We have quite a number of unique holiday articles on the SuperSite that I’m going to tell you about, so here are the first two.
Kicked-Up Cranberry Sauce: Cranberry, Apple, and Jalapeño United
If you’re like me, you probably get tired of the regular boring cranberry sauce that most people serve at holiday dinners. You know the stuff that I’m referring to — that gelatinous, mushy cranberry mold that your grandmother plated up every year for as long as you can remember. The flavor isn’t terribly bad, but I don’t understand why something that is as easy to make as homemade cranberry sauce is so often purchased off a grocery store shelf. When the canned version is served alongside a delicious spread of Thanksgiving goodies, I’m the first to overlook it and move on to the next offering. So this year I decided to try something new: since I’m a fan of spicy foods, I thought I’d add jalapeños to my otherwise fairly sweet homemade sauce and the results were delicious. If you prefer another type of pepper, feel free to use that one. You really can’t go wrong with this recipe!
Spicy Vietnamese Spring Rolls
It’s summertime… hot and humid. You don’t want to be heating up the kitchen and cooking but would like something light, tasty and different for dinner. Try some Vietnamese spring rolls served cold with a peanut dipping sauce. While there is a bit of a learning curve to master rolling the rolls once that’s accomplished the rest is easy.
When Arrabbiata Meets Sambal
Sambal is becoming more common, a spicy Malaysian chile paste that is widely used for a lot of Asian cuisine. You can find it in the Asian food aisle of any well-stocked grocery store. A generally straightforward mix of chiles, salt and vinegar (some have garlic and/or sugar), sambal can best be described as an Asian harrissa. It’s different from Sriracha in that it is nice and chunky with lots of seeds and bits of chile. It makes for a great shortcut to Arrabbiata and here’s the simple way to do it.
The Cure: Do-It-Yourself Spicy Olives
The preservation method is simple: First the olives are blanched in hot water. Then moisture and bitter components are drained from the fruit with sea salt, and finally the fruit is dried – in the early days by use of charcoal fires, now in special drying ovens, called “essiccatori” (dehydrators).
Southwestern Hush Puppies? That’s Crazy Talk!
Before you hush puppy purists grab the torches and pitchforks and head to Los Angeles for a few days of burning yours truly at the stake, hear me out. I was desperate for an appetizer at this Saturday’s grilling and had no money but plenty of corn masa, garlic, habanero pepper, and vegetable oil. That’s where this tasty violation of southern tradition originated.
Sidekicks: Three Fun Barbecue Side Dishes from Mike Stines
Now you’re looking for some ideas for side dishes that will withstand the hot weather and not make your guests ill. Here’s what I like to serve: Thai-style cucumber salad, horseradish pickled beets and pickled red onions. Add some chipotle butter for the corn and you’ll have a great meal with complementary flavors and tastes.
