A pinch of this, a smidgen of that
Some favorite recipes came out of whimsy: why not try this ingredient in that dish? It doesn't always turn out the way you want, but if you work in the kitchen you're going to break some eggs...
Savoury scones with dried tomatoes and mallow leaves
Year of the Dragon birthday "cake"
How do you make a dragon green? I tried with avocado bavarian cream, candied lime rind, and mint leaves.
Unfortunately the lime rind discolored, and then bavarian cream started to melt as I handled it...
New ways to enjoy natto (and other bean dishes)
This "tropical chocolate" birthday cake was a bit more successful:
Instead of butter cream frosting, top each cake layer with pineapple, bananas, and mango. After all, cacao comes from the tropics!
Classic stuffing is little more than bread with onions, celery, and herbs, but it can be a great stand-alone dish with wild rice, walnuts, and mushrooms. If it's not going inside the bird, toss in stir-fried greens just before serving.
"Natsu Yasai" pasta: fresh tomatoes and basil leaves in chilled pasta is nothing new; the twist is to toss the pasta with mashed avocado instead of making a sauce. Top with sweet corn, edamame, and zucchini for a refreshing dish bursting with summer.
Just as I picked up the spoon to stir the chicken and onions into the wild rice, my wife said "Why not layer it? It can be a kind of chirashi-zushi."
So instead of stirring, I spooned over a panful of sauteed summer squash, then topped it with a whole bowl of edamame and a sprinkle of toasted walnuts.
Sometimes two minds are better than one.
