Friday December 24, 2010

Asian Risotto with Herring and Chickpeas

Today's Food Diary

Breakfast: Missed

Lunch: Lightly spiced potato and chickpeas

Dinner:  ‘Asian’ risotto with herring and chickpeas

Dessert: Oats with milk and dates, chocolate oats with milk

The ‘Asian’ risotto was influenced by different cuisines. The stock comprised of tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, Chinese 5-spice and mustard. Balsamic vinegar added a deep flavour, acidity and sweetness which complemented the subtle Chinese 5-spice flavours.  Chickpeas added crunch. The dish was finished off with a drizzle of olive oil emulsified into the risotto. The risotto had a nice balance of tart, sweetness and spiciness, with a creamy olive flavoured sauce.

A marriage of tomato, balsamic and Chinese 5-spice will not work well together unless harmony is created through subtlety. With such unusual and contrasting combination, it is better to err on subtlety than boldness.

Without spoiling the party, I like to look at dishes from the health perspective as well. This risotto scores full marks. Other than the absence of greens and vegetables, the risotto was well balanced. It was an unguilty pleasure!

Today's Favourite Blog

The Travelling Hungryboy  

Most food blogs I read have a positive note, most often the meals are nice. Once in a while there is a hit and miss, sometimes the appetizer is off mark which is not too bad if the mains and desserts end on a high note. The Travelling Hungryboy’s meals started on a low note and ended even lower. The first mains was a disappointment. Another mains was ordered to recover from the first disaster, which turned out to be a bigger disappointment. Surely if a regular burger at a Japanese chain is not on par with an American outlet, it can be accepted, but when a Japanese chain fails with the tofu burger, not because of the burger but because of the tofu, its good news for the Japanese chain – things can only get better:)

Today's Favourite Photo

The Hungry Cow