Wednesday, February 4, 2009

a secret that's not a secret about kale

This is not really a secret, but kale is actually very very delicious. It just takes a little bit of time to find the right and perfect way to cook it. For instance, my daughter makes "kale chips," which are similar to roasted kale where the kale comes out crispy like actual chips and that's delicious. I tried to make roasted kale, but I failed and the result was dried-out and unexceptional tasting even though I tossed it with olive oil and a splash of cider vinegar. So I decided to try braised kale. I found this recipe from the Food Network, courtesy Emeril Lagasse. It was so good even my husband loved it! He ate all the leftovers (this recipe made a lot!). And my mother who always has to have cider vinegar with her greens was very happy because she didn't have to ask for the cider vinegar. This recipe was so flavorful and easy to prepare. The only change I made was to use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, which makes this a vegan recipe. Back in the old days, my grandmother used to cook kale all day long with ham bones or fat back, etc. That gave it a great taste but now I have found a new and more healthy way to prepare it that is just as tasty. You will never miss or opine for the lack of pork in your greens ever again (in case you like them that way). And if you are a vegetarian/vegan and have never had the experience of having pork in your greens, just disregard my ramble here and try this recipe.