This weeks Gutsy Cook selection was hard for me.  Especially since I was the one that picked all four choices.  And my pickings were based in how interesting they all sounded and the unusual way they were in using this month ingredient – Rice.

We had Horchata, which you all know I had in my kitchen bucket list for a while now.  Then a Persian recipe called Adas Polo, which appeal to my love of lentils. We had an Indian twist with the Rice Flour pancakes know as Kalappam which is the usual side dish to non-vegetarian curries.  And finally we had a twist to an Indonesian dish from the Peranakan culture – a Pumpkin Rice Laksa Soup.

I wanted to make all four of them.  But faith stepped in and gave us beautiful chilly weather this past weekend here in Florida.  Our temperatures dipped into the 50’s, which called for lots snuggling, lazy TV watching which just comfort food.  So the soup won this hands down.

Let’s start with a little classroom knowledge.

This is the last menu of the year for the Gutsy Cook Club.  So far we have done 29 dishes making up 13 menus.  The Gutsy cooks have been tremendous in their participation.  The diversified menu chosen by the last 3 home chefs have given each of us the opportunity of cooking things we love, tasting new ingredients and techniques, and trying new things, some of which have pushed their comfort zone.  I could not have been more proud to cook along with such a great group.  One, which I know will continue to grow and get gutsier as we work our way thru the Kitchen Bible Cookbook.

When I started this cook-along club, my main goal was to meet other home chefs that were willing to ride along with me and have fun and share our twist and turns of the whisk.  I say we have done well for 2010 and I’m looking forward to the New Year, with such great menus in the horizon I know we will continue to have a blast.