Two nights ago, I tried a vegetable dish I have seen in several cookbooks -- grilled radicchio. The menu described it as "Grilled Radicchio Salad with Grapefruit, Red Onions and Honey Balsamic".
It was delightful -- both bitter and sweet -- and surprising too, since it had an unexpected smoky flavor. Was that simply what grilled radicchio tastes like? Was it grilled over a wood fire? Or maybe they used some kind of flavor enhancer, like Liquid Smoke?
I decided to ask the restaurant owner, who was serving us.
"That's from the bacon," he replied.
"But I didn't see any bacon in the dish," I said.
He turned red and hesitated several seconds before responding. "Um...Drew (the chef) put bacon drippings in the salad dressing."
Bacon drippings in the light and lovely-sounding "honey balsamic" dressing?
AARRGGH!!! Is there any point in ordering vegetables if they're dressed in bacon fat? Aren't vegetables supposed to be pure somehow, and healthy?
Then, last night, Tom and I shared a plate of "wood oven roasted" vegetables with our dinner. We were served potatoes, corn, carrots, parsnips, tomatoes, fennel, and some kind of squash. Once again, everything (even the squash, which Tom made me try first) was good, and smoky tasting too.
It was delightful -- both bitter and sweet -- and surprising too, since it had an unexpected smoky flavor. Was that simply what grilled radicchio tastes like? Was it grilled over a wood fire? Or maybe they used some kind of flavor enhancer, like Liquid Smoke?
I decided to ask the restaurant owner, who was serving us.
"That's from the bacon," he replied.
"But I didn't see any bacon in the dish," I said.
He turned red and hesitated several seconds before responding. "Um...Drew (the chef) put bacon drippings in the salad dressing."
Bacon drippings in the light and lovely-sounding "honey balsamic" dressing?
AARRGGH!!! Is there any point in ordering vegetables if they're dressed in bacon fat? Aren't vegetables supposed to be pure somehow, and healthy?
Then, last night, Tom and I shared a plate of "wood oven roasted" vegetables with our dinner. We were served potatoes, corn, carrots, parsnips, tomatoes, fennel, and some kind of squash. Once again, everything (even the squash, which Tom made me try first) was good, and smoky tasting too.
I like to think the smoky flavor was from the wood oven.
But this time, I didn't ask.
But this time, I didn't ask.
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