The Daring Cooks make edible containers!

This month's challenge was a fun one, and I was only sorry that I could not create more dishes for it. I found out about a month-long business trip just after the challenge was announced, and I only managed 2 dishes in between frantic bouts of packing, tidying, baking, oh, and working too! Our host for the month was the lovely Renata, of Testado, Provado e Aprovado. She is one of the sweetest people on the Daring Kitchen forums and always has nice things to say to everyone. Not to mention the fact that she's incredibly talented and creative and blogs in English and Portuguese. I'm tired just thinking about it.

We were challenged to make savoury edible containers and fillings of our choice. The possibilities are endless, and if you check out the Daring Kitchen page, you'll see a selection of amazing dishes. What you can see above are eggs baked in tomatoes. They are delicious and perfect at any time of the day. As you can see, I like my yolks runny, but what you can't see is that I dropped one of the tomatoes upside-down while trying to maneuver it from baking dish to plate. It's a good thing my clumsiness didn't affect the taste.

The next dish is one that made leftovers seem new and exciting. I had some shrimp cooked in a tomatillo sauce with spinach and fresh cheese left over from a dinner. I cut cylinders of polenta, grilled them and filled them with the shrimp mixture. Wonderful. I haven't got the recipe with me, but it was based on a Rick Bayless one. 

While I didn't go wild with creativity on this challenge, I really enjoyed it and I will be making some more edible containers as soon as I get back home at the end of the month. For now I'll just have to enjoy the best Toronto has to offer, as I am without a kitchen this month. Thanks Renata for a fabulous challenge!

Check out the full challenge PDF and get inspired!

Blog-checking lines: Renata of Testado, Provado & Aprovado! was our Daring Cooks’ April 2011 hostess. Renata challenged us to think “outside the plate” and create our own edible containers! Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 17th to May 16th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!

The Daring Cooks poach to perfection!

I am always nervous when the Daring Cooks' challenge is revealed. What if it something really meaty? That just does not appeal to me. Eggs, on the other hand, are a staple for any meal around here. This was a perfect challenge, as I had already made the challenge recipe of Eggs Benedict, so I could branch out a bit and try other poached egg recipes. In fact, I got a bit carried away and made 4 different dishes, only missing making the fifth because I was out of a key ingredient.
First up, egg hoppers. Hoppers are a Sri Lankan stovetop yeast bread made with coconut milk. Usually an egg is cracked and cooked in the bread, but I poached mine and topped them with a coconut and curry leaf sambol. This was the dish I could not stop eating, and I think I had 8 of these until the sambol finally ran out.

Egg hopper with karapincha sambol

Next, I revisited Japan, and one of my favourite breakfasts. Hot rice, natto, and egg. What is natto, you wonder? Well, it's fermented whole soybeans that are quite slimy. They are often served with a raw egg beaten in, but I used a lightly poached one. Some say that natto is stinky, but I don't think so at all. This makes a filling, savoury breakfast. It was also a great excuse to use the natto bowl and spoon a friend had sent me from Japan.

Rice, natto, poached egg and black sesame seeds

Hmm, where to next? Well, back to Eggs Benedict, the dish that every brunch joint in North America serves. This is what I order almost every time I go out for brunch. I've had them on steak, lobster, crab cakes, biscuits, focaccia, with back bacon, with spinach... I had only made them once before at home, and that was for an Easter brunch of about 15 guests. This time, I made them for myself, for an indulgent breakfast on a day I wasn't working. First, I made crumpets, then topped them with steamed spinach, the eggs, and hollandaise sauce topped with a bit of smoked paprika or ancho chile, I can't remember now. Delicious!

I really wanted to make the oeufs en meurette, or eggs poached in a red wine sauce, but there are lots of mushrooms involved, and I'm not a fan of the fungus. I also thought about doing an eggs in tomato sauce, as that's another staple around here, but I just never got around to it. Instead, I enjoyed my eggs benny...

...and then it came to me. Of course! Eggs poached in maple syrup, that sugar shack specialty. I decided to make some buckwheat crepes and peppercorn crusted, very crispy bacon to accompany the eggs. Now, if you're recoiling at the idea of poaching eggs in syrup, relax! It's not nearly as sweet as you might imagine, especially when served with the unsweetened crepes. Don't forget to dunk your bacon in the syrup too!

 And now, the official blog-checking lines for a great challenge. Thanks Jenn and Jill!

Blog-checking lines: Jenn and Jill have challenged The Daring Cooks to learn to perfect the technique of poaching an egg. They chose Eggs Benedict recipe from Alton Brown, Oeufs en Meurette from Cooking with Wine by Anne Willan, and Homemade Sundried Tomato & Pine Nut Seitan Sausages (poached) courtesy of Trudy of Veggie num num.

Challenge PDF, recipes and recipe links can be found after the jump.