Me V. Food-9/16/09

I am a bit of an anathema in the world of food media. I rarely read other cooking blogs, have never watched the Food Network, and the last movie I saw was Mr. and Mrs. Smith so I definitely missed Julie and Julia. I really don't watch much TV and watching people cook isn't half as much fun as actually doing it. As for movies, I just don't like watching them in theatres. I feel trapped. But I have found one food show I like, Man V. Food, on the Travel Channel. The host, Adam Richman, does an excellent job of describing the food at classic eating establishments throughout the country. In each episode, he also competes in a food challenge. Unlike competitive eaters, he doesn't stuff the food in his face, making the viewer feel queasy. He tries to eat it but has a sense of decorum when he knows he's done. I'm watching it now and Adam is in Vegas eating hot spicy crayfish and is challenged to eat a 6-pound burrito. I'm getting kind of hungrynow.

I did make dinner, though nowhere near 6 pounds of it. I made the Figgy Piggy Cornish Hens on page 40 of this month's Gourmet. I forget how quickly Cornish game hens cook. I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon and wasn't sure if I'd make it home early enough to make dinner in a reasonable time for Eyrleigh. We were still ready to eat a little after 6:00. These hens were browned in the fat from the bacon and the figs simply roasted with the hens. The hens themselves were pretty traditional in flavor but the figs and bacon were great additions. I always find the amount of meat on Cornish game hens a bit disappointing but the meat was moist and the skin was golden and crispy.

I made the Sauteed Kale with Kohlrabi on page 46 as our vegetable. The kale and kohlrabi was dressed with lime juice and zest and tasted a bit Southeast Asian. If I had read the ingredients carefully before hand, I may not have paired this side with the Cornish game hens. The two dishes were very different flavor traditions and though both were good, they did not really compliment each other. The Sauteed Kale with Kohlrabi was lighter in flavor than most kale dishes. There was no butter, a common accompaniment to kale, and the kohlrabi was raw and thinly sliced, giving a bit of crunchy to the dish. I enjoyed the dish and felt it was a good presentation of two vegetables that have great health properties.

I finished our meal off with the Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust. The concept of this pie was a good one. However, the cheddar cheese in the crust gave the pie a savory overtone. This would actually be a great brunch pie. There was not a large amount of sugar and no spices to jazz up the apples. This made the savory crust stand out more and took away a real dessert feel to this pie. I did not try the pie with ice cream, but I like the idea of using this pie as a snack for Eyrleigh in the mid-morning. She'll love that! She may even eat a whole piece, now that's a food challenge.

Figgy Piggy Cornish Hens-B+

Sauteed Kale with Kohlrabi-B

Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust-B