Imagination and creativity are major assets when you want to prepare a scrumptious dinner for yourself or your friends. Bob Blumer, a.k.a. the surreal gourmet, has some great recipes for adventurous cooks in his new book, “Off the Eaten Path.” Check out the off-beat eats below.
IF YOU MAKE only one recipe from this book, let this be the one. The deceptively easy yet indescribably delicious maple-soy marinade creates a candied salmon fillet that melts in your mouth, while the black pepper crust provides the perfect savory foil. Even people who don’t like fish become devoted converts after one bite. The closely guarded recipe was divulged to me — after several hours on the torture rack — by Andrew Zimbel, owner of The Amazing Food Service in Toronto. Such a big payoff for so little effort. Now that’s amazing.
A perfect first canvas for budding Surrealists.
ICED “COFFEE” Bob Blumer
serves 4 as a dessert
Remove ice cream from freezer and let stand for 10 minutes, or until malleable. Scoop into coffee cups or mugs and use the back of a spoon to create a smooth surface 1/4-inch below the rim of the cup. Return to freezer and let harden. Place cups on saucers, garnish with cookies and serve.
912375460491coffee ice cream 1pint1 pint coffee ice cream or frozen yogurtcookies 88 cookies of your choice
POUND CAKE “FRIES” WITH RASPBERRY “CATSUP” Bob Blumer
Serves 2
Pound cake fries
Cut pound cake slices into 1/4-inch strips. Arrange strips on a toaster oven rack and toast until browned on top and bottom.
Turn strips and toast until remaining two sides are browned. Let cool, then arrange in container.
Raspberry “catsup”
Place raspberries in a blender or food processor, and puree (add 1 or 2 tablespoons f water or lemon juice, if necessary, to facilitate blending). Add sugar, one teaspoon at a time, to taste, until tartness is gone. Place raspberry puree in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Use a rubber spatula to force the puree through the strainer. Discard the seeds, and transfer the puree to the squeeze bottle. Serve alongside “fries.”
912375460491of pound cake,0.25loaf1/4 loaf of pound cake, cut into 1/4-inch slicesFrench fry container11 cardboard French fry container (ask politely and you shall receive)raspberries12ounce1 12-ounce bag frozen raspberries, thawed, or 2 cups fresh raspberries sugar2tablespoon2 tablespoons confectionery (icing) sugar1 empty catsup squeeze bottle
This corn recipe was born to accompany the maple salmon, but it will also add life to an infinite number of dishes. The first time I tasted it (at the now-defunct L.A. restaurant Modada), I was sucked in by its sweetness. Talking my way into the kitchen, I asked the chef what made his creamed corn so special. I assumed his answer would include heavy cream and lots of butter. To my surprise, he told me it contained nothing more than fresh corn and a pinch of salt and pepper. The secret rests in separating the sweet milk and meat of the corn kernels from their less-tasty casings instead of simply cutting the kernels from the cob. I do add some butter (because, as the ads say, “butter makes it better”) and a bit of chipotle powder, but neither is necessary.
Excerpted from “Off the eaten path” by Bob Blumer. Copyright © 2000 by Bob Blumer. Published by The Ballantine Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt can be used without permission of the publisher.