April 12, 2011

Antep Pistachio Kebabs

Ok, so these technically aren't kebabs since I am skewer-less and, more importantly, barbecue-less, but I wasn't going to let details like that stop me from making these. I actually wasn't a fan of lamb the first time I tried it--some tough, overcooked piece I nabbed from a friend's dish at a Chinese restaurant--but I decided to give it another go when I had dinner at a Turkish restaurant uptown. I have to admit, it didn't completely win me over at that time either, but something about it appealed to me since some time after that, I decided to pick up a package of ground lamb when I noticed them at Whole Foods and that's it; that's all she wrote.


April 6, 2011

Oh Fiddlesticks!


April showers are announcing the arrival of spring (though the weather's been topsy turvy, yeah?), which means the arrival of asparagus, garlic scapes, rhubarb, and these gnarly things. I bought some fiddlehead ferns last year since people seem to go crazy over them; plus, they just look wicked cool, and I have a weakness for novelty items. Then the enthusiasm flew out the window the moment I ate a piece. They weren't bad - but there wasn't anything to merit all the fanfare. I vaguely recall boiling them to get rid of any toxins, then sauteeing some with butter and salt whilst tossing the remainder into a risotto. But all you guys out there can't be wrong, which leads me to the conclusion that I'm just not cooking them the right way.

So, anybody know any great recipes featuring these things?