Showing posts with label Daring Cooks' Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daring Cooks' Challenge. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Daring Cooks' October Challenge: Vietnamese Phở bò tái

The October 2009 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was brought to us by Jaden of the blog Steamy Kitchen. The recipes are from her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.

We had the option of preparing Jaden's quick version of Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Pho, using store-bought stock or, for us who were particularly daring, the longer version of Chicken or Beef Pho from Jaden's Steamy Kitchen.  The full recipes and instructions for Jaden's Chicken Pho can be found here, and her Beef Pho, here.

I chose to be particularly daring and prepared the longer version of Vietnamese Beef Pho, using Buffalo filet mignon.



As an added incentive this month, Jaden and The Daring Kitchen teamed up to host a photography contest for the Best Looking Pho Photo, and the Best Creative Wonton Dessert.  Winners will receive a copy of Jaden's cookbook.  Jaden will chose her eight favorite photos and post them to her blog on November 15th. Daring Kitchen members and Jaden’s blog readers will then vote for the winners. Voting will commence on November 15 and will end at midnight (EST) on November 21st. Winners will be announced on Jaden’s Steamy Kitchen blog on November 26th.  Unfortunately, Jaden's book tour was extended and she decided to "forego" allowing her readers to vote for the winning Pho and Wonton and chose them herself.  It's a bit disappointing when the rules are changed after the fact.

I had a hard time deciding between the photo above, and the one below.  I went with the one below (apparently, it wasn't a good choice.  Tastespotting and Foodgawker both rejected it based on "unflattering composition" and "narrow depth of field").



Before I get to my Pho preparation photos, I have a confession.  Before reading about this Challenge, I was a Pho-gin.  Therefore, I thought it would be prudent to dine at a local Vietnamese restaurant and engage in a little Pho-Play.  The OB Noodle House & Sake Bar, in Ocean Beach, had good reviews and an extensive offering of 19 variations of Pho.



I'm not quite sure how to describe this place, or some of the people who were dining there that evening.  Let's just say it wasn't my scene.  However, it was a new dining experience with interesting people-watching, and I left with a better understanding of this month's Challenge recipe.  OB Noodle House's Rare Beef Pho was good, but probably scarred my first experience by the over-abundance of cilantro...not one of my favorite herbs.



I was much happier with Jaden's recipe, served with all the condiments on the side so you can use what you like.  For my Rare Buffalo Pho, I offered Thai basil, cilantro, sliced fresh chili peppers, bean sprouts, red onion, mushrooms, lime wedges, Sriracha chili sauce, and Hoisin sauce.
 




The homemade beef stock absorbs its rich flavor from charred /roasted onions and ginger, spices, beef bones, fish stock, sugar, salt, and water.

Charred/Roasted onions and ginger



I toasted the spices (cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, star anise, cardamom pods, and whole cloves) and made a little mesh bag out of cheesecloth.





I used some nice beef bones, which Dooley and Diver thoroughly enjoyed after I removed them from the stock.



The stock takes about three hours, including a brief parboil of the bones to boil off some of the fat and scum



After parboiling the bones, and then rinsing off the bones and the pan, you boil a fresh pot of water and return the bones and the remaining ingredients to the water.



In order to achieve a clear broth, you must periodically skim the scum and strain the stock at the end.  This photo won't be winning any beauty contests, but that scum's gotta go.  I strained the broth through a napkin and fine sieve.




 
I went an extra step and refrigerated the stock overnight. I then strained it a second time and brought it back to a boil just before I was ready to serve.
 
Here is my beauteous buffalo filet.  If you freeze the filet for about 15 minutes, it's much easier to slice thinly, across the grain.
 

 
It's important to have your condiment platter prepared, and your filet sliced, before cooking the rice noodles.  For serving, place some cooked noodles in serving bowls, cover with hot broth, and add the sliced filet.  The broth will cook the raw filet in a few minutes and you can then add your desired accompaniments.
 


I was very pleased with my first Pho attempt, and it most certainly wrapped noodles around the OB Noodle House Pho!  Thank you, Jaden, for expanding my culinary horizons!

Now, are you ready for dessert?  The second part of the Daring Cooks' Challenge was to create our own version of dessert wontons. The challenge was about being creative with filling and form, and then photographing the result for the photo contest.

I used the ricotta filling from Mario Batali's Cannoli de Ricotta and BABBO's White Wine-Poached Pears.

I formed cone-shaped wontons by brushing wonton wrappers with butter on both sides and then wrapping them around paper cones made with stock paper and stapled.



I baked the wonton cones at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned, and slipped them off the paper cones.  Just before serving, I filled a pastry bag with the ricotta filling and piped it into the cone.  I topped the ricotta with a few spoonfuls of chopped, wine-poached pears and piped a little star of ricotta on the top.  Originally, I envisioned a few pear slices, fanned out, emerging from my Lily-shaped wontons, but the pears weren't firm enough to cooperate.  However, my bouquet looked elegant arranged in a martini glass.





I played with a few more ways to present these for serving....in shot glasses
 


And drizzled with some of the reduced wine syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon


 
If you like cannoli, I do strongly recommend Mario Batali's Cannoli de Ricotta, which I made a while back, here.

That concludes my October Daring Cooks' Challenge creations!
 
Be sure to visit Jaden at Steamy Kitchen and try one of her versions for Vietnamese Pho, or some of her other fabulous recipes.  If you would like to participate in the voting for the most beautiful Pho photo and most creative Dessert Wonton, cast your vote on Steamy Kitchen from November 15 to November 21. 
 
Finally, please stop by the Daring Kitchen, and the Daring Cooks' blogroll, to peruse the fabulous array of Pho and Wontons from all of the Daring Cooks' kitchens! 
 
Now, I must get back to our Wizard of Oz gingerbread creation!

Monday, September 14, 2009

The Daring Cooks Go Vegan - Indian Dosas with Eggplant in Curried Coconut Sauce

The September 2008 Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by Debyi, from The Healthy Vegan Kitchen. Debyi lives in Prescott, Arizona and enjoys a healthy, low-fat, vegan diet. She does not eat any animal products, has learned to cook without eggs, oils or added fat, and believes a diet high in whole plant foods (fruits and vegetables), low in animal products, and low in refined, processed foods, is the healthiest way to live.

As inspiration for this month's challenge, Debyi chose Indian Dosas from Ruth Tal's cookbook: reFresh: Contemporary Vegan Recipes From the Award Winning Fresh Restaurants.

We were allowed to vary the suggested recipe, within the following guidelines: 1) Must be free of animal products... no cows' milk, butter, meat, poultry, fish, chicken/beef broth, etc; 2) Must be 99% oil free...using only what we need to keep the dosas from sticking; and 3) We were permitted to use a different filling/sauce, but the filling/sauce must be free of animal products.

Here is Debyi's adaptation of the Indian Dosas recipe she chose for the challenge (my variation is set forth in the second part of this post):

Indian Dosas
(the recipe comes in 3 parts: the dosas, the filling and the sauce)
Serves 4

Equipment needed:
large bowl
whisk
griddle or skillet
ladle (or large spoon)
spatula
vegetable peeler &/or knife
large saucepan
food processor or bean masher

Dosa Pancakes
1 cup (120gm/8oz) spelt flour (or all-purpose, gluten free flour)
½ tsp (2½ gm) salt
½ tsp (2½ gm) baking powder
½ tsp (2½ gm) curry powder
½ cup (125ml/4oz) almond milk (or soy, or rice, etc.)
¾ cup (175ml/6oz) water
cooking spray, if needed

Dosa Filling
1 batch Curried Garbanzo Filling (see below), heated

Dosa Toppings
1 batch Coconut Curry Sauce (see below), heated
¼ cup (125gm) grated coconut
¼ cucumber, sliced

Dosa Pancakes
1. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, slowly adding the almond milk and water, whisking until smooth.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray your pan with a thin layer of cooking spray, if needed.
3. Ladle 2 tablespoons of batter into the center of your pan in a circular motion until it is a thin, round pancake. When bubbles appear on the surface and it no longer looks wet, flip it over and cook for a few seconds. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining batter. Makes 8 pancakes.

Curried Garbanzo Filling
(This filling works great as a rice bowl topping or as a wrap too, so don't be afraid to make a full batch)
5 cloves garlic
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced (red, yellow or orange are fine too)
2 medium hot banana chilies, minced
2 Tbsp (16gm) cumin, ground
1 Tbsp (8gm) oregano
1 Tbsp (8gm) sea salt (coarse)
1 Tbsp (8gm) turmeric
4 cups (850gm/30oz) cooked or canned chick peas (about 2 cans)
½ cup (125gm/4oz) tomato paste

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium to low heat. Add the garlic, veggies, and spices, cooking until soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Mash the chickpeas by hand, or in a food processor. Add the chickpeas and tomato paste to the saucepan, stirring until heated through.

Coconut Curry Sauce
(This makes a great sauce to just pour over rice as well. This does freeze well, but the texture will be a little different. The flavor is still the same though)
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic
½ (2½ gm) tsp cumin, ground
¾ (3¾ gm) tsp sea salt (coarse)
3 Tbsp (30gm) curry powder
3 Tbsp (30gm) spelt flour (or all-purpose gluten free flour)
3 cups (750ml/24oz) vegetable broth
2 cups (500ml/24oz) coconut milk
3 large tomatoes, diced

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and garlic, cooking for 5 minutes, or until soft.
2. Add the spices, cooking for 1 minutes more. Add the flour and cook for 1 additional minute.
3. Gradually stir in the vegetable broth to prevent lumps. Once the flour has been incorporated, add the coconut milk and tomatoes, stirring occasionally.
4. Let it simmer for half an hour.

Now, for my variation....

I am not vegan, or vegetarian, but I do love Indian food. Personally, I have no desire to partake, full-time, in a vegetarian diet.  I cannot imagine going completely vegan. I'm sure it is much healthier, but I'm just too old to change my ways ;-) However, I did my best to comply with the Challenge guidelines.

I followed the Dosa pancake recipe, but decreased the amount of water when making the batter to 1/2 cup.  I tried it with the recommmended 3/4 cup, but the batter was too thin and the Dosas tore when I tried to turn them.  I also used 3-4 tablespoons of batter for each dosa, rather than 2 tablespoons.

For my filling, I tried Tyler Florence's Eggplant in Curried Coconut Sauce.

Eggplant in Curried-Coconut Sauce

Ingredients
1/2 cup ghee, recipe follows (in keeping with the wishes of our hostess, I substituted olive oil)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder, recipe follows
1 cup unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
8 baby eggplants
1 cinnamon stick
1 dried red chile
Salt
1/2 lemon, juiced
Mint leaves, for garnish

Directions
Heat 1/4 cup of the ghee in a large pot over medium flame, add the onions and sprinkle with the curry powder. Cook and stir for a few minutes until the onions are soft. Add the cashews, shredded coconut, coconut milk, and vegetable broth. Bring up to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the eggplant.

Cut the eggplant into chunks. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup of ghee in a deep skillet or Dutch oven and add the eggplant. Cook and stir until the eggplant gets charred and sticky.

Puree the coconut sauce with a handheld blender, until it’s pretty smooth. Pour the sauce over the eggplant and toss in the cinnamon stick and chile. Season with salt, to taste, and simmer for 15 minutes until thick. Give a squeeze of lemon to brighten the flavor, garnish with mint leaves, and serve with steamed basmati rice and/or flat bread.

Ghee
1 pound unsalted butter (again, I substituted olive oil in my version for the challenge)

Put the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, swirl the pot around to ensure that it melts slowly and does not sizzle or brown. Increase the heat and bring the butter to a boil. When the surface is covered with foam, stir gently and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Gently simmer, uncovered, and undisturbed for 45 minutes, until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown and the butter on top is transparent. Strain the ghee through a sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth. The ghee should be perfectly clear and smell nutty; pour into a glass jar and seal tightly. (Yield: 1 1/2 cups)

Curry Powder
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 dried red chiles, broken in pieces, seeds discarded
1 tablespoon turmeric

Toast the whole spices (coriander, cumin, fennel, cloves, mustard, cardamom and peppercorns) and the chiles in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, shaking the pan often to prevent them from burning. Toast for a couple of minutes until the spices smell fragrant. In a clean coffee grinder, grind the toasted spices together to a fine powder. Add the turmeric and give it another quick buzz to combine. Use the spice blend immediately, or store in a sealed jar for as long as 1 month. (Yield: about 1/2 cup)

I started by making the curry powder:

Curry spices measured out

Toasting the spices

Into the spice grinder

Buzzzzz...Grind away

Add tumeric...buzzzz, grind a bit more

Finished curry!

Fill up an air-tight container and you'll have enough curry for warm and comforting curry dishes during the autumn and winter!

Next, make your filling. Again, I decided on Tyler's Eggplant in Curried-Coconut Sauce. Since his recipe incorporated a curry-coconut sauce, I did not feel the need to make the Coconut Curry Sauce suggested by Debyi.

Japanese Eggplants

Saute the onions and curry powder, and then add the cashews, shredded coconut, coconut milk, and vegetable broth. Let simmer.

Meanwhile, in a dutch over, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of ghee [olive oil] in a deep skillet or Dutch oven and add the eggplant. Cook and stir until the eggplant gets charred and sticky.

Puree the coconut sauce with a handheld blender, until it’s pretty smooth. Pour the sauce over the eggplant and toss in the cinnamon stick and chile. Season with salt, to taste, and simmer for 15 minutes until thick. Give a squeeze of lemon to brighten the flavor.

Finally (boy, this is alot of work for Indian crepes!), whisk up the Dosa batter (I used 1/2 cup of water, not 3/4 cup. I did try it both ways, but when the batter was too thin, the Dosas tore when flipping)

Dosa Pancake

Platter of warm Dosas

Nice, appetizer size Dosa


I enjoyed the experience, but I can't say I loved the flavor of the Dosas (maybe it was the spelt, but I'm not sure).  I have made my own curry powder before, as well as various spice rubs, and do strongly recommend experimenting with your own spices. Tyler's Eggplant in Curried-Coconut Sauce recipe was fabulous. It was even better the next day, served over rice.

Thank you, Debyi, the Vegan Hostess with the Mostess! And, of course, thank you to our Daring Founders, Lis of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice.

Please stop by and visit some of the other Daring Cooks for more creative vegan variations of Debyi's Challenge recipe.

Friday, August 14, 2009

The Daring Cooks Challenge travels to Spain: Rice with Mushrooms, Cuttlefish & Artichokes

The August Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by Olga, from Las Cosas de Olga and Olga’s Recipes. Olga chose a recipe featured on José Andrés' Made in Spain, a 26-episode PBS television series focusing on Spain’s wine, food and travel.

José Andrés is an internationally recognized culinary innovator best known for bringing both traditional and avant-garde Spanish fare to America.

For the Challenge, Olga chose Rice with Mushrooms, Cuttlefish & Artichokes. This dish is also in José Andrés' Made in Spain: Spanish Dishes for the American Kitchen cookbook, but is slightly different from the recipe Olga provided. I combined a little of both.

Despite their common name, cuttlefish are not fish but molluscs. Cephalopod molluscs, such as squid, cuttlefish and octopus, are among the most neurologically advanced of all invertebrates. Spanish cuisine, especially that of the coastal regions, uses cuttlefish and squid ink for the marine flavor and smoothness it provides; it is included in dishes such as rice, pasta and fish stews.

For my dish, I used 10 oz. of fresh squid. Like cuttlefish, squid have eight arms and two tentacles arranged in pairs.

Rice with Mushrooms, Cuttlefish & Artichokes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients

  • 4 Artichokes (you can use jarred or frozen if fresh are not available)

  • 12 Mushrooms (button or Portobello)

  • 1 or 2 Bay leaves (optional but highly recommended)

  • 1 glass of white wine

  • 2 Cuttlefish (you can use frozen cuttlefish or squid if you don’t find it fresh);

  • Sofregit” (see recipe below)

  • 2 cups short grain rice (Spanish types Calasparra or Montsant are preferred, but you can choose any other short grain)

  • Water or Fish Stock (use 1 ½ cup of liquid per ½ cup of rice)

  • 1/2 teaspoon Saffron threads (you can substitute it for turmeric or yellow coloring powder)

  • Allioli (optional)

*The cookbook recipe adds a few cloves of minced garlic and is slightly different in the preparation method.

Directions

  • Add 1 or 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and put the cuttlefish in the pan

  • Cut the cuttlefish in little strips

  • If you use fresh artichokes, clean them as shown in the video in tip #7. Cut artichokes in eights

  • Clean the mushrooms and cut them in fourths

  • Add a bay leaf , artichokes, and the mushrooms

  • Sauté until the artichokes are golden in color

  • Add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan for a more flavorful dish

  • Add two to three tablespoons of sofregit and mix well

  • Add all the liquid and bring it to boil

  • Add all the rice. and let boil for about 5 minutes over high heat

  • Add some saffron threads to enrich the dish with its flavor and color. Stir a little bit so the rice and the other ingredients absorb the flavor. If you are using turmeric or yellow coloring, use only 1/4 teaspoon

  • Turn to low heat and boil for another 8 minutes (or until rice is a little softer than al dente)

  • Take the pan off the heat and let the rice rest for a couple of minutes.

Olga’s Tips: (1) In Spain, rice is not stirred as often as it is when cooking Italian risotto. You must stir it once or twice maximum. This tip is valid for all Spanish rice dishes like paella, arròs negre, arròs a banda… (2) When cooking the alternative style you can change the cuttlefish or squid for diced potato. (3) If you can’t find cuttlefish or squid, or you’re not able to eat them because of allergies, you can try to substitute them for chicken or vegetables at your choice. (4) Sofregit can be done in advance. You can keep it in the fridge or even freeze it. (5) For more information on how to clean and remove the heart of artichokes, please watch this video (6) To watch how Jose Andres cooks this dish click here. (7) For more information on how to clean and remove the heart of artichokes, please watch this video (8) To tone down the taste when you do it by hand in a mortar, then add an egg yolk. If you want to tone it down in the alternative way use milk or soy milk. Anyway, the best alternative way is the original oil and garlic alone. (9) Allioli must be consumed during the preparation day and preserved in the fridge before using it. (10) For help on conversion on metric to imperial, visit this page.

I was able to find a nice bag of paella rice and used 4 oz. of fresh, wild mushrooms. I also used frozen artichoke hearts.

Sofregit

Sofregit is a well-cooked and fragrant sauce made of olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and onions. It may also contain different vegetables, such as peppers or mushrooms.

Cooking time: Approximately 1 hour

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of olive oil
5 large, red ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup of button or Portobello mushrooms, chopped (optional)
1 Bay leaf
Salt
Touch of ground cumin
Touch of dried oregano

Directions
Heat olive oil in frying pan, add the remaining ingredients, and sauté slowly until all vegetables are soft. Add salt to taste.

*The recipe in the cookbook calls for 10 ripe plum tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups Spanish, extra-virgin olive oil, 4 small Spanish onions, chopped (4 cups), 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Sweet Pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika) and 3 bay leaves. The oil, onions, sugar and salt are cooked over medium-low heat until the onions are soft and golden brown, about 45 minutes. The tomato puree, paprika and bay leaves are then added and the sauce is cooked for another 20 minutes.

I didn't understand the vast discrepancy in the amount of olive oil between the two recipes. I followed the cookbook and I did end up spooning off a bit of the oil at the end. However, I did like the idea of caramelizing the onions first before adding the tomato puree. Here are my 10, beautiful Romas

Using a grater, as suggested in the cookbook, was a nice and easy method for separating the tomato pulp from the skin

Ending up with a nice bowl full of tomato puree

I used two medium onions to yield about 4 cups chopped onions

Olive oil, onions, sugar and salt slowly saute for about 45 minutes

The tomato puree, paprika and bay leaves are then added and the sauce is cooked for another 20 minutes. The final result is a lovely and flavorful Sofregit. I think this sauce was my absolute favorite part of the recipe. This sauce is used in many Spanish recipes and can be stored, in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days. I think it would be incredible over fish, such as halibut or grilled swordfish.

Allioli is the optional part of the recipe. We had the option of choosing between the traditional recipe or the modern recipe.

Allioli

(Traditional recipe)
Preparation time: Approximately 20 minutes

4 garlic cloves, peeled
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups Spanish extra-virgin olive oil

Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic and salt together until you have a smooth paste (the salt stops the garlic from slipping at the bottom of the mortar;. Add the lemon juice, and then add the olive oil, drop by drop, as you continue to crush the paste with the pestle. Keep turning the pestle in a slow, continuous circular motion around the mortar as you drip the oil in slowly and steadily, making sure the paste soaks up the olive oil. Continue, adding the oil, drop by drop, until you have the consistency of a very thick mayonnaise. If your allioli gets too dense, add 1/2 teaspoon of water to thin it out. This takes time, about 20 minutes of slow motion around the mortar, to create a dense, rich sauce.

José's tips for traditional recipe: It's hard to imagine that when you start crushing the garlic, it will ever turn into something as dense and smooth as allioli. Don't give up. It's worth the extra time and effort to see the oil and garlic come together before your eyes. Just make sure you're adding the olive oil slowly, drop by drop. Keep moving the pestle around the mortar in a circular motion and keep dreaming of the thick, creamy sauce at the end of it all.

Allioli a la moderna
(Modern recipe)
Preparation time: 3-4 minutes

1 small egg
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (as above, Spanish oil is highly recommended)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 Tbs. Spanish Sherry vinegar or lemon juice (if Sherry vinegar is not available, use can use cider or white vinegar)
Salt to taste

Break the egg into a mixing bowl; Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic cloves, along with the vinegar or lemon juice; Using a hand blender, start mixing at high speed until the garlic is fully pureed into a loose paste; Little by little, add what's left of the olive oil as you continue blending; If the mixture appears too thick as you begin pouring the oil, add 1 teaspoon of water to loosen the sauce; Continue adding the oil and blending until you have a rich, creamy allioli.
The sauce will be a lovely yellow color. Add salt to taste.

José's tips for modern recipe:
(1) If you do not have access to a hand blender, you can use a hand mixer (the kind with the two beaters) or a food processor. If you use a food processor, you must double the recipe or the amount will be too little for the blades to catch and emulsify.
(2) What happens if the oil and egg separate? Don't throw it out. You can do two things. One is to whisk it and use it as a side sauce for fish or vegetables. However, if you want to rescue the allioli, take 1 tablespoon of lukewarm water in another beaker and start adding to the mix little by little. Blend it again until you create the creamy sauce you wanted.

I mastered the traditional, after a few tries, and one very sore right wrist and arm. Don't try to rush the process!

It is truly amazing how this comes together into a rich, very garlicky mayonnaise.

Here's another plating of the final dish, with dollops of Sofregit and Allioli, and parsley, on top

Thank you, Olga, for an interesting, fun and tasty challenge. And thank you to the Daring Kitchen founders, Lis of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice. I'm truly enjoying being a part of the Daring Cooks and Daring Bakers.

Be sure to visit the other Daring Cooks to see what they have created!