Recipes & Food-Related Ramblings
I am completely aware of how uncalled for this Fried Burrata Salad is. Burrata is a decadent treat all on its own. So to roll it in potato starch, egg, and panko before deep-frying it is a, um, little much. But we are in the middle of February and Valentine’s Day adjacent, so I’d say a little indulgence is allowed, advisable even. So rather than question the virtuousness of this dish, let’s just make it, enjoy it, and move on with our lives.
We’re at the point in winter when I shift from attempting to enjoy the season to attempting to survive it. And how do I survive my most hated of seasons you ask? I let my cravings rule the day and eat my weight in comfort food. Is it healthy? No. Does it feel good? Yes. Will I keep doing it? I think today’s Carbonara Risotto answers that question. But in all seriousness, this is the time to be gentle with yourself. Regardless of what the groundhog had to say, if you live somewhere that has winter there is likely a lot more winter to be had. So I say, find joy where you can during these dark cold months and I found joy in this risotto. So let’s talk about it. It’s a much better topic than Seasonal Affective Disorder anyway.
Today’s Yellow Split Pea Soup is a riff on a childhood favorite. This soup was a constant in my house growing up and a particular favorite of my dad’s. My rendition is different than the one I grew up with. For one thing, my mother always used green split peas not yellow. But yellow was what was available at my local grocery store and I was feeling mildly adventurous. There are a few other differences that I will discuss in greater detail. But apart from that, this is my childhood in a bowl. And while it may not be the prettiest bowl of soup in the world, it is, in my humble opinion, the most comforting. The bias of nostalgia is real, though, so take my assessment with a grain of salt.
Eggplant and I don’t have an easy relationship. I think I’ve previously mentioned this before, but I’m going to tell this story again. I had an unfortunate baba ganoush experience. And it has stayed with me and cast the eggplant in an unfavorable light. I am slowly but surely working to improve my opinion of eggplant, but I will admit it’s touch and go from time to time. My love for eggplant is very context-dependent. Sometimes I have an eggplant dish that doesn’t work for me for whatever reason and that severely sets back my progress. But I’m happy to say that more often than not a quality eggplant dish furthers my cause. This Roasted Eggplant with Nduja Lentils and Whipped Ricotta is one such dish.