Hors D'Oeuvres Smorgasbord...and a Stomach Ache

That's a lot of foreign words.

A zany burst of energy yesterday evening led me to create five different snacks in less than two hours. One of these items seriously bothered my stomach, and I found myself embarrassed to answer the question, "Well, what did you have for dinner?" since there was neither rhyme nor reason to my kitchen madness.

I made baked sweet potato chips based upon a meal the day before at the Blue Mermaid in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. They were good, but lack of frying made them lack crispiness, too. I'll try again.

We had 90% of the ingredients from our farm share to make gazpacho, so I filled in the blanks with a trip to the grocery store and made Ina Garten's recipe, which we loved.

Friday's Boston Now had a recipe for soy honey-roasted walnuts that looked very good (and good for you) and I felt compelled to try it. Although we both gave it the thumbs-up, I have a gut feeling (pardon the pun) that this snack is what caused my stomach pain:

Seasoned Walnuts
Preheat oven to 300˚F. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Toast 2.5 C shelled walnuts on cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, where they are just beginning to toast. While walnuts are toasting, whisk together:

1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Toss walnuts in this mixture. Add cracked black pepper to taste. Return pan to oven and allow to bake for another 10-13 minutes, until walnuts are crunchy and dry.


Finally, I made the recipe that Rachael Ray seems most obsessed with: Elsa's Jumbo Shrimp with Sage and Pancetta...only I just realized I used prosciutto, which I also wrapped around some sliced honeydew. We will make this again. With prosciutto!