4/8/2005 12:18:00 PM|||Abby|||Clotilde over at Chocolate and Zucchini had the best idea:

Write down some of your favorite ingredients on small pieces of paper. Put them all in a jar, pick three at random (no cheating!) and see if you can come up with a recipe to make the most of your trio.

I was toying around with a similar idea last night. I was thinking that there are certain ingredients that I see on a menu which make me want to order a dish, regardless of the type of dish it is. These include: avocado, smoked gouda, banana, yogurt, creme fraiche, mushrooms, bacon, olives, strawberries, fresh pasta, ginger, cream, mango (especially mango chutney), caramelized onion, beets, anchovies, cumin, cornmeal, blackberries, artichokes, oatmeal, roasted red peppers, lemon zest, etc... Then there are some types of dishes I'm willing to try regardless of ingredients, like any type of crepe, any type of beef stew, any lasagna, any risotto, but "salad" ... You generally have to convince me of a salad. I don't just go for that right away. Same with cake and pie. I need convincing, maybe some strawberries or ginger?

I think I might give Clotilde's suggestion a try soon.

What about you?|||111298155868596161|||"You had me at ginger"