MAY CHALLENGE: The Splendid Table Stumps the Cooks!

I had a Spendid interview yesterday with Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift, authors of the new book The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper. We chatted for over an hour, at the end of which I asked Lynne for the 5 ingredients she would list for our forum members as a cooking challenge. This is what she had to say:

"You don't have to use all the quantities of all the ingredients. But, use the following to create your recipe:
1 can of chick peas (no qty given)
4 oz of 70% bittersweet chocolate
1 can chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/2 C brown sugar
1 lb pork belly
and a bonus ingredient
1 head of curly endive

In this challenge you are allowed to use salt, pepper, water, one member of the onion family and fat (of any sort) and you will still be cooking inside the parameters of the ingredients given".

Lynne and Sally were absolutely giddy by the time she finished listing the ingredients, and Lynne said "I wish I could be there to see what happens." I told her I would email her the link to the posting so that she could see all the results. She is waiting with bated breath! They will be traveling for awhile during the book tour. But, so that this is not an open ended event -- all participant dishes and pictures need to be posted by my 60th b'day -- Friday, May 30th.

Okay, everybody, you're on.......

The pork belly leaves me out.

The pork belly leaves me out.

My thoughts exactly, Bernard!

I had a Spendid interview yesterday with Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift, authors of the new book The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper. We chatted for over an hour, at the end of which I asked Lynne for the 5 ingredients she would list for our forum members as a cooking challenge. This is what she had to say:

"You don't have to use all the quantities of all the ingredients. But, use the following to create your recipe:
1 can of chick peas (no qty given)
4 oz of 70% bittersweet chocolate
1 can chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/2 C brown sugar
1 lb pork belly
and a bonus ingredient
1 head of curly endive

in this challenge you are allowed to use salt, pepper, water, one member of the onion family and fat (of any sort) and you will still be cooking inside the parameters of the ingredients given".

Lynne and Sally were absolutely giddy by the time she finished listing the ingredients, and Lynne said "I wish I could be there to see what happens." I told her I would email her the link to the posting so that she could see all the results. She is waiting with bated breath! They will be traveling for awhile during the book tour. But, so that this is not an open ended event -- all participant dishes and pictures need to be posted by my 60th b'day -- Friday, May 30th.

Okay, everybody, you're on.......

These are the kinds of lists that were provided us when we used do the ready-set-cook thing for the SuperChefs series. Only difference - we had 15 minutes to prepare a complete meal.

With the above? Pork Belly Carnitas with Shredded Endive on top.

Done!

Interesting. The chocolate-chipotle-pork says mole, with the brown sugar maybe adding to it, but the chickpeas and endive throw a bit of a curve into that. Not fatally, as Chef Carey has indicated, but have to think about this....

Pork belly is tripe, right? When I was 19, and living at home, there was a local greasy spoon next to where I worked. Once a week I would go there and get a large cup of chili that was made with tripe. At that time I had no clue as to what it was. That chili was delicious. I do remember some of the staff wrinkling up their noses at my chili and wondering how I could eat it.

Pork belly is tripe, right? When I was 19, and living at home, there was a local greasy spoon next to where I worked. Once a week I would go there and get a large cup of chili that was made with tripe. At that time I had no clue as to what it was. That chili was delicious. I do remember some of the staff wrinkling up their noses at my chili and wondering how I could eat it.

No, pork belly is unsmoked bacon.

Mark Lipton

No, pork belly is unsmoked bacon.
Mark Lipton

Correct!

[Jenise]

No, pork belly is unsmoked bacon.
Mark Lipton

Correct!

And, also for Karen, tripe is stomach lining.

Oh, this is fantastic. We used to do a series here we called SiliChef, where we'd have to make a meal out of a set of ingredients. Which begs the question, and I presume the answer's yes, all these ingredients have to be in ONE dish, not several courses of one meal, right?

[Jenise]

The pork belly leaves me out.

Is this because you keep kosher (if you do)? If so, is there a substitute you would work with, like a beef short rib?

Is this truly another challenge. If so, count me in! After the first reading I already have my recipe in mind. Are we on? Jo Ann? Jenise?

rwj

[Jenise]

Is this truly another challenge. If so, count me in! After the first reading I already have my recipe in mind. Are we on? Jo Ann? Jenise?

rwj

Truly another challenge. And I'm IN, for sure! And so are you, by royal order: you're too creative and too much fun to be left behind.

In it to win it!!!

[Jenise]

Jo Ann: I've just added "May Challenge" to your subject title and did a little sysop magic to keep this thread from getting buried over the next month.

And another clarification, please: is the bonus ingredient the endive (as I presume), or a free ingredient of the cook's choosing?

Is this truly another challenge. If so, count me in! After the first reading I already have my recipe in mind. Are we on? Jo Ann? Jenise?

rwj

Truly another challenge. And I'm IN, for sure! And so are you, by royal order": you're too creative and too much fun to be left behind.

Fu**ing A, babe! Let's rock again!

rwj

And another clarification, please: is the bonus ingredient the endive (as I presume), or a free ingredient of the cook's choosing?

The endive.

[Jenise]

More clarification, just to be certain:

in this challenge you are allowed to use salt, pepper, water, one member of the onion family and fat (of any sort) and you will still be cooking inside the parameters of the ingredients given"

So that means no flour, eggs, herbs or anything else from the pantry, right?

More clarification, just to be certain:

in this challenge you are allowed to use salt, pepper, water, one member of the onion family and fat (of any sort) and you will still be cooking inside the parameters of the ingredients given"

So that means no flour, eggs, herbs or anything else from the pantry, right?

Right!

[Jenise]

Damn, this is tough. Nearly every idea I have needs just one more ingredient. But I'll come up with something!

I'm in!

Jo Ann, could I have heard that on NPR in So Florida??? I heard Lynn and Sally being interviewed...

b

I'm in!

Jo Ann, could I have heard that on NPR in So Florida??? I heard Lynn and Sally being interviewed...

b

Probably a local NPR affiliate.

I'm in!

Jo Ann, could I have heard that on NPR in So Florida??? I heard Lynn and Sally being interviewed...

b

Diane Rehm interviewed them. If anyone's interested in that interview you can probably get a podcast at WAMU.org

The pork belly leaves me out.

Is this because you keep kosher (if you do)? If so, is there a substitute you would work with, like a beef short rib?

In a sense. I do not eat pork products or shellfish.
So I would not know a good substitute. Nevertheless, I'm out of action for the next couple weeks. Knee surgery.

Nevertheless, I'm out of action for the next couple weeks. Knee surgery.

Ouch! I hope you have a speedy recovery, Bernard.