The Hungry Diva: Link Love Edition

When I posted The Five Hidden Truths of Life as a Food Blogger earlier this month, I forgot to mention one thing. Living life as a food blogger generally means one is reading a whole host of other food blogs and the like throughout the day - and such perusing often leads to lust. While I try my best to offer you my own food here, or recipes which I've adapted and made-over, the fact remains that there is a veritable cornucopia of inviting dishes, created by others, that I'm just dying to try.

I've been lusting after two specific dishes for the better part of a week now. The first is the curried cauliflower flatbread featured in Mark Bittman's column (The Minimalist) last Wednesday. This bread has my name written all over it and despite the unseasonably warm weather I baked the bread on Monday. In a word, its spectacular!

The batter is a simple mix of whole wheat flour and light coconut milk, to which one adds a healthy dose of curry-dusted roast cauliflower. Do I have your attention yet? I should. This is a quick, easy, healthy and delicious recipe that is destined to become part of many a Diva meal. Similar to nan in texture, I'm already envisioning a host of other options. I can see replacing the cauliflower with some roasted potatoes and onion, creating something akin to Kulcha (another traditional Indian bread). Or adding any number of other veggies and spices depending on my mood and the contents of my fridge. I've already decided to include a bit of chickpea flour in my next batch, which should pair well with the curried cauliflower. Yum.

Save for flipping the bread over during the last 15 minutes of baking, which I do recommend, I changed the recipe not at all. You can find it here and it is well worth the click. This bread was so good, so aromatic - crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside - that it was absolutely worth the insanity of a 400 degree oven on an 85 degree day. Its downright addictive - I had to leave the kitchen and shut the door behind me, lest I finish the whole thing myself. I hope you'll try it!

Last night I paired the remains of the bread with another recipe that's been haunting my dreams. Cheryl, from 5 second rule, featured a simple yet seductive recipe for oven-roasted chicken last week and I've been lusting after it ever since. Prior to roasting, the chicken marinated in a luscious combination of fruity vinegar (I used a raspberry vinegar), Worcestershire sauce and olive oil. The results? Stunning!

As Cheryl points out in her post, the fruity vinegar really helps the chicken caramelize and the results are insanely good. The chicken was moist, tender and remarkably flavorful - so much so the husband nearly devoured half the bird himself. The only change I made was to double the marinade and cook an entire chicken which had been sectioned by my wonderful butcher, Tommy. You can find Cheryl's recipe here and if her picture doesn't send you straight to your oven, I don't know what will. Simple, satisfying and altogether delicious, I urge you to try it. Thanks, Cheryl!

So, there you have a snapshot of my culinary wanderings this week. Be sure to stop by for Thirsty Thursday tomorrow ... I'll have a special, springtime cocktail on the menu ... courtesy of the husband.

Bon appetit!