hot sauce – The Kitchen Illiterate

Arroz con Pollo

There is something about the combination of chicken and rice that makes me happy. And I’m sure I’m not the only one. In fact, it seems that every culture has its version of a chicken and rice dish, from the cream-of-mushroom chicken rice casseroles of the midwest, to Hainanese Chicken dishes, made in various regions in Southeast Asia, to India’s Chicken Biryani. I just saw a new (to me) recipe for Halal-cart style chicken and rice that I can’t wait to try. Of all these various permutations of chicken and rice, though, arroz con pollo remains my favorite.
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Black-Eyed Pea and Peanut Soup

It’s true, I really do cook and eat a lot of soup. And unfortunately, all soups tend to look the same, which doesn’t make for fun food photography. Fortunately, they don’t all taste the same, and this one in particular is a pretty keen flavor sensation. What started out as a basic greens and beans soup was transformed at the last minute into something much richer and more interesting by the addition of a little spice and a little peanut butter. It almost reminds me a Thai curry flavor, but is much more basic and simple than that. And no less delicious for it. And to think, I probably would never have thought of it if I hadn’t had so many leftover black-eyed peas in the refrigerator.
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