Creamy and tangy cabbage pair well with salmon for a quick, hearty, and healthy supper. We enjoyed eating this with steamed rice, which wasn’t very Irish of us. (It’s okay, we’re Asians: for us, rice goes with everything.)

Salmon with Cabbage and Cider Vinegar

from saveur.com

• 1 small cabbage (about 1 lb.)
• 4  6-oz. salmon filets
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ lb. thick-cut bacon, diced
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• ½ cup fish stock or water
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives (I had to substitute parsley for the dill and chives. If possible, stick to the original recipe: it’s even better with these herbs’ flavors.)

Using a mandoline or knife, shred cabbage 1⁄2″ thick.

Brush or rub both sides of salmon filets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sear filets in a large skillet or grill pan over high heat, until evenly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Wipe out pan with paper towels.

In the same pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon, leaving fat in the pan. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside. Add cabbage to the bacon fat and cook 5 minutes. Add wine, vinegar, stock, and cream. Cover and cook until cabbage is wilted, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and place salmon filets in pan over wilted cabbage. Cover tightly and cook until salmon is firm to the touch, about 10 minutes.

To serve, spoon cabbage onto plates and sprinkle with the crisp bacon. Top cabbage with salmon filets and a spoonful of pan juices. Garnish with dill and chives.

I finally found my kohlrabi muse at Dianasaur Dishes, a fun food blog I stumbled upon. On her website, Diana(saur) describes her cooking as “delicious, easy, and healthy meals on a shoestring budget,” and that had me sold.

Here’s my adaptation of her original recipe for Kohlrabi Salad:

• 2 small kohlrabi bulbs
• ½ cup Granny Smith apple, chopped (I’d try this julienned next time)
• 10 sugar snap peas, peas reserved and pods cut into strips
• 4 slices bacon
• ½ cup whole milk yogurt
• 1 Tbsp honey

Peel the outer layer of the kohlrabi bulbs, then cut into julienne strips. Toss with chopped apple, peas, and pods.

Fry bacon in a pan until very crisp, then chop finely. Add to kohlrabi mixture and toss.

In a small bowl, mix yogurt and honey. Drizzle over kohlrabi mixture, toss until thoroughly coated, and let sit for 30 minutes to let flavors meld.

This slaw is great for the summer: it’s light and fresh, mingled with sweet, tart, and smoky flavors. I omitted the sunflower seeds (in the original recipe) because I didn’t have any, and I think it worked out just as well – still had that crisp crunch from the kohlrabi and the apple. I also substituted whole milk yogurt for the heavy cream and vinegar. The overall texture would have been better, though, if I’d julienned the Granny Smith apple. (Next time!)

Mahalo for the inspiration, Diana!

This cornbread, adapted from a Cooks Illustrated recipe, fell far short of what I’d hoped to bake. I had envisioned a tall, buttery cornbread with a light crumb and a hint of sweetness – basically something like what we recently (and shamelessly) devoured at Amy Ruth’s. Instead, what came out of the oven was a decent-looking but rubbery pan of cornbread, specked with bits of bacon and scallion.

Usually, Cooks Illustrated pulls through very nicely – and this recipe also might have, save for the fact that I didn’t have milk on hand and instead substituted buttermilk. Hence, the absence of a recipe in this post: but if I get around to making it again (with no substitutions!), I’ll hopefully be able to share it with you.

What better way to make my blogging debut than by posting about what some consider the Perfect Sandwich?

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Crisp bacon, fresh tomatoes, and buttery lettuce, smothered by mellow jack cheese and a runny egg fried over-easy, all contained between two slices of a rustic loaf… (that is, if it’s possible to consider a bread baked in Long Island City “rustic”): taking a bite is something like stepping into Food Paradise. (The only other dish that produces a similar effect is featured in the 1996 Stephen Chow movie, “God of Cookery”. Interestingly, that one also involves pork products and a fried egg.)

Obviously, Señor Habanero (my fond co-conspirator in all adventures culinary and otherwise) and I did not concoct this lovely meal on our own. It’s the creation of Thomas Keller, the highly praised chef and owner of French Laundry and Per Se, who’s also rumored to be a perfectionist when it comes to food. Perhaps that’s why this sandwich is so freakin’ good, even when a couple of novice cooks take a shot at recreating it.

Here’s the recipe for the sandwich… (and thanks to Avy for showing us that it’s on foodandwine.com).

What’s your idea of the perfect sandwich? What ingredients would you use?