Every week, your challenge is to create an eye-opening dish within our capricious themes and parameters. Blog your submission on Open Salon under your real name by Monday 10 a.m. EST -- with photos and your story behind the dish -- and we'll republish the winners on Salon on Tuesday. (It takes only 30 seconds to start a blog.) And yes, mashed potato sculpture counts as a dish. Emphatically.
THIS WEEK'S WINNER!
Linda Shiue, for her story about how racism and a pair of shorts thwarted her attempt to get a cup of refined Singapore tea (and for giving us a recipe that can be consumed by anybody, anywhere, no matter where you live, or what you're wearing). (Recipe for teh halia ginger tea and kaya coconut egg jam included.)
AND HOW ABOUT A HAND FOR OUR CATEGORY WINNERS?
In the Forbidden Drinks category:
Lisa Kuebler for a moving story of her family's struggle with alcoholism, and the one time her 25-year-sober grandmother made her a very special hot toddy. (Recipe for a hot toddy included.)
In the Sweet Revenge category:
Jenna Charlton sticks it to the "scarf brigade" (everybody's least-favorite farmer's market staple) with a recipe for made-from-scratch hot chocolate that, unlike that particular species of urban hippie, doesn't trade taste for principle. (Recipe for simple chocolate-y hot chocolate included.)
In the Candy Bar category:
Lucy Mercer comes up with an unexpected and creative use for all of your leftover Valentine's Day candy -- turning it into hot chocolate. Ever wondered what it would taste like to drink a Three Musketeers? Here's your chance. (Recipe for candy bar hot chocolate included.)
In the Warm Milk category:
Mamie Chen explains why she developped the baffling habit of ordering a cup of warmed-up soy milk at Starbucks -- and how a move to Hong Kong cured her of it. (Recipe for soy milk with ginger syrup included.)
In the Immigrant Memories category:
Krishna Shenoy shares her immigrant mother's recipe, which celebrates India's Kojaagari Purnima harvest festival. (Recipe for saffron almond milk included.)
In the Turkish Delight category:
Füsun Atalay explains the tradition and strong taste of Turkish coffee, and how one cup can help predict your future. (Recipe for turkish coffee included.)
AND NOW, FOR THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE
"We like March - his Shoes are Purple -" With that line, Emily Dickinson greeted the early spring, arriving in new-shoots style. But while she may have been picturing the purple of grape hyacinth flowers, our spring purple is found in the tips of asparagus. Their season doesn't go into full green roar for another few weeks for many of us, but around this time, it's easy to start obsessing slightly about them, readying ourselves for what to do when they start appearing in earnest in local markets.
So, to get ready for that happy, happy time, can you share your finest asparagus recipes and memories? Just make sure to tag your posts: SKC asparagus
Scoring and winning
Scores will be very scientific, given for appealing photos, interesting stories behind your submissions, creativity, execution and hopefulness.
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