Sunday, May 5, 2013

Kohlrabi (or Daikon) Salad with Sesame Oil


Kohlrabi is one vegetable that I just can't into.  It's fine.  But I'm just not sure that it is worth the trouble to peel and cook at home.  The flavor and texture is vaguely turnip or potato-like and since I'm just not that into turnips or potatoes, it makes it hard for me to really enjoy kohlrabi.  The first time we tried to cook kohlrabi at home we didn't peel off enough of the outer layer, which was incredibly fibrous and hard.  The second time we roasted it with garlic and Parmigiano-Reggiano.  It was pretty tasty that way, but it was pretty ugly so we didn't bother to take pictures and post the recipe.  This recipe is obviously more photogenic and it is also pretty tasty, but it didn't blow me away.  We made this recipe previously with daikon and I think I liked both the crunchier texture and the slightly peppery flavor of the daikon better in this dish.

Recipe after the jump!


Spaghetti with Crab, Lemon and Chili


For some reason on our last trip to Cost Co I decided to pick up a can of jumbo crab.  I say "for some reason" because I am not actually a huge fan of crab meat in things.  I love crabs.  But I think that, at least for me, the whole experience of cracking and picking apart crabs smothered in Old Bay and drinking a beer is what makes crab worthwhile.  It should be messy and un-refined.  I also really enjoy a good Dungeness crab from time to time, but again it's the experience of eating the whole crab that I really enjoy.  I will also occasionally eat crab cake, but I am very picky about my crab cakes.  Growing up in Maryland can turn people into total crab cake snobs.  I also love soft shell crabs in a number of different preparations (fried Asian soft shell crabs rock my world).  But crab on pasta just didn't do it for me.  I have wanted to try a pasta with chilis and crab for a long time.  And maybe we just didn't do a very good job with it.  But I thought the flavor of the chilis totally overpowered the flavor of the crab and the basil.  It was fine (and we both cleared our plates), but I wouldn't make it again.  Luckily we have just under a pound of crab meat leftover so I think we are going to make some crab cakes for dinner.  Here's hoping that the crab cakes turn out better than our pasta...

Recipe after the jump!