Flip-Flop Contessa

Hey, were you at "the lake" this past weekend? You know, "the lake" where every other facebook friend of yours was?* You were? Good for you. Oh wait, you didn't make it to "the lake" this year? Me neither, but we still had a lovely weekend at home, enjoying the weather and the kids and feeling grateful for our life . . . exactly as it is.

With hubby not working (or, at least, not at the office) for three whole days, I had a little extra time and was able to try a couple of new recipes. As loyal NTB readers know, I'm not a fancy schmancy cook or a hard core foodie, but I am a girl who enjoys eating, collecting recipes, and sometimes eating food resulting from collected recipes.

Here are this weekend's hits . . .

Fresh Corn Salad by Ina Garten (aka The Barefoot Contessa)

Corn on the cob was on sale for eighteen cents per ear at the Jewel so I bought a dozen (maximum purchase allowed) and went about searching out a corn salad recipe on the Food Network website. This one earned rave reviews and involved very few ingredients: corn, red onion, basil, cider vinegar, and olive oil. So, so easy to put together (most labor intensive part of preparation was boiling the corn for three minutes) and really flavorful. Hubby remarked, "It's good." High praise. He went back for seconds, as did I. I finished it up yesterday and am now jonesing to make some more. I'll tell you what, if you invite me to "the lake," I'll bring a triple batch. Tee hee.

Make this salad. It's simple and delicious. (Follow the link above or right here for the recipe.) The added bonus of this recipe was the opportunity to marvel at regional differences . . . What I call "corn-on-the-cob," my hubby calls "roasting ears." What term do you use?

Peanut Butter Cup and Pretzel Terrine Real Simple, June 2010

The moment I saw this recipe (part of a spread on things to do with vanilla ice cream), I was ready to make it. Pretzels, ice cream, peanut butter? Sounded like a perfect sweet and salty delicacy. Plus, it was a "terrine." I don't fully grasp the breadth of the "terrine" category, but "terrine" just sounds fancy. You know, as in, "Well, after I whip up some fresh corn salad, I'll get to work on the terrine. I hope it doesn't melt on the way to the lake." The terrine is sweet and salty heaven. My only complaint is that the texture of the ice cream is a bit chalky, but I think that might be due to the fact that (in a misguided attempt to save forty-nine cents) I did not buy my beloved Edy's Slow-Churned.

Despite the fancy name, this recipe could not be any easier. The toughest step will be locating parchment paper at the grocery store (by the ziplocs -- you're welcome). I think now I might start to become obsessed with terrines and may try this savory recipe for Yellow Pepper Pesto Terrine next.

Finally, I want to mention that this Flip-Flop Contessa is digging her Skechers Tone-ups flip flops. I don't know if my a** is any firmer for wearing them, but they are very, very comfortable and do not turn your feet black and grubby when you wear them.

How did you spend your holiday weekend? Cooking? At "the lake"? Do you have any terrine experience?

*Credit to my sister LAP for this keen observation

Grains on the Brain

Loyal readers know that I have used NTB to document my culinary interests, obsessions, and experiments. For awhile, I was working on soup and then moved on to salad recipes. I know that my cooking posts tend to be on the boring side, but sharing them with you makes me feel more motivated to try new things in the kitchen.

So, the new culinary goal is to start incorporating more whole grains into the diet at Casa MEP. Whole grains under consideration include:
Amaranth
Barley
Brown rice
Bulgur (cracked wheat)
Whole-wheat couscous
Flaxseed
Millet
Oats
Quinoa
Rye
Spelt
Wheat berries
Wild rice

This list is a product of a quickie google search, not extensive research. The only whole grains on the list I've prepared before are brown rice, oats, and couscous. Others I have eaten, but not worked with in my kitchen.

One recipe I want to attempt for sure is Wheatberry Waldorf Salad. I purchased a miniscule amount at Whole Foods once (eight bites for $4 or something ridiculous like that) and enjoyed it.

So, you tell me, what do you do with whole grains? I would welcome recipes or links to recipes. I am especially fond of cold salads, foods with lots of texture, and recipes that don't require lots of ingredients. I would tell you how to link to recipes when leaving comments, but I don't know myself.

What's cooking in your kitchen?