WHB # 129 - The Round-Up & The Winner

Here they are, fifty-three enthusiastically rendered recipes stretching from around the globe. In fact, the hand of luck, too, has stretched far, from New York to India, where Arundathi of My Food Blog is the random winner of Aliza Green's Field Guide to Herbs and Spices. (Arundathi, please contact me with address details so that I can pop your book in the post this week. Congratulations!) And a hearty thanks to every one of you who contributed your wonderful culinary creativity and energy to make WHB the weekly hit that it continues to be. Special thanks to Kalyn for opening up the hosting duties to a rotation of bloggers dedicated to help keep the cooking and baking alive.

Please contact me with any errors or omissions, and I will correct them right away.

N.B. - There has been a change in this week's host. Please send your recipe posts to Margot of Coffee and Vanilla. Thanks again!

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Canned bamboo shoots can't compare to the verdant glory
of snappy-fresh spears. This lively stir fry needs
nothing more than a shadow of ginger, garlic and
green onion to set in on a plate to rave reviews.

Stir-Fried Fresh Bamboo Shoots and Asparagus
KC - Kits Chow
Kitsilano, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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A very adult ice-cream soda
provokes passion with or without
the sensuous slip of a purple negligee.

Stain of Passion
Gwen - Intoxicated Zodiac
New York, USA
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Next time you are blissfully scrubbing your back
in the shower, keep in mind that you could be
blissfully enjoying that loofah in your dinner plate.

Silk Squash and Lean Pork in XO Sauce
Rita - Mochachocolata Rita
Hong Kong
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As Australia's autumn ripens the landscape with

darker hues, an artist's kitchen keeps
the summery faith with light tints and flavors.

Leek and Flageolet Soup
Lucy - Nourish Me
Melbourne, Australia
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Strewing orange, red and yellow nasturtiums
romances the already vivid colors in a salad
bowl of basil, tomatoes and grapes.

Nasturtium Salad
Deeba - Passionate About Baking and Beyond
Gurgoan, India
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Liberal, refreshing quantities of mint and the
fascinating chocolate tomato create an irresistible
signature salad from a Seattle restaurant.

Canlis House Signature Salad
Bellini Valli - More Than Burnt Toast
Canada
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Are you a mushroom aficionado? Would you like to
try a new recipe for them? Would you like to
try five new recipes for them!?!

Mushrooms
Tigerfish - Teczape
California, USA
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A homemade lemon syrup is the chameleon base

for a collection of tangy, sparkling and refreshing libations.

Lemon Squash - Lemonada - Brandy Sour
Ivy - Kopiaste
Athens, Greece
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An extravagant expedition to a farmers market
creates luxurious options for dinner or brunch.

Braised Chicken with Morels and Ramps
Ramona - Housetooth Gourmet
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
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The magical gelling properties of the sea
vegetable agar-agar set a vegetarian chocolate
dessert sweetly just right.

Chocolate Soufflé
Srivalli - Cooking 4 All Seasons
India
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Speed, nutrition and flavor are the goals in this
jazzed-up version of a warm-weather classic.

Lunch Pasta Salad
Sara - 1TspLove
Washington, D.C., USA
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If these golden, spicy chickpea fritters don't lure you away
from Chicken McNuggets, I don't know what will.

Garbanzo Fritters
Divya - Dil Se
Los Angeles, California, USA
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Tartar sauce can terrorize the most committed dieter,
but with the clever substitutes of Greek yoghurt
and sugar-free relish, you will never miss the fat nor carbs.

Double Dill South Beach Tartar Sauce
Kalyn Denny, Kalyn's Kitchen
Utah, USA

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You will want to dip your spoon in deeply to scrape out every
last dollop of dreamy coconut layered with tenderly sweet rhubarb.

Coconut Cremes and Poached Rhubarb

Ulrike - Küchenlatein

Northern Germany
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Crackling-hot Indian spices flavorfully color the
vibrant magenta of shredded beetroot in a salad
that can be prepared in minutes.

Beetroot and Carrot Salad
VegeYum - A Life (Time) of Cooking
Australia
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Leery about such a novel pairing of ingredients?
Let the compelling photos lure you
into at least trying one forkful.

Tofu with Sweet and Sour Rhubarb Sauce
Sophie - Mostly Eating
Oxford, UK
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Were you taught never to play with your food as a kid?
This unique and healthy salad expects you to rub it the right way.

Raw Kale and Avocado Salad
Ricki - Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Toronto, Canada
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Dill scatters its feathery branches in a bracing salad
of refreshing cucumber and sharp, chalky feta cheese.

Cucumber and Feta Salad
Kevin - Closet Cooking
Toronto, Canada
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Jalapeno has a heyday in this inspiring spiced Indian
condiment, the perfect dazzler for a variety of lip-smacking savories.

Hot Green Chili Sauce
Lisa - Lisa's Kitchen
Ontario, Canada
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A richly red and creamy parfait dessert will have you
thinking of Valentine's Day, but why limit your
sweet tooth when the year is full of romance?

Raspberry Coulis with Crème Fraîche
Mansi - Fun and Food
California, USA
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Brainstorming zucchini pancakes, muffins and even ice
cream when that truckload of harvest comes in?
Don’t stress. Grilling really is the best.

Grilled Zucchini
Rachel - Cooking and Booking
College Park, Maryland, USA
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Japanese mizuna's delicately sharp leaves and broccoli's cheery
yellow blossoms are the ideal salad bed to capture a
bracing dressing of vinegar, lime and black pepper.

Mizuna and Broccoli Flower Salad
Susan - Food Blogga
California, USA
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The mysterious ramson is the green of choice for

sumptuously savory puff pastries with that Balkan touch.

Chicken and Wild Garlic Squares
Marija - Palachinka
Belgrade, Serbia
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Drenched in dairy richness, tender scallops
embrace dill’s gentle aromatics atop a
mound of fluffy, delicate couscous.

Scallops over Couscous with Dill Sauce
Chris - Mele Cotte
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Curry leaves, those flagrantly fragrant greens

that have nothing whatsoever to do with Anglicized
curry powder, lend powerful health benefits as
well as heady aromas to your kitchen.

Curry Leaf Tomatillo Chutney
Nanditha - Satvika - Food for the Soul
USA
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A particularly complex and aromatic bouquet
garni enriches the stock of a roast served with
pan-fried potatoes and steamed beans.

Roast Beef with Pan-Fried Potatoes and Steamed Green Beans
Anh - Food Lover's Journey
Melbourne, Australia
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With layers of rousing garlic, herbs, capers, fennel
and rocket, it is no wonder that this recipe dishes out
flavors that will keep you entranced by their complexity.

Mediterranean Poached Chicken Salad
Heather - The Culinary Chase
Bangkok, Thailand
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A scattering of vegetables and a perfect indoor
grill pan, these are but finishing touches
on slabs of salmon marinated in the fermented
soy paste known as miso.

Grilled Miso Salmon
Wiffy - NoobCook
Singapore
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Not much of a wine connoisseur?
Don’t let that daunt you. The grape
is as much a flavoring ingredient as it
is an elixir to a delightful green pea spread.

Wine and Green Pea Spread
Virginie - Absolutely Green
Nantes, France

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The liquid yolk of a poached egg melts into
the nooks and crannies of a cluster of sautéed
leeks and thyme for a delicate meal for one.

Thyme
Simona - Briciole

California, USA
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What could easily be mistaken for a Halloween goblin,
the knarly visage of celeriac reveals a mild flesh suited
to puréed soup that tastes creamy even without dairy.

Celeriac and Broccoli Soup
Cheryl - Gluten Free Goodness
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
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Adore scallion pancakes? Would love to make
them at home? It’s all in the twist, or wrist action,
of the dough that produces that perfect flat of savory
that can stand up to a dipping sauce without falling apart.

Scallion Pancakes
Jennifer - Like to Cook
Cessaras, France
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Ampalaya is an acquired taste, but once bitten by the bitter
melon, it is hard let it go. For those whose taste buds thrive
on novelty, it is guaranteed that you will be smitten.

Ampalaya with Beef and Black Beans
Gay - A Scientist in the Kitchen
The Philippines
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Traditional basil pesto is heavenly, but for
cilantro lovers, the novelty of sun-dried tomatoes
and jalapeno ground into their favorite herb is a
snazzy paste that passionately enhances a fish fillet.

Pesto Fish and Green Beans
Natalie - Gluten Free Mommy
USA
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It’s a fact. There really are three peas in a pod: snow peas,
snap peas, and English peas, a dynamo trio for a quick Asian
stir fry that is sure to please everyone’s palate.

Three Pea Stir Fry with Chicken
Sher - What Did You Eat?
Davis, California, USA
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A Latin herb as common as parsley in other cultures,
epazote is a fabulous plant that lends a unique flavor
and aroma to every recipe it touches. Let a veteran cooking
teacher share her recipes with this extraordinary green.

Epazote
Victoria - Flavors of the Sun
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
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Rich with fiber, color and flavor, butternut squash and lima
beans make for a creamy late-night supper for night owls
who also enjoy the pizzazz of garlic and hot chili spice.

Butternut and Lima Bean Soup
Vaishali - Holy Cow! Recipes from a Vegan Kitchen
Silver Springs, Maryland, USA
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Love your BLTs? Well, try dropping the bread in
favor of the robust tang of watercress in a bowl of rich
flavors and textures that can stand alone as a meal in itself.

Watercress, Bacon and Avocado Salad
Pam - Sidewalk Shoes
Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, USA
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Bouncing baby potatoes take on an easy French
appeal when slathered with walnut oil, studded with
aromatic garlic and quickly sautéed in a pan.

New Potatoes with Garlic and Walnut Oil

Neen and Do - Post Collegiate Cooking à Deux

Washington, D.C., USA
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While there are many ins and outs of the medicinal
properties of the powerful herb rosemary, it is the
wise and cosmopolitan guest who welcomes savory
biscuits infused with its aromatic delights.

Rosemary and Cheese Biscuits
Anna - Morsels and Musings
Sydney, Australia
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When computer issues leave you hobbled,
it’s best to retreat to the simplicity of a recipe
that is sure to offer instant gratification.

Sautéed Snowpeas with Browned Shallots

Katie - Thyme for Cooking, The Blog
Vendée, France
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Lots of lime juice, black pepper and sultry cilantro turn
a tropical salsa into a colorful mango a go-go.

Mango Salsa with Grilled Halibut
Jerry - Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants
Ontario, Canada
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Eggplants have pretended they are meat for
millennium. Best to make them happy and broil
them with Worcestershire and steak sauces.

Eggplant Steaks
Alanna - A Veggie Venture
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Pressing fresh, heady cilantro and crunchy walnuts into
homemade paneer ensures you will have more crackers
left than cheese with this calcium-rich, tasty snack.

Dressed-Up Paneer
Arundathi - My Food Blog
India
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Not sure you would like nuts in your hummus?
Let the spectacular photos entice you to a table with
plenty of crackers and bread to assuage your skepticism.

Almond Hummus
Hallo - Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once
Melbourne, Australia
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For anyone who has ever turned a nose up
at the idea of tinned sardines, this sublime
Italian recipe of sweet and savory light flavors that
may just turn that nose and head around.

Pasta Con le Sarde
Joanna - Joanna's Food
Henley-on-Thames, UK
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A crowd of the healthiest, oven-baked vegetables
and fiber-rich couscous make those watching their
waistline feel just a little less deprived.

Couscous Salad
Siri - Siri's Corner
North Carolina, USA
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The creamy comfort of mashed potatoes flecked
with cabbage, nestling baked eggs, would be a
treat for many expecting a hearty breakfast to
keep them energized throughout the day.

Irish Squeak
Georgetta - Weak Weary Mom
The Southwest, USA
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Bay leaves rarely are a strong, singular
player in the typical recipe, but you will need a
whole handful of them for this oven-baked barbeque.

Pork and Bay Leaf Skewers
Sara - Heaven on Earth
New Jersey, USA
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Spring in Alaska means there is still snow on the
ground, but cast your mind to the hot sunny climes
of the Hellenic Peninsula, where sweet, juicy watermelon
is split and served with tangy feta and bitter greens.

Watermelon, Feta and Arugula Salad
Laurie - Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
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A restive weekend for a globe-trotting
professional requires a quick and fuss-free
meal that does not compromise quality nor health.

Vegetable Quesadillas
Jeanne - Cooksister!
UK
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A quick infusion of rosemary in oil is no less
reminiscent of the leisurely strolls through
golden galleries of light filtering in at the Uffizi.

Aioli with Rosemary-Infused Oil
Suganya - Tasty Palettes
USA
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A little allium, a little butter, and a little bread equal
one big hit on the cocktail circuit.

Chives on Toast
Susan - The Well-Seasoned Cook
New York, USA