If you’ve been longing to serve Toast’s delectable Moroccan Lamb Sausage, Chickpea and Roasted Tomato Bruschetta at your next party, but have been hung up on the hard to find Merguez sausage, help is at hand.
In today’s New York Times (“A Good Appetite: An Easy Route to Savory Sausages,” p. D2) Melissa Clark offers an alluring recipe for Homemade Merguez—ground lamb spiced with coriander, fennel and cumin seeds, plus fresh cilantro, paprika and cayenne. It can be shaped by hand into patties or “cigars”—no sausage casings required—and best of all, can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days, or frozen for up to 3 months, before cooking.
In “A Mexican Feast with Artisanal Technique” and “Old World with New Twists” (The New York Times, March 25, 2009, p. D1), staff writers Kim Severson and Julia Moskin square off (in the friendliest possible way) against each other. The challenge: to create a dinner party for six for less than $50.
It starts with a cheat, of course: “Pantry basics like spices, butter and olive oil didn’t count toward the total price. Guests would bring any wine or liquor.” But once you get past the need for a well-stocked pantry, there are some terrific ideas.
Check out Severson’s recipes for a south of the border feast, especially Tacos de Carnitas (pork shoulder braised with orange zest, cinnamon, bay leaves, oregano and cloves, served on homemade—yes, you heard right—tortillas) and Cabbage Radish Slaw with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette. Severson wound up with $2.45 in change.
Julia Moskin took a Mediterranean tack, starting with Cold Tomato-Cilantro Soup and seguing to Pasta with Roast Chicken, Currants and Pine Nuts, finishing with delicious, simple-to-make (once you’ve squeezed the juice of 12 tangerines and made the vanilla ice cream) Tangerine-Vanilla Floats. Moskin’s total was a mere $38.04. Hmm...maybe she could have bought a pint of Haagen-Dazs.
Frank Bruni, the Times restaurant critic and designated judge, diplomatically deemed the smackdown a tie. (“Comrades at Arms: Two Food Writers in a Kitchen Smackdown,” p. D7). After all, he works just a few desks away.