Denver Life with Carl and Mark: May 2022

Friday, May 27, 2022

New recipe, May 27, 2022

Watermelon Margarita from NYT Cooking. I caught the photo just before we finished them! Didn't salt the rim but I think that would have added to the flavor profile. Fun flavors, this gets a 3.

New recipe, May 26, 2022

Chinese Stir Fried Tomatoes and Eggs from NYT Cooking. This is quick and utterly delicious. It gets a 5.

Beet Soup with Tarragon, Chives and Yogurt from NYT Cooking. This soup is simple and really quite delicious. We have eaten it warm, cold snd at room temperature, and is great each way. The yogurt with chives and tarragon adds layers of flavor. This gets a 5!

New recipes, May 24, 2022

Leeks with Hazelnut and Tarragon from the February 2022 Bon Appetít, and Winter Squash and Pork Stir Fry from NYT Cooking. The leeks are delicious but seriously over salted. As written we give it a 4. Cut the salt in half—that ought to get it to a 5. The stir fry was pleasant, we give it a 3.

New recipe, May 23, 2022

Pears and Radishes with Gorgonzola and Nori from the February 2022 Bon Appetít. We skipped the nori and really liked the sweetness of the pear, the acidity in the dressing along with the richness of the cheese and the sharpness of the radish. This gets a 4.

New recipe, May 22, 2022

Slow Cooker Lentil Soup with Sausage and Apples from NYT Cooking. The apples and apple cider add a subtle sweetness to this dish that make it shine. We give this a 4.

New recipe, May 21, 2022

Pasta with Roasted Romanesco and Capers from the October 2016 Bon Appetít. I have read about romanesco for years, so when I finally saw it in the market I bought it. It is a broccoli but it has a very geometric fractal appearance. This dish does not show off the fractals, but it is very tasty with a wonderful creamy dish. Flavor wise, it would work equally well with broccoli. The fried almond and caper topping really make this dish. It gets a 4.

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

New recipe, May 20, 2022

Flowering Chives and Pork Slivers (Jiu Cai Hua Chao Rou) from Epicurious. I have no prior experience with flowering garlic chives, but I suspect the tenderness and age of them can vary. This recipe cooks them very briefly to avoid losing their crispness, so that is what I did. But the flowering chives I got were pretty hard, and more importantly had a very harsh, hot flavor. As made this was a 2. I would like to try it again, as I enjoyed the flavor of the pork, but if the chives are like these, I would steam the chives for at least a few minutes and then stir fry them until tender, and then add in the cooked pork.

Thursday, May 19, 2022

New recipe, May 19, 2022

Watermelon Chaat from NYT Cooking. Watermelon with a savory dressing. Just delicious! The slices and peppers play wonderfully with the juicy sweet fruit. This gets a 5!

New recipe, May 18, 2022

Sopa de Fideo from NYT Cooking. We have never had this before but it is clearly a comfort food! Very pleasant. We give this a 3.

New recipe, May 17, 2022

Once again failed to get a photo of the new dish, which is Vegetarian Gumbo from NYT Cooking. This has the rich flavors of gumbo, and proves you don't need animal protein to have a delicious gumbo. It gets a 4.

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

New recipe, May 26, 2022

Narjissiya with Aparagus, Halloumi and Sumac. This has a few steps but it is pretty quick to put together, and has lots of flavor layers. We give this a 4.

New recipes, May 15, 2022

Rack of Lamb with Strawberry Pan Sauce from the May 2022 Bon Appetít, and Tahini Salad from NYT Cooking. The lamb has a wonderful sauce and gets a 5. The salad is pleasant and we give it a 3.

New recipe, May 14, 2022

Gin and Tonic with Bitters and Orange from NYT Cooking. This is a really good variation on the old standard. We give this a 5.

Friday, May 13, 2022

New recipe, May 13, 2022

Papadzules (Eggs and Asparagus with Pepita Sauce) from NYT Cooking. This is a bit odd. Looks like an enchilada but not baked. The flavors are good, but there is too much water in the pepita salsa, which keeps it from being thick and creamy. Overall, we give this a 3.

New recipe, May 12, 2022

Grilled Chicken Salad with Romesco Sauce from Epicurious. A nice bright salad with a rich, delicious, spicy Romesco hiding underneath. Great layers of flavor! This gets a 5.

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

New recipe, May 11, 2022

Asian Pear Shiso Salad with Quinoa from the February 2022 Bon Appetít. This a a fun, layered dish! The creamy yogurt with black tahini (thank you Har Mart!) is especially fun and interesting. This gets a 4.

New recipe, May 10, 2022

The Goldfish cocktail from NYT Cooking. This uses Goldwasser, a liqueur that contains flakes of gold. The flavor is pleasant, nothing that really stands out. We give this a 3.

Monday, May 9, 2022

New recipe, May 9, 2022

Mango with Chile Lime Salt from NYT Cooking. This is traditional Mexican food, and the Chile, lime and salt play really well with the mango! This gets a 4.

Sunday, May 8, 2022

New recipe, May 8, 2022

The Caprice Cocktail from NYT Cooking. The Benedictine and orange bitters really jazz up the gin and vermouth. This is very enjoyable, it gets a 4

Saturday, May 7, 2022

New recipe, May 7, 2022

Khoresh Rivas (Savory Rhubarb and Bean Stew) from NYT Cooking. I latched onto this because I want to use the rhubarb in our garden. Persian food uses familiar ingredients in ways I haven't encountered much before, and the food is delicious. We give this dish a 5!