Friday, March 13, 2009

And Now, a Word About Chutney ...

I've got to be honest, I'm 100% spent from this week. I was at an out of town wake on Monday night, Carnegie Hall on Tuesday night, had a late meeting Wednesday night and, yesterday, my right knee was injected with synthetic cartilage. (I'm fine.) Does the fun ever start? I don't know what's for dinner tonight and I'm not even sure that I care. Instead, we're going to talk about chutney today.

Specifically that spicy tomato chutney that adorned my baked eggs yesterday. Now, I'm fairly certain that exactly none of you are playing along at home. I'm more than reasonably sure you did not spend your day making that recipe and therefore do not have a bowl of chutney left over that's just begging for use. But I do. And, more than that, I like to pretend. Hell, my best friend once described me as a woman who walks around pretending she's wearing a tiara most days ... they don't call me Diva for nothin'.

So, in my happy little make-believe queendom, you're now in possession of a zesty bowl of chutney that's looking for a partner. Here are some suggestions:

If you like to kick it old-school, you could pretend you're in my in-law's living room, circa 1979, and pour that yummy chutney over a bar of cream cheese, serve it with some crackers and Bob's your uncle - you've just made an appetizer. A tasty one at that.

Or, if you're working an 80's vibe, you can slice open a lovely wheel of brie, slather the middle of it with the chutney, replace the top, wrap the whole thing in some puff pastry, nestle it in a glass pie dish and bake it in the middle of a pre-heated 425 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes, pair it with some crackers or a crusty loaf and, voila, another fabulous appetizer!

Perhaps you're a minimalist and a terribly au currant one at that. If so, you would do well to pair the chutney with a nice sharp cheese, like a Piave or an aged Gouda, or maybe some creamy, goaty Robiola. Pair any of these suggestions, or those of your own, with a firm, whole-grain crisp bread, top the cheese with a delicate dollop of chutney and enjoy. The salty-savory-sweet combination will blow your mind.

Or maybe, sadly, you're dairy free. If so, I'm sorry. Truly. Buck up though, you can still work that chutney into another meal. You could absolutely substitute it for the tomato and marinara mixture in my ever popular Vera Cruz recipe. Slather some chicken or fish fillets with the chutney and bake as directed in that recipe. Add a side of basmati rice and you'll be well on your way to an Indian themed feast.

My point? You should make the chutney. We'll all feel better if you do.

So, what would you do with a left-over bowl of such spicy goodness? Curious Diva wants to know.

Bon appetit!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Diva, you've had quite the week! You deserve some pampering for sure. As busy as you are, you still manage to blog every day. You are my hero! Well, I hope you have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

Oh what a week you've had! Synthetic cartilage? Ack! But it sounds like you've got dinner already planned from those delicious ideas. We vote brie/chutney/puff pastry!!!!

The Diva on a Diet said...

Tracy - I'm not gonna lie, posting every day this week was a challenge ... but I did a little advance writing. ;) The weekend? Completely booked with very little down time ... but fun stuff for a change. :)

Duo - you can't go wrong with anything wrapped in puff pastry, right? LOL

The knee is fine, just a little stiff. I'm trying to take it easy ... but I'm not very good at that these days.

Missy said...

Hey girl! Just found your blog and love it! I will also be at the breakfast on Wednesday :)

words...words...words... said...

I just like saying "chutney". It's a hilarious word.

Chutney!

Also, my word verification was "dolamb"...so there goes your wondering about dinner tonight.

Anonymous said...

But my word thing is nonever!!!! And that's true as well. I've never actually made chutney, love to say it also, and love to eat it in various forms. That brie thing with the crust has been brought to many a Christmas party in the burbs and it never lasts long enough for those of us who are fashionably late to taste it. I did manage to wrest the last delicious piece away from another senior once without using violence.
(It was all in the family) And I'm not against cream cheese and chutney...or anything else for that matter. Yummmm.

Cookie Brochette said...

Diva, the chutney looks divine. The perfect combination of sweet and spicy!

Here's what I'd like...a single slice of French baguette, baked in the oven with a wedge of Camembert. Your chutney atop that little appetizer would be the piece de resistance. Thanks for posting it!

Love, Cookie B.

JAMJARSUPERSTAR said...

It looks divine, it should make you feel better after a hectic week and I know myself that this kind of chutney tastes amazing! Sweet pepper is also nice IMHO.
Ciao

Scarlet xx

Michele said...

I love left over chutney on my sandwiches. Especially rare roast beef, sharp cheddar and chutney. I've also been known to dip my apples in it, or even eat it with peanut butter on crackers.

Anonymous said...

We eat chutney at the local fav Indian restaurant using with the lentil flat bread they make - we call it Indian chips and salsa! Not sure what the lentil bread is called but it is crisp like chips and works quite well with the chutney.

Deb

Anonymous said...

PS hope the knee feels better soon - you can't keep a Diva down!

Elizabeth said...

I wish I had some chutney!! Yours looks great. :)

Tangled Noodle said...

Love your chutney/cheese/bread combo suggestion!

Anonymous said...

Your a great cook! Show us more of your recipes.

Jennifer said...

Award for you:
http://savorthethyme.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-first-blog-award.html

meredith said...

Hey there! Nice blog. I absolutely love Tomato Chutney on Roast Beef Sandwiches. If you have some left over you should try it.