Food Glorious Food - The Cooking Thread

[waytoocheerful]

I did a watermelon salad last night when I did a cold supper -- chicken salad, potato salad, corn salad (Ina Gerten's recipe but I added chopped red and green pepper), and watermelon salad.

I used Giada's watermelon salad recipe, but I changed it up some. I didn't have watercress or arugula, so I just used green leaf lettuce instead. I also put the feta in the dressing (olive oil, lemon, salt an dpepper). I made up some more for lunch and left the lettuce out and just put the dressing on the cubed watermelon. You can't really finish it ahead of time, just have the watermelon cubed (and the arugula/watercress chopped and in with the melon) and the dressing made up.

[biondetta]

I would think the watermelon salad would be a good option, although I always like goat cheese in place of feta. I usually just do the watermelon, greens, and goat cheese and then just sprinkle some olive oil, lemon juice and salt/pepper. Some fresh or dried basil also goes nicely.

You could always prepare it something like this in squares (or circles).

[Deleted]

A fruit salad of some sort is a perfect idea. Unfortunately, I hate all things melon. I guess I could be less of a selfish turd and still make it for the guests, though... Lots of people do seem to enjoy the melon (vom). Thanks, girls, and thanks for the curtido recipe, chonies!

[Ginger]

I can't imagine watermelon as part of a salty salad since I always eat it as a dessert. The simplest and most delicious fruit salad I make is cubed watermelon, fresh blueberries and a whole lot of fresh mint (with an optional sauce of half lemon yogurt/half fat free cream cheese, blended).

[Deleted]

Does anyone have a really great recipe for chimichurri sauce? I want to make some for a steak bbq and I'm not sure how to spot a really good recipe because I've never made it before.

[LAX]

I made this one years ago and it was so delicious it has become my summer grilling sauce of choice.
Not only good on steak, but also tasty on tofu, and probably on fish and chicken.
Chimichurri

[dwanollah]

Follow up: I'm simmering rosemary, shallot, red onion, thyme and peppercorns in whole milk for the roquefort bread sauce even as we speak. I'll let you guyses know if it turns out any good....

[kateln]

I made a Pavlova with Lemon Curd Whipped Cream this weekend (from Chow.com);

Meringue:
4 egg whites (at room temperature--no trace of yolks)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Preheat oven to 250. Lay some parchament paper on a cookie tray, and if you're feeling like being exact (I have yet to do this, and I've made this dish a few times), use a 9 inch pie plate to trace a circle on the back of the parchment as a guide.

In a very clean bowl--with no trace of soap, oil, or fat in it (with a very clean whisk/beaters/whipping attachment [love my Kitchen Aid]) whip up the egg whites until foamy. Increase the speed to high, and slowly add in the sugar (slooooooooowwwwwllllyyyyy). Blend until the meringue is shiny, and holds a stiff peak (or, if you want to impress the kiddies, you can turn it over and nothing falls out). With a rubber spatula, fold in the vanilla, corn starch and vinegar (sometimes I also add lemon or lime juice). Then turn the meringue out onto your cookie sheet, and spread out evenly to fill in a circular shape (or in your lovely tracing). Pop in the oven for 1 hour (until lightly golden).

For the Lemon Curd:
Go to Trader Joe's. Buy a jar of it. Set aside 1 cup for the Pavlova. Enjoy the rest with berries, yogurt, out of the jar, on an english muffin.....

For the Whipped Cream:
1 cup whipping cream (very cold)
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

I tend to put my beaters and bowl in the freezer to get them cold, cold, cold before whipping cream (I also put the cream in the freezer for 15 minutes or so before whipping). Put the cream in a bowl. Start whipping it. Drizzle in the vanilla and sugar. Stop when the cream is light and fluffy and holds a soft peak. Don't let it become butter.

Mix the lemon curd, into the whipped cream (I tend to leave streaks). Put the lemon whipped cream on top of your cooled meringue. Then top with the fruit of your choosing (I love berries on this, though ripe peaches work too).

[tabby]

Oh, I love pavlova! I've usually had it with berries (when I was in Australia, they often made it with paw-paw), but the lemon curd version sounds divine.

[Deleted]

That sounds FREAKING AMAZING.