There are a few foods that traditionally work as a trio, namely the Three Sisters of Native American cooking (corn, beans, and squash) and the Cajun and Creole "holy trinity" (onion, celery, and bell pepper). Lemons, oranges, and grapefruit make a Three-Fruit Marmalade and cherry, whole peeled, and sun-dried come together in a Three-Tomato Pasta. When I looked for other trios, the pantry doors flew wide open. In a three-cheese pasta bake, only the Parmesan was common to all. That can be combined with Neufchatel and mozzarella; white Cheddar and Gruyere; mild cheddar and Fontina; or sour cream and ricotta. Want a three-herb pesto? It's not always basil, but that's pretty standard, and parsley was ever-present: mix those two with either mint or cilantro or rosemary. You can also mix parsley, rosemary, and thyme (throw in some sage and go with the dish to Scarborough Fair). The variety of mushrooms makes for some delicious sounding risottos: porcini, shiitake, and cremini or chanterelle, morel, and shiitake stock. The three-bean salad I know is wax beans, green beans, and kidney beans, but try it with edamame, black beans, and black-eyed peas. As Cole Porter wrote in words and music, "Experiment!"
No comments:
Post a Comment