlite Orangette's Molly's recipe. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the party (which was only 6:15), most people already had a fair share of the food, and the tart got a little cold. So not many people tried it, even after I reheated it in the oven. Lesson learned, next time, I should take things that still taste good eaten at room temperature or on the cold side of the temperature.

But I really shouldn't have worried about there not being enough food. K is a big food person like me. She often prepares way more food than necessary. There were tons of choices from the sophisticated crab dip to the Asian-influenced kalbi marinated flank steak to the very American hot dogs and tater tots to the various types of chips, AND desserts, such as cookies, dessert breads and rice krispy treats. I wouldn't bore you as the list went on, but you got the drift.
Everybody chatted and drank and nibbled while all the kids ran around the house and went trick-or-treating not once, but twice! We all went home happy and full. The only lingering thought on my mind was that I didn't realize it was a costume party. So now I have to start thinking about what I'd be next year. =)

Pan Roasted Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Feta

The biggest hit so far out of all the Williams Sonoma technique classes I've taken is the Pan-Roasted Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Feta that they demonstrated couple of weeks ago. Everyone in the class loved it. The star of the salad is obviously the sweet corn. The feta didn't do too much for me though.

Today, I needed a quick salad dish for lunch, so I thought I'd give this a try. Since my son is allergic to diary, I just omitted the feta and butter completely. It was a huge hit. Everybody loved it, we didn't have a drop left.