Kitchenography:

Last weekend I made quiche for a brunch and while it was good, it wasn't great; the recipe needed work. But then when I thought about the stick of butter that was used in the crust, and the 12 ounces of heavy cream that were used in the custard, not to mention the cheese that was stirred into the custard, it occured to me that perfecting a quiche recipe is not the way to go at all. Better to work on perfecting a salad -- a salad so good that you crave it.

Also, a salad that you can take to work for lunch, preferably one that you can make beforehand and happily eat for a day -- or two or three. My rate of packing a lunch for work becomes much higher if I'm not making a salad each day. This was my lunch for three days this week and it held up suprisingly well.

Mango is the star of this salad as far as I'm concerned. Quinoa in of itself wouldn't hold my interest but makes an excellent foil for the mango and spicy dressing. Watercress has a peppery leaf which also adds an element of contrast. Watercress's other virtue is that the sturdy leaf holds up so well. Four days after it was made the leaves were not at all wilted. I don't tear or cut the leaves either which I think helps in preventing wilting.

Roasting the peppers for this is a step I skipped because it would have increased the preparation time and roasting peppers is a pain. However, roasted peppers absorb the dressing better. On the other hand, unroasted peppers add a nice crunch.

The recipe is adapted from Raising the Salad Bar and the original recipe used chickpeas rather than quinoa. Raising the Salad Bar is a terrific book full of excellent inspiration. As I leaf through it I find myself drawn to almost every recipe.

Quinoa, Watercress and Mango Salad with Lime-Curry Vinaigrette

serves 3-4

1 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly if not using pre-rinsed quinoa
1 mango, diced
1 red pepper, roasted, seeded, ribs removed, and diced (or skip the roasting)
1 bunch watercress, stems removed

Lime-Curry Vinaigrette

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar
4 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and pepper

1. Whisk the vinaigrette ingedients together and set aside

2. Put quinoa, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover pan and cook for 13 to 15 minutes, until water is absorbed. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit until it has cooled completely.

3. Toss the quinoa with enough dressing to moisten. Taste for salt and add if needed. Add the watercress, mango, and peppers and toss, adding enough additional dressing to lightly coat. Grind a little black pepper over all, taste again for seasoning. Serve.

I'm not a football fan. I come from a bookish, non-athletic family and football was not part of my upbringing. My idea of watching a game is sitting by my husband's side while he watches and occasionally looking up from the computer or my book, usually to ask some question about what's happening that clearly indicates just how little I know about the game. I'm the sort of person who watches the Super Bowl for the commercials and is more interested in who the half-time entertainment is than which teams are playing.

My best Superbowl ever was the one some years ago when Comedy Central ran an Absolutely Fabulous marathon. Mike watched the game in one room and I watched Absolutely Fabulous in another. When a commercial came on, Mike would yell, "Commercial!" and I'd flip to the Superbowl station. As soon as the game came back on, I'd flip back to Absolutely Fabulous.

But despite my lack of interest in football, I get caught up in the Superbowl excitement. It's an event, and every year it seems to be more of a food occasion. Tonight Mike will be cooking, but if he weren't, this is one of the things I'd make. They're delicious, fast and easy to make, and it's a well known fact that everything is better with bacon.

Shrimp Wrapped with Bacon

Shrimp (I think 21-25 per pound is a good size for this)
Bacon
Horseradish
Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco
Toothpicks

The amounts for this will depend on the quantity you wish to make. For every 2 shrimp you will need 1 strip of bacon, 1 teaspoon of horseradish, three drops of Worcestershire sauce, and a drop or two of Tabasco. Multiply according to the number you wish to make.

1. Cut bacon strips in half and cook slowly over low heat. Your aim here is to partially cook the bacon.

2. Mix the horseradish with the Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. Taste. You want it to be lively. If you what you're tasting doesn't seem lively enough, add a little more Tabasco.

3. On a broiler pan with a rack, lay out the strips of bacon, and place a shrimp on each one. Place a scant 1/2 teaspoon of the horseradish mixture on each piece of shrimp. Cover with the bacon and secure the bacon with a toothpick.

4. Run under the broiler. How long will depend on how hot your broiler is, and how close the pan is to the heating element. Mine is less than three inches under the broiler and needed about 90 seconds on each side. If yours is farther, you'll need longer. Cook until the bacon is crisp and the shrimp is cooked.

Notes: You want to be careful not to overcook the shrimp. If you use larger or smaller pieces of shrimp, you'll need to adjust the time. Also, if you use a smaller size of shrimp, you may find that cutting the bacon in thirds works better.