The dish that made him famous - beer can chicken - may be the reason that some of you have not discovered him yet. But Steven Raichlen might be my favorite cookbook author on the planet (he certainly is Jason's). Alright, I will admit there is some barbecuing involved, but it is not all smoked meat, charcoal and streaky sirloin steaks. He is truly an aficionado of all that is outdoor cooking - be it vegetarian or otherwise.
This past weekend we tried an amazing Morroccan salad out of his new book, Planet Barbecue that was truly like nothing you have ever tried before and out of this world. I needed to share so here it is.
3 anaheim or cubanelle peppers
4 bell peppers (assorted colors)
2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and 1/4 inch dice
1/2 of a SWEET onion, chopped
3 tablespoons mint, chopped but not too fine.
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or more lemon juice
kosher or sea salt
fresh ground pepper
place whole peppers (all of them) on the grill and grill them until blackened. Take them off the grill and let cool. Then peel off as much as the blackened skin as you can, and chop into a 1/4 inch dice. Place in a non-reactive bowl and dump the rest of the ingredents on top and mix. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Lordy. So good - even a bit out of our usual food fare, but worth the attempt for your next summer meal.
