Random idea re: leftover quinoa, new recipes that excite, Kitchen "Need" #5

What if I added more Gruyere to the leftover quinoa mixture, made paper thin patties (challenging myself, peeps; it's good for the mind), and baked them until crisp like a tuile? I'm going to try this today. Also, in today's NYT Dining section are two recipes I simply must try soon: Deviled Crab Meat and Chicory Salad with Egg Dressing, and a Lime Salsa Verde. Mamma mia! ~~

In my opinion, I've shared with you now those kitchen implements I consider critical. For review they are: Thermapen, spice grinder, kitchen scale, and the assortment of smaller items (2 T cup, microplane, citrus reamer with screen, olive spoon, crappy paring knife, multiple sets of measuring spoons).

I will now commence with the B list which are items not critical but awesome to have. Firstly, a mandoline. You just cannot slice things as consistently thin as you can with a mandoline. For certain foods, mandolining allows you to get the most elemental, true essence of their flavor without cooking or with minimal dressing. I shaved a fennel bulb for that cured salad Monday night, and it was just wonderful- a little olive oil, a little salt and a punch of fennel's wonderful anisey taste. I always use the mandoline for my zucchini on pizza nights too. These need not set you back beaucoup $. I've got a very basic one that doesn't do anything fancy like waffling, and I think it was less than $25.

Satisfying and yum

Both of these recipes are quite understated but they're thoughtful, healthful and left me feeling satisfied. As y'all might know, I'm rather an imbecile when it comes to non-dessert cakes. Thusly, these quinoa cakes just didn't cake for me, and I ended up making a tortilla of sorts and just lightly frying the whole bit in a nonstick skillet with a touch of oil. No need for stress! The successful-looking patty in this picture was an aberration. Cake or a shape more abstract, the flavors here were lovely with faint hints of Gruyere and chives tickling your palate with each bite.  Yotam's lentil dish was slightly more bold what with its quick-pickled red onions and gorgonzola crumbles, but the relative lack of dressing and the lentils themselves kept things on the subtle end of the spectrum, and I added a splash more salt here, red wine vinegar there. My remaining oven-roasted tomatoes paired perfectly.

For me, tonight, these ingredients and flavors hit the spot, and I would recommend both for a quiet evening such as this. A perfect finale will be a cup of tea, a pistachio biscotto, and the State of the Union. Let's all give a shout-out to the Repubs not picking a complete screaming jack-arse to give the rebuttal. Mitch Daniels, don't disappoint me.

Massage, dinner

I had the most wonderful massage today. Wow! I feel like overcooked spaghetti with tissue toxins just pouring out of me. I've been dealing with a most annoying pinched nerve in my neck, and the assorted knots throughout my back must have felt like a whack-a-mole board. All better now! I've decided to try two new recipes tonight, courtesy of Yotam (Ottolenghi) and Heidi (Swanson), that I know I feel more excited about than would T. Quinoa cakes, and a lentil/oven roasted tomato/blue cheese dish that sounds absolutely lovely. Both will be perfect, healthful follows to my earlier spa retreat. Off to mise-en-place.