This salsa fresca comes in handy when someone is intolerant to cilantro and the mint and parsley mixture gives it a very unique flavor that goes well with grilled meats.
It's no small feat to create perfectly textured Crunchy Cheese Puffs. First you make one of the weirdest doughs you've ever made. Then you steam it. Then you dry it. And then, only then, do you fry it. But I think somewhere out there are people like me who are just nutty enough to take on the challenge. Do be aware that the puffs need to dry for up to 10 hours so plan accordingly.
These corn chips are almost as simple, but have a slightly more complex flavor.
Ingredients
Nothing could be simpler than makin' bacon, the king of all fried meats. How many "vegetarians" have you known who just eat the periodic slab of crisp sautéed hog fat? I rest my case. Bacon is God. To cure your own bacon, plan and shop for ingredients well in advance. You might need to special-order the pork belly from your local butcher or grocery store. You can order curing salt from online retailers such as www.sausagemaker.com; I recommend Insta-Cure #1. In this recipe, I offer three ways to smoke the bacon. If you go the liquid smoke route, use only the real stuff: fake liquid smoke has an unappealing chemical taste. If you choose to smoke the meat on the grill, you'll need some hickory sawdust, which is available in smoking stores or through online retailers. Once the bacon is ready to eat, note that it will be easiest to slice thinly — a must if you like crispy bacon — when it is partially frozen and your knife is very sharp.
Mascarpone is a delicious fresh cow's milk cheese -- it tastes like a cross between whipped cream and cream cheese.
As featured in episode 611.
Pricey Greek yogurt is taking over dairy cases, but there's a puzzle here. Our extra money isn't necessarily buying some marvel imported from Greece or yogurt with special cultures.
Crispy fried shallots are an essential condiment in Vietnam. They turn up in soups (pho) and on salads, sprinkled onto dumplings as a garnish, and minced and added to meatballs. Crispy, sweet, and salty, they are indispensible. You may want to make double batches, as people have a hard time resisting the urge to snack on them. Strain the oil you used to fry the shallots and use it in other recipes or to fry more shallots. The strained oil, called shallot oil, will keep, refrigerated, for several weeks. The shallots should be used the same day they are fried.
Remember those little mints by the door at that restaurant you like? No, not that restaurant -- the nice-but-not-NICE-nice one. This recipe is most closely related to those little post-dinner courtesy mints -- but don't think they actually taste alike. These "mints" have a smooth, buttery flavor that's somewhat reminiscent of very thick frosting. And they're not necessarily minty at all: The texture of these little crisp-then-creamy confections lends itself very well to warmer flavors like coffee, chocolate, and cinnamon, too.