Do Not Attempt with a Hangnail-9/10/09

Cutting the segments of a lemon away from the membranes with a hangnail is torture. I know. Tonight I made the Lebanese Lamb Chops with Lemony Lettuce on page 56 of this month's Gourmet. The lettuce was dressed with lemon, sugar, and oil and it was delicious but there is no way to remove lemon segments without getting it on your fingers. Yikes, I should have taken a picture of my hangnail but if you've ever had one, you don't need the visual. Back to the lamb with lemony lettuce. I couldn't find the spice mix baharat premade so I got a recipe from the Internet and mixed it up. All the spices were common and in my spice cupboard and I now have quite a bit left if I need it again. The rub coated the lamb well and had spice and heat without being overpowering. The lettuce with lemon worked almost like a palate cleanser and was a great partner.
I took a few liberties when putting together tonight's menu but I think it worked. I choose flavors from the same region of the world and made the hot spicy Bedouin Salsa on page 14. This salsa worked well with the heavy spice of the lamb. I don't know that I would make it again though because of its heat and its limited use in my household. Eyrleigh is not able to handle much more than mild Old El Paso now.
Sticking with the Arabic theme, I cooled things down a bit with the Watermelon and Cucumber Mint Tsatsiki Salad on page 104. The blurb right before the recipe stated that the watermelon and cucumber was a bit of an odd mix. It was... It wasn't bad but I wouldn't say it was a flavor I think I need to come back to. The Tsatsiki was great but I found myself putting it on the spicy lamb instead of mixing it into the cucumbers and watermelon.
I also made the Roasted Cauliflower with Kalamata Vinaigrette on page 36 (above in the lamb and lettuce picture). I've roasted cauliflower before though always as a whole head and with a curry topping. This was quicker than that, because of the thin slices, and simply roasted with oil. Richard was not a fan. He doesn't really like cauliflower but I really liked it. The Kalamata vinaigrette could be added as I liked and was a good match for the mild
cauliflower.
I really searched for quinces. The argument could be made that I really didn't make the Quince Poached in Cardamom Syrup on page 98 since I didn't use the key ingredient called for. I will tell you what I did and you can decide if this one counts. I did find quince in gelatin form in the Hispanic section of the supermarket. I bought apple pears at the Asian market and added the quince gelatin to the syrup. I really liked the nuanced flavor of this dessert and it did not taste just like some poached pears. (Notice the little cameo of the caramel ice cream from last month.) I really liked the flavor of this compote and I will make it again, just without all the hassle of looking all over Gwinnett County for quince.
Lebanese Lamb with Lemony Lamb Chops-B+
Roasted Cauliflower with Kalamata Vineagrette-B
Bedouin Salsa-B
Watermelon and Cucumber Mint Tsatsiki Salad-C
Quince Poached in Cardamom Syrup-A

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