Jan Norris: Food and Florida

Some food message boards aren’t worth the trouble it takes to call up because of the comments. (Some people simply shouldn’t own computers… or stoves, either.)

 I like ones that deliver and have useful conversations that make me want to try unusual things or new techniques. The Chow Home Cooking board is one of the more engaging ones I read.

This week, they discussed one of my favorite recipes: Salsa Couscous Chicken – now known as Million-Dollar-Chicken, since it won the big-buck prize for Ellie Matthews in the Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1998 in Dallas. (Click the title to get the recipe and more about it.) I’ve made this countless times and use its components otherwise – for slow-cooked pork ribs or beef shortribs. Boy howdy, my mouth is watering just thinking about this. It’s all due to the new words for taste: Flavor profile. This one is sweet, savory and simply unctuous. Surprising low-cal, too.

To get in on it, go to Chow, then sign up for the Chow Home Cooking Newsletter Digest sent to your email. Contact them by emailing newsletters@chow.online.com

Once a week, they drop the digest with a few graphs and teases with links in your mailbox, and lead you to recipes and discussions that in turn lead to a bunch of variations you hadn’t thought of. Sometimes, they tangent off, but it’s all home cooking.

Delicious Good Friday reading!