Isn't it wonderful when...
Isn't it wonderful when you find a secret ingredient food that is a game changer in so many dishes?
On Friday I bought some Pecorino Romano cheese after reading that the a signature dish of a restaurant in my hood of Venice Beach was pasta with black pepper and pecorino - just that with a little of the pasta cooking water. When I tasted the pecorino it I realized straight away that it would be marvelous with all sorts of dishes and I have been using it with pasta and vegetable medley, warm cooked chicken, scrambled eggs, green salad with avocado and it is wonderful - and I know it is going to be sensational with grains like either brown rice or red quinoa cooked with French green lentils.
Tonight I actually made that pasta signature dish with brown rice pasta - and - WOW! I'll have to be careful not to have much pasta in the house or I'll get carried way away.
I also added a dash of another recently discovered secret ingredient - Myer lemons. I had seen them in the Farmer's Markets for years and when I asked how they tasted and was told they were like a sweet lemon I thought 'well who needs that' and didn't bother with them. Then a few months ago I thought I would try one. WOW! They add such a beautiful fragrant energy to the taste of so many dishes. They are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange and less acid than usual lemons but not overly sweet. They are quite fragile and don't travel well so it is mostly Farmer's Markets where they are found - but only between December and June which is when they are in season here. I got lucky this year and found one farmer who still had them up to August 11th. Amazing in curried dishes, vegetable compotes, salad dressing with coconut oil, chicken gravy, any sauces, savory oatmeal, polenta, rice, quinoa - especially if also adding a little cayenne pepper - etc etc - and now I discover it lifts the pasta with pecorino and black pepper dish to a whole other level.
Bliss.