Paper Palate

I only recently became a Gourmet magazine subscriber. I’ve been tempted to subscribe for quite awhile but I finally took the plunge a few months ago after realizing that a large percentage of the meals I make each month usually come from the Epicurious website in the form of recipes from the past Gourmet and Bon Appetit issues.

The March 2007 issue of Gourmet has been my fourth since subscribing. I have loved each and every one so far, but this issue has made my menu planning for the month a cinch. It is jam packed full of recipes that my family will love and that I can do fairly quickly on a busy weeknight.

A few of the March issue highlights are:

• Kitchen Design – I love color…bright, bold color. This section shows the hottest trends in kitchen appliances and cookware, which includes the Turbo Chef oven in red that I would love to get my hands on!
• Good Living – Besides finding out that there are some great dates in March to look forward to (Something on a Stick Day March 28^th…Chip and Dip Day March 23^rd) I was excited to hear of the new product that actually can remove the caffeine stimulant out of beverages simply by using this little plastic stirrer which snags up the molecules. Technology is amazing.
• Gourmet Travels – Bruce Feiler writes of a visit to Nambia. The people, the culture and the landscape are all breathtaking.
• Recipes, recipes and more recipes – A few of the recipes that caught my eye in this issue are: Tarragon Chicken Fricassee (pg 96), Crisp Pork Medallions with Creamy Caper Sauce (pg 100), Banana Rum Cream Pie (pg 102), Shrimp and Romaine Stir Fry (pg 104), Crisp Braised Pork Shoulder (pg 140), Caramelized Potatoes (pg 141), and Cheddar Jalapeño Bread (pg 152).

As luck would have it, two of the recipes from this issue of Gourmet magazine were on the menu for this past weekend. The Crisp Pork Medallions with Creamy Caper Sauce and the Cheddar Jalapeno Bread.

The Crisp Pork Medallions with Creamy Caper Sauce was an incredibly simple dish to put together. The blend of flavors in the pork alone was enough to be excited about. Add the creamy caper sauce and you have an easy dish that is company worthy.

The Cheddar Jalapeno Bread is unbelievable as well. If you love bread and/or cheese with a kick, this recipe is a must try. I omitted the step in the recipe that requires you to roll the bread out into a rectangle. Instead, I just let the bread rise in the loaf pan and once it was ready for baking, I placed it in the oven for about 45 minutes. It really doesn’t get much easier than this. I can’t wait to have some of this bread tomorrow as part of a toasted sandwich. In fact, I may go out and purchase that Panini Press I have been eying just for this bread recipe alone.