Cat Cora, My snobbery and Thai Ginger Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Green Curry Sauce

When I first started watching Iron Chef I didn't like Cat Cora the first few times I saw her. Looking back now I realize I should have blamed it more on the secret ingredient being less than inspired or on the fact that her challenger was just phenomenal. But it seemed like her dishes with lacking, sloppy or they just weren't what I expected to see from an Iron Chef. I remember the first dish I ever saw her plate was a beer battered fish and chips and she tossed it in a plastic basket lined with newspaper. Kind of cute I suppose but really? On IRON CHEF? (I'd like to insert here that I am fully aware that I have nothing on Cat Cora and I do realize that a big "What do I know?" is completely acceptable here.) HOWEVER, my appreciation of Cat Cora has done a complete 180. I recently picked up her book "Cooking from the Hip" and I have loved every single recipe I've tried from it. Her food is fresh and FUN and modern without being full of barely heard of ingredients or awkward to eat arrangements. It all just tastes so good!  Ironically tonight I made another of her recipes but this time it was from a ripped out page of a magazine: Thai Ginger Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Green Curry Sauce.

Where to begin with this amazing recipe? I LOVE the fact that you do a dry rub on salmon....seriously, why hadn't I ever done this before??? And the curry sauce was amazing! Anything with coconut milk gets me excited but this was beyond amazing. The sweet with the spicy, the heat with the cool. I'll say it again: amazing! The only "downside" to this recipe is that it makes WAY too much of the curry sauce. Is that really a "downside"?

You can find this recipe/video along with some other great ones at: http://www.mccormickgourmet.com/Videos/CatCora.aspx

This dish was very bold so I went with a simple rice pilaf and for dessert I made a fresh, light dessert called "Wonton Blossoms" Please check out the blog where I found these: Suzie the Foodie (http://suziethefoodie.blogspot.com/search/label/pastry). It's a very simple and very pretty dessert that can be filled with any type of yogurt and finished with any type of berry to fit your tastes. It was a refreshing way to end the meal.

Enjoy!