koko wrote:

>>Oyster Soup
>>Butternut Squash Risotto
>>Dry-Rubbed Ribeye Steaks
>>Kale with White Beans, Red Pepper, and Parmesan
>>Pineapple Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake (I didn't make fruitcake this year)
>>
>>I might start off with some kind of snacky-thing, too. I'm thinking either
>>pita chips and pimiento cheese or something which pairs jícama and sesame.
>>(I have a feeling that jícama and sesame would go together well, but I've
>>never seen them together.)
>>
>
> Sounds like a great meal. Will you feel up to it after such a harried
> day?

I *hope* so! I'll cut up the squash and put the dry rub on the steaks before
I fly out of California. Other than that, there's not much prep than can be
done. The risotto is going to be the most labor-intensive thing. I figure on
making the cake first, then the kale (because it can sit around without loss
of flavor), then the soup, and then the risotto. I'll cook the steaks at the
same time as the risotto, giving enough time so that the steaks are done
resting right as the risotto is finished.


> My idea jicama and sesame seeds. How about toasting the sesame
> seeds in a skillet and seasoning them with a little powdered chili.
> Then toss the slices of jicama with some lime juice and sprinkle the
> spiced sesame seeds over them. Don't know, just a thought.

That's the thing: I don't want to do the chile-lime treatment; I want it to
*just* be jícama and sesame. Like lightly brushing jícama sticks with egg
white, coating with sesame seeds, and roasting on a rack until the sesame
seeds are toasted. But I don't know how jícama reacts to heat. I remember
Bob Pastorio reporting that he'd roasted jícama at a holiday dinner, and I
asked about it then, but he never got back to me.

Maybe I'll just lightly spray jícama with sesame oil.

Bob