Red Pepper Spread

Boy, was I picky as a kid. I was so picky, I couldn't eat rice - it tasted so bland.  Food had to be bold in flavor. I made bacon sandwiches; ate sausage with dark, grainy mustard (tasted better in Japan, where I'm from, I have yet to find better grainy mustard in America, you heard me!) ... and anything, everything curry. I also poured sauce on everything.

My mom, who is Filipina, makes gorgeous adobo, which also makes for great fried rice the next day, with the oily, thick, pork-flavored sauce as the base. She also makes sinigang na baboy, a tamarind pork stew, and the only way I'd eat white rice on its own was with that earthy, sour broth all over it. I'm still quite saucy now, so I find myself too easily tempted by the ready-made sauces at my local deli-gourmet groceria.

I had, in a past life, wanted to become a chef, and went as far as to take a Master Class in Cooking at The New School. Props to Karen Snyder-Kadish, indeed, who had the patience and drive to direct our small team of five. One of us, a former construction worker looking to change careers, had no business in the kitchen (case in point: he decided our beef stew needed whole cherry tomatoes in it. For COLOR.) Two of the women were quite adept and enthused, and the other guy, well, he was definitely meant to give it a try - he was able to French a rack of lamb with no problems at all. (I HATED him.) Then there was me. I would panic whenever Karen yelled out the time, and burn myself when I wasn't in a panic. I also broke several dishes in the midst of making a hazelnut-crusted whole trout with parsley and lemon... ruined the whole thing and had to start over. It was horrible. Still, I came away with a lot of knowledge, lessons learned (that my day job is amazing, for one) and best of all, great recipes, such as one for muhammara.

Since I don't see myself making fresh muhammara anytime soon, I couldn't help but notice the jar of red pepper spread in the aisles of my deli. After opening my prize find at home, I found it nothing like the muhammara dip I was hoping for- it wasn't refreshing, lemony or nutty at all, instead it was rather vinegary and intense. I was disappointed. Another storebought sauce purchase in vain.

After the New Year, I resolved not to spend foolishly on food (resolution is already broken, of course) especially when it came to buying things I clearly didn't need (like red pepper spread.) I also resolved to make use of what I had in the fridge as often as possible, in the hopes of being more resourceful. That paid off when I decided to make brown basmati rice- the spread, which was strong and pungent, served as the perfect foil to the nutty rice. But what other grains could it save? I decided to find out.

As much as I love quinoa, I haven't successfully enjoyed it at home, due to my lack of experience with adding flavor to it. The texture is great, but on its own, cooked with just water, makes it, well, like bland white rice. What to do. I knew it needed more flavor... so I thought about making a curry base. But I had neither the time or desire. I added salted peanuts to the cooked quinoa, that was a great boost, but not enough. Then the jar of red pepper spread called out to me. And the feta. And the leftover sauteed spinach and broccoli. Voila. With rotiserrie adobo chicken from Union Market as my protein, it was (almost) like being at home with mom.