Monthly Archives: June 2011

Spicy, Stews, Vegan

One Base, Endless Possibilities

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When some of your best friends are vegetarian, knowing the ropes of meatless cooking is vital. There are certainly dishes I refuse to try (Tofurkey will never be on this blog), but for the most part I have a profound respect for the versatility of vegetarian meals. Main courses often rely on the flavor of the meat, so when that’s taken out of the equation you have to become quite creative. Indian and Mediterranean cuisines are wonderful examples, and I often turn to these flavor profiles when preparing meatless entrees. I encountered such an occasion when my friend Tim and I hung out the other night. I went Indian and chose to make Indian Mattar Tofu.
In Japanese, tōfu literally means “fermented bean.” It is essentially coagulated soy milk that has been pressed into white blocks.* Despite how unnappetizing that might sound, understanding how to work with tofu can open up a whole new realm of possibilities. It is most often used in Asian cooking (which can be inferred from its etymology), where it is used in soups, stir frys, fillings, etc. Considering it has very little flavor on its own, tofu is mostly used as a vessel for other flavors used in the dish. Marinades and sauces are quite useful for flavoring this “meat”.
I myself was a veggie for 2 years (crazy, right!?), so I am well aware of tofu’s unpredictability in cooking. Thus I use it more as a substitute in recipes with flavors and techniques that I already understand so as to avoid total frustration (case in point: tofu baked in a peanut sauce = worst idea I’ve ever had). Indian cuisine is one of my favorite ways to cook veggie, particulary because of the amazing flavors and colors its traditional spices lend. I had made Indian Mattar Paneer several times before, and tofu is the perfect substitute for paneer! The appearance of this dish was practically identical, and the taste spot on. Frying the tofu gave it the same crispy edge, and the deep spices of the dish were remarkable. To learn how to make this veggie delight, click HERE.
Tofu is essentially a baseline for flavors and ingredients – musically, this reminds me of basso continuo, or a figured bass. This is a notational style that was especially prominent in the Baroque period for the harpsichord. A basso continuo part consists of a dictated bass line in the staff, with accidentals and numbers beneath the staff indicating the chord structures that should be played above – a “recipe” for a melody, if you will. These chords and melodies are either prepared ahead of time, or improvised during the performance. It is these interpretations that bring out an innate richness in the composition, even though at first glance it may appear “bland.” The works of Arcangelo Corelli are a wonderful example of this inherent beauty, particularly his violin sonatas. I’ve included below a recording of his Violin Sonata Op.5, No.12 in D minor “Follia” by violinist Andrew Manze and harpsichordist Richard Egarr, with a performance is anything but bland – enjoy!

Sources Cited:
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu

Chocolate, Dairy, Special Occasion

Finding the Perfect Balance

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There’s this small hole-in-the-wall bakery near my apartment that I had been dying to visit. The owner had won the lottery a while back, then cashed in and opened his own bakery! I just had to meet this guy. My roommate Jenn and I finally went, and after introducing myself we began talking about our shared passion for baking. We both immediately agreed upon the one book that every baker should own – Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Cake Bible. No baking kitchen is complete without it! Recently when I was asked to bake a cake for a coworker’s going-away party, this “bible” certainly lived up to its name when I made the Chocolate Butter Cake with Mocha Espresso Buttercream.
What’s ingenious about Rose’s book is not the recipes themselves, but the science that structures them. Rather than assuming the old measured ratios, Rose explores the chemistry behind baking and how the different components react with one another. All of the recipes includes actual weight measurements, as well as an explanation behind the process and ingredient ratios. Additionally, she provides the basics so you can choose from a variety of cake batters, frostings, etc. to build your own!
This was the first time I had made a cake where the dry ingredients are added before the butter. Normally, the butter is creamed with the sugar to aerate the butter’s proteins and disperse the sugar crystals. By adding the butter after the dry ingredients, the fats in the butter are able to coat the gluten in the flour, and prevent the batter from toughening during the mixing process. The result is a melt-in-your-mouth cake whose texture is far more consistent than that from the traditional creaming method. The only downside to this process is that cakes won’t rise quite as high as they would with the creaming method. Since I was baking this for my entire office, a short double-layer cake wouldn’t quite cut it. Upon realizing this, I decided to bake a second batch. I used only one of the cakes to make a triple-layer, and froze the leftover for another use.
This buttercream is to die for, but I will warn you – I nearly lost the entire thing thinking I had botched it. Water and sugar is boiled to a “soft ball stage,” or when a spoonful can be dropped into very cold water and forms a ball while in the water. Patience is key here – I dropped several little drops into a constantly refilled glass until it reached that  point. My agony could also be blamed on the ridiculously hot weather, with my buttercream resembling a milk shake more than a frosting. So I refrigerated it for about 30 minutes, then removed it and whisked it with a hand mixer once again – the end result was gorgeous. To make it espresso, I added both instant espresso powder AND Kahlua. Click HERE to learn how to make this decadent cake.
To honor Rose’s baking wisdom, I wanted to choose a piece that reflects the way the different ingredients interact with one another. This led me to chamber music – unlike a large ensemble, every performer in a chamber setting plays a crucial role. The unique balance relies on the reactions the musicians have with one another, almost like a musical conversation. One person who arguably understood the “chemistry” of chamber music was Beethoven. Every voice in his works has a purposeful, expressive quality that is truly brilliant. This is especially true of his string quartets. For this cake, I chose his String Quartet No. 1 in F major, op. 18. The recording below is the Alban Berg Quartet performing the first movement, “Allegro con brio” – enjoy!

Sources Cited:
– Beranbaum, Rose Levy. The Cake Bible. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1988.

Beef, Entertaining, Grilled, Quick/Easy, Seasonal

Redefining the Limits of Brilliance

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This dish was my first time cooking with flank steak – given it is a much leaner steak than your standard T-bone, I was extremely nervous about how to make the most out of this cut. I had two options – simply cooked then covered it with a sauce, or a marinade. I went with the latter, and thank God I did! If you remember from my previous post, I’m not a big meat eater, but this steak was amazing! Not only that, it fit beautifully into my “get-rid-of-all-that-leftover-OJ” efforts (like this orange cake had from a previous post). If you like steak, but don’t want to shell out big bucks for it, I highly recommend giving this Broiled Flank Steak with Citrus-Honey Mustard Marinade a shot!
Flank steak comes from the abdominal section of a cow, making it much leaner and tougher than your more expensive cuts (i.e short loin, chuck, etc). For quite some time, it was seen as a “cheap, unreliable cut.” Yet that opinion has drastically changed given flank steak is easy too cook, arguably healthier than your fattier cuts, and extremely versatile in cooking method and flavor options. Cutting the steak across the grain is key to help break down the fibrous muscle of the meat, giving you the most tender result. Marinades really bring out the potential of this cut, and the longer it sits the greater the taste. I learned the above method of placing a ziploc bag in a bowl from SimplyRecipes – it ensures even coating with little to no mess.
This marinade…wow was it good! It was on a complete whim, actually – I was cleaning out some old magazines and saw a SouthernLiving grilling edition. There were two pages devoted to marinades, and seeing as how I have so much OJ to spare this one was perfect! The coarse-grained mustard is essential – you can use Dijon, but it won’t have the same intensity. This marinade would probably be great with chicken or fish as well (something I am definitely planning on trying); I didn’t change a thing with the recipe.
Given the lack of grill, the broiler was the way to go (as you can remember from my previous post). If you don’t have a broiler pan, I wouldn’t recommend using your cookie sheets; they will warp/darken considerably. A broiler pan ss a worthwhile investment if you like grilled food and have apartment limitations. Cast iron works great too, of course 🙂 The key to serving flank steak is cutting it into thin slices – it capitalizes on the meats tenderness, and makes for a beautiful presentation. This has definitely become my new go-to cut of steak for a large crowd – it’s fast, tastes great, and has less than 10 ingredients! We had pasta and steamed vegetables as sides for the steak. Click HERE to learn how to make this dish a staple in your own cooking repertoire.
In keeping with my OJ theme, I also made a Orange & Fennel Salad with Citrus-Shallot Vinaigrette. The reduced orange juice gives the vinaigrette a potent richness, needing only a touch of honey to even out the taste. It’s such a simple recipe, yet makes a fantastic salad – click HERE to find out how to make it.
For the pairing of this dish, I wanted to piece that would complement the depth of flavor these two dishes possess: colorful, yet potent. It drew my to Strauss’s renowned tone poem Don Juan, Op. 20. The work launched a 25-year-old Strauss to international success. Regarded as Strauss’s “coming-of-age” masterpiece, Don Juan displays an orchestral valor that far transcends the conservative writing of his youth. This shift of style was a direct result of Strauss’s aquaintance with fellow composer Alexander von Ritter.* Ritter’s influence led to Strauss’s pursuit of the “tone poem,” or an orchestral work that evokes a story, landscape, or other non-musical art form, and is one continuous movement.** For a work that is not even 20 minutes in length, this tone poem is replete with emotional depth and poetic grandeur, thus my pairing. I’ve included here a recording with Bernard Haitink and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra – it is in two parts, and I strongly recommend listening to the entire thing. Enjoy!

Sources Cited:
* Rodda, Dr. Richard E. “Don Juan,” The Kennedy Center website 
** “Tone Poem,” Wikipedia.com 

Chicken, Quick/Easy, Roasted, Spicy

Some Like it Hot

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If there is one truth about the food I love, it is spicy – crushed red peppers and/or tabasco are two items that are always available in my apartment. I don’t always cook elegant fare for myself, but a dash of heat can bring almost any dish to life; there are exceptions, of course (like breakfast cereal – NEVER try this). I was cooking a meal for two of my girlfriends and wanted to put a little extra kick in the meal. It was then I remembered my upstairs neighbor Tim Wilfong had given me a bag full of Thai chilies – perfect. After endless internet queries and comparisons, I decided to make the following dishes: Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps with a side of Spicy Asian Roasted Broccoli & Green Beans
Let’s talk about chili peppers briefly – they are classified as fruit, though are obviously not utilized for their sweetness (the bell pepper is the one exception, and certain spicier cultivars do have a tangible sweetness). That spicy kick we get from peppers comes from the compound Capsaicin – when ingested, capsaicin will cling to our oral pain receptors, thus increasing our heartrate and causing perspiration. The amount of caspaicin present in a pepper is measured in Scoville heat units, or SHU. To give you some context: a bell pepper has 0 SHU, the jalapeño has 2,500 – 5,000 SHU, and the habanero has 300,000 SHU. The Thai chili peppers I used stand at 50,00-100,000 SHU – while it’s no habanero, it still packs some serious heat.*
These lettuce wraps were inspired from the P.F. Chang’s classic – though I adore the original, I wanted something a little less “heavy.” I found FoodNetwork’s “Almost Famous” edition of the wraps, and made a few adjustments to create a slightly healthier version. Of course, I swapped the jalapeño called for with a Thai chili. The stir-fry sauce is simple, yet gives this dish its “authentic” taste. It originally called for a tablespoon of hoisin, but I swapped that with ketchup (not the same I know, but it was the next best thing to get the sweet, tangy factor I wanted); I also used dry sherry in place of the rice wine.
These wraps are quite messy, but I can guarantee you’ll be dredging up every last ounce of it(even if you’re stuck using tiny pieces of lettuce to do so!) I omitted the shiitake mushrooms given their exorbitant cost, and even though I love mushrooms, they were not missed. The water chestnuts, though, are crucial – they are the “texture factor” of this dish. The recipe says it serves four to six, but I’d safely say no more than four given that three small women practically killed the entire thing ourselves. To see how to make these addiciting wraps, click HERE.
This dish…oh my GOD was it good! I mean, these vegetables would have any stickler coming back for seconds. I wouldn’t omit a thing from the recipe (maybe the cilantro, but still). I was caught by surprise on the day of with the miso paste. My initial reaction was to forget it, but I just so happened to have a packet for miso soup mix in my pantry. Granted, that’s miso powder and also has pieces of dried seaweed and scallions; but I figured that a simple sift and addition of water would be a great substitute for the paste; it worked almost perfectly. The Thai chilies are a must, but if you choose to leave them in for color (which I did), then DON’T let your guests eat them…unless they’ve eaten a habanero by itself before, but then I’d question your friend’s sanity. Click HERE to see how to make this showstopping side.   
In considering the Thai pepper, I began to think about pieces that could create the similar affect of increased heartrate and adrenaline. That brought me to the composer who can send any performer’s heartrate soaring: J.S. Bach. Though many consider Baroque to be “old-fashioned”, Bach’s music is in fact some of the most challenging of the classical repertoire. His works require a thorough understanding of the complex harmonies, innate phrasing, and technical demands. Whenever I stood on a stage to perform Bach, you could guarantee my heart was pounding – thus I chose a piece from my own repertoire: the Corrente from Partita in A minor for Flute Solo, BWV 1013. I chose this movement (second of four total) given its adrenaline-like pace; the title literally means “running.” The performer here is Emmanuel Pahud (man of my dreams), and as always it is a stunning performance. Enjoy!

Sources Cited:
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chili_pepper

Chocolate, Cupcakes, Dairy, Entertaining, Fruit, Nuts, Vegetarian

Two Cupcakes, Both Alike in Delectability

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One guaranteed way to brighten up a roomful of people is to present them with a platter of cupcakes. While other desserts can be equally as enchanting, there is something more special about the personal enjoyment cupcakes can provide. Each one is its own little present, waiting to be unwrapped and enjoyed. My office loves it when I make cupcakes, so for the monthly birthday celebration (when we acknowledge all of our coworkers with birthdays that month), I brought two very distinct varieties: Sour Cream-Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella and Vanilla Bean-Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting.
Ever since visiting Germany with my youth orchestra when I was 16, I have had a true appreciation for the genius of Nutella: a sweet, spreadable delight that has no parallel in either flavor or form. Nutella is truly a baker’s best friend, given it is sure to please any who try it. In fact, it’s so amazing I decided to just use it AS the frosting alone – perhaps one of the tastiest shortcuts I’ve ever taken.
The cupcakes themselves are a little tricky – the sour cream gives them an inherent lightness in texture, to which the melted chocolate lends a beautiful silkiness. This makes the batter a little capricious (I had to toss 3 or 4 that sort of collapsed within the cups – they were that delicate). I cut holes out of the top to fill with the nutella, and I suggest using a serrated knife so you don’t “drag” the cake. The flavor of this cake made the effort all worthwhile – click HERE to check out these chocolatey delights.
This next recipe has been in my repertoire for quite some time now, and it has never failed to please. It is quite time consuming, given all the prep work and steps involved. The reduced coconut milk isn’t too scary to make, just be sure to keep an eye on the pot to prevent scorching. Vanilla bean is absolutely necessary here – it is what gives these cupcakes their profound taste. Trust me, you won’t regret taking the time to create these – click HERE to learn how to make these fantastic cupcakes.
Now I mentioned I made these for an office birthday party – someone had purchased a gallon of vanilla ice cream, and I started noticing that a few of my coworkers were halving one of each cupcake and placing the two types in a bowl together with a scoop of ice cream. I thought I had seen it all, but this was definitely a novel concept: pairing together two entirely different flavors with a “loving” scoop of ice cream. Funny thing is, they were a match made in heaven!
This inevitably led me to choose my musical pairing for this piece: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture. I had initially intended to post these two recipes separately, but this was the perfect way to combine the two:  This piece is styled in sonata form (fast-slow-fast), with the middle section containing the work extremely well-known “love theme.” This work, which runs at just under 20 minutes, hopes to capture the passion and color of the story, rather than narrate the tale itself. Below I’ve included a recording of the London Symphony Orchestra with Valery Gergiev – Enjoy!

Appetizers, Eggs, Quick/Easy, Vegetarian

A Delicious Departure from Tradition

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There is a common belief that egg dishes are meant for breakfast only – this couldn’t be farther from the truth. They are an excellent source of protein, cook in a matter of minutes, and pair beautifully with any possibly meal you can imagine. Perfect example: the ever-versatile frittata. Essentially a giant omelet, the add-in opportunities for this dish can be endless: vegetables, meats, cheeses, herbs, etc. I wanted a dish full of color, so I decided to make a Spinach and Bell Pepper Frittata.
Frittata is derived from the Italian term “fritto,” which means anything that is fried. Originally used to describe any type of egg dish that is cooked in a skillet (like omelettes), the term frittata has evolved over the past five decades to represent the dish we are familiar with today.* Unlike an omelette, it is served in individual pieces or slices, and is “open-faced” rather than folded over. Fun fact: there is a very similar dish to the frittata in Persian cuisine called the Kookoo (which is a cool name, so I had to share it).
So frittatas are meant to be fried in a skillet…you can clearly tell from the photo that I didn’t fry this, much less even use a skillet (except for sautéing the vegetables). The “traditional” way is to cook the eggs in a large skillet, then invert the frittata onto a plate and slide it back into the pan to cook on the other side (or flipped entirely, if it isn’t too large). I DO own a cast iron skillet, so this could’ve been an option. A simpler but still somewhat traditional way is to put the eggs in the oven for the last 3 to 4 minutes of cooking underneath the broiler. My scenario: I was going to a cookout, and didn’t want to worry about slicing and storing and carrying this dish all the way across town. The solution was to bake the entire custard in a Pyrex 9×11 baking dish. I imagine the Italian recipe gods deplore this, but blame my need for an easy, last-minute dish that still could pack a TON of flavor. Regardless of method, this is an awesome dish and super easy to prepare – I modified it from a Gourmet recipe I found a while black. Click HERE to see my detour from the traditional frittata.  
Since I took a culinary detour, why not a musical one? That thought led me instantly to my piece of choice: Julie-O, by Mark Summer. I was introduced to it this past April at a school event, and it’s a cool little piece! Julie-O has become quite popular amongst cellists, and is ideal as an encore or within educational contexts. The work incorporates “non-traditional” techniques, like slapping the string board and left hand pizzicatos, to give it that “jazzy” feel. It also is quite short (under 3 minutes) yet still extremely colorful – “a lot of flavor in a short amount of time.” I’ve included a recording by the composer himself from the Perth international Arts Festival (sorry for the image quality, but such is my beef with YouTube). Though the original version is great, I had to include this second recording to push the “traditional” envelope one step further – this is by Kevin Olusola, who incorporates beatboxing into the piece (and just also happens to be a FANTASTIC cellist).

Summer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DObjvcWvfwk&feature=related
Olusola: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T36A-H8dPhI

Sources Cited:
“Frittata,” Wikipedia.com.

Dairy, Entertaining, Fruit

Oranges Take the Cake!

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I am not an orange juice drinker – I love oranges, and love cooking with them, but the straight-up juice isn’t my specialty. So the question of how to make use of a TON of orange juice leftover from a hang at my place became priority number one. I poured through cookbooks, running off ingredients and trying to see what pantry staples I could rely on. My Bon Appetit Desserts cookbook (an awesome gift from my friend Maya) provided the perfect solution (which I modified slightly): Orange-Scented Loaf Cakes with Glaze.
Oranges are the world’s most commonly grown tree fruit, with over 65 million tons produced annually around the world*. As any baker knows, fresh is best…but as you already know, I used juice from a carton. Here’s my defense: it was Tropicana, which according to the box (see above) is NEVER made from concentrate – there is nothing other than 100% pure orange juice. Though it’s not straight from the fruit, it’s pretty darn close. Since this cake was my way of using up leftover juice, I used vanilla extract rather than vanilla bean (for the sake of convenience). What makes this cake is the glaze – pouring the glaze on while the cake is hot is a MUST (both the texture and flavor depend on it). The original recipe makes a bundt, but I vied for two loaves (for serving purposes): click HERE to see my version of these flavorful cakes!
When considering what piece to pair with this recipe, it almost automatically began playing in my head – the Preludio from Bach’s Partita No. 3 in E major for solo violin. I hadn’t really developed a solid reason on why, but it just felt perfect. It’s a nice way to introduce the “father of music” to my blog (still trying to fathom what possible recipe can justify his legendary Chaconne). Perhaps one of the most recognized names in classical music, the works of J.S. Bach have influenced generation upon generation of performers and listeners alike. His music is defined by its beauty and creative depth, while it also places a substantail amount of technical and artistic demands on those who perform it – such is certainly the case with the Preludio. In retrospect, I wanted a “bright” work to pair with cake, and the Partita’s setting of E Major provides the ideal character – bright, lively, and filled with “flavor.” The recording I’ve included here is by violinst Nathan Milstein, whose interpretations of Bach’s music helped define his soloing career. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIemzStWOog

Sources Cited:
*”Orange,” Wikipedia.com

Dairy, Fish, Grilled, Quick/Easy, Seasonal

Seeking Serenity through Tzatziki

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Had you told me 10 years ago that I would love the city life, complete with renting an apartment and relying on public transportation, I would have laughed. Yet here I am: living in Boston proper with a 2-bedroom apartment, and commuting daily to work on the subway, and loving every bit of it. That being said, it does have some restrictions – most notably, lack of a grill. So there’s George Foreman, or I could get a small charcoal and drag it out to the parking lot every time I want a steak; but neither really suits my own culinary finesse. Enter the solution: a grill pan. Now obviously the smoky taste of a true grill won’t be achieved, but it’s the next best thing. I just bought a 13-inch Calphalon nonstick grill pan (see below) and wanted to take it for a test ride. For its debut, I decided to make Pan-Grilled Salmon with Tzatziki.
While I am an avid user of cast-iron for meats, fish works quite well in the nonstick setting. Salmon is an oily, or fatty, fish – it thus takes slightly longer to cook. To create the perfectly cooked fillet, salmon is often removed from the heat just before it is fully cooked. This prevents the fish from drying out, giving it a beautiful texture. The result will be flesh that is slightly translucent in the center, and completely opaque around the edges. Like Tuna, salmon is a safe fish to eat undercooked, or even raw (NOTE: this only applies to fresh fish – read all labels and safety instructions beforehand).* Leaving the skin on the fillets prevents the fish from drying out; it can easily be removed with a long knife or spatula once the fish is done cooking.
For this salmon, I chose to make Tzatziki: a Greek dish that consists of strained yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, and lemon; mint and parsley are optional add-ins (which I did not use). It is used in a number of contexts in Greek cuisine, from being served as a meze (appetizer) with dippers to serving as a sauce for gyros. Tzatziki pairs beautifully with salmon – the dill and lemon highlight the fish’s natural flavor, while the yogurt and cucumber provide an almost “spa-like” freshness. Greek yogurt is a must for achieving the right consistency of this sauce – I like Trader Joe’s brand, but Fage is another excellent variety. If you prefer to use regular yogurt, be sure to strain it for at least 2 hours (in the refrigerator) by placing the yogurt in a coffee filter over a large bowl. To learn how to make this lovely summer dish, click HERE.
The “soothing” flavors of the Tzatziki received my attention for this musical pairing, and Debussy’s Reflets dans l’eau was the perfect match. This work opens the series Images pour piano, though the three parts are often performed as individual works. This series was written just after the completion of La Mer (which was just featured on this blog). It evince many of the same harmonic qualities found in the orchestra piece, yet finds a more delicate ambience through poetic expression. Reflets dans l’eau translates to “Reflection in the Water,” and is meant to evoke a rippling effect.^ I’ve included here a recording by Jean-Yves Thibaudet (a French pianist for a French piece!) His interpretation is precisely the ambiance I hoped to capture with this dish. Enjoy!

Sources Cited:
*”Cooking Fish Fundamentals.” Rouxbe Cooking School http://rouxbe.com
**”Tzatziki.” Wikipedia.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzatziki
^”Claude Debussy.” Wikipedia.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Debussy

Dairy, Fruit, Quick/Easy, Seasonal, Vegetarian

A Classic Dessert with a Twist

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In case you didn’t notice, summer in Boston is one of my favorite times of year. The weather is almost always perfect (knock on wood), and the notorious audacity of Boston’s residents is temporarily replaced with a warm conviviality. Fall is lovely, of course, and the fist snow of winter can be breathtaking; but I can’t get enough of this beautiful season. My relish for hosting parties is tenfold, and friends/coworkers who are around for the summer become the guinea pigs of my culinary adventures. I hosted one party this past weekend that was your all-American standard: burgers, beer, chips & salsa, etc. The dessert was a classic that allowed my southern heritage to really shine: Key Lime Pie.
Key Lime Pie is named for the use of the Floridian Key Lime…okay I confess, I didn’t use actual Key Limes to make this pie. I used an organic brand of regular lime juice that I had on hand. The primary difference between these citrus cousins is color and flavor. Unlike conventional limes, Key Limes are noted for their bitter, tart taste and for having a yellow to light green skin. Native to Southeast Asia, the Key Lime was introduced brought by Spanish explorers to the West Indies. The Florida Keys became a prominent location of harvest for the fruit, with the term “Key” being added to differentiate them from the traditional Persian cultivar.* I decided to split the difference by omitting a tablespoon or two of sugar to achieve a more tart filling. Check out how to make this fabulous recipe by clicking HERE.
In pairing this dish, I chose to acknowledge Spain and its role in introducing Key Limes to North America. Spain is a nation rich with culture and history, and its composers bring that wealth of culture to their music. One example is the music of Isaac Albéniz – a Catalan composer, pianist, and conductor whose efforts were instrumental in promoting Spanish music abroad. He is most well-known for his piano works, many of which were later transcribed for the guitar.** such is the case with the selection I chose: Asturias, from Suite española, Op. 47. This suite consists of eight movements, each representing a different region in Spain. Several of these movements are performed on guitar more often than piano, including Asturias.^ This “reinterpretation” of the original composition further compelled me to pair this work with my own “reinterpretation” of the original recipe. The recording I have included is by John Williams: not “Star Wars” John Williams, but perhaps the guitar soloist of his generation. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEfFbuT3I6A

Sources Cited:
*”Key Lime.” Wikipedia.com
**”Isaac Albéniz,” Wikipedia.com
^”Suite española,” Wikipedia.com