Nigella Recipe Challenge: Corn Chowder (1)

(Bear with this long post – it does go somewhere…)

I have a confession to make – I am a foodie. My day is simply made when I had a nice meal somewhere along the way. I take complete pleasure in eating (although I do still strongly believe in “everything in moderation”) and I never feel guilty about enjoying one of life’s greatest pleasures – food. I am sure you  have realized from my previous posts that I usually blog something about what I ate and how it tasted. I see food as an essential part of travelling and I always feel enriched after a flavoursome meal, whether it is a new culinary delight or an old favourite – my days simply revolve around food.

I do, however, believe that I have inherited my mother and father’s fine taste buds. My mother has exceptional taste in food and she is a master in the kitchen – I still believe she needs to open her own restaurant. She can magically conjure up a new dish or spruce up a bland one, using her creativity and fine taste for wholesome flavours. She truly has a “homey” style of cooking, almost French Provencial inspired – her food has a heart warming rustic feel to it whilst it enlivens your  senses and feeds your need for a good meal. My father always complains when we’re at a restaurant which doesn’t serve proper food because we could’ve just stayed at home and eat my mom’s cooking! My father instilled in me the finer culinary delights in life. He introduced me to fine (and exceptionally good) wine, to different cuisine types and to fine dining. My mother is the yin, while my father is the yan – they compliment each other and so they are partially to blame for my infatuation with great food.

I always feel sad if I had an “ordinary” meal – bland pasta topped with cheddar cheese, any dish smothered with sauce, tasteless sandwiches and bland wine. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t prepare 5-star meals on a daily basis, but I try to make at least one interesting meal a day and so also expanding my knowledge of food and tastes. I also enjoy eating out or just enjoying one of my mom’s meals. I enjoy learning how to make new dishes and how to use different ingredients. I enjoy using my own creativity (just like my mother) to make something extraordinary from something ordinary. And no, I don’t take photos of my food with Instagram to look hip – I take photos with my camera to remember some of the tastes and ingredients so that I can take inspiration from it later on.

But during my quest for new recipes and ideas, I’ve realized that often recipes are too complex, call for too many ingredients (which are often very pricey) and are sometimes too time consuming. My favourite “celebrity” cook, Nigella Lawson, often makes, quick, simple yet delicious and hearty meals and those I’ve already tried out didn't fail to impress. Her recipes then became my inspiration for my new project. I am going to cook and bake as many of her recipes as possible (I am starting with 1 to 2 recipes a week). I shall be documenting the outcome and the taste. I hope you are going to enjoy this journey with me.

So, here is my first experimentation – 

Nigella’s Sweetcorn Chowder

Find the original recipe here:

 http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/sweetcorn-chowder-with-toasted-tortillas-80

Result and Honest verdict:

The Outcome: Nigella's Corn Chowder and Toasted Tortilla

Corn Chowder and Tortillas

The recipe is very easy to make and takes about 15 minutes to prepare and to make. The sweetness of the chowder is balanced lightly by the spring onion and garlic, giving it an extra dimension. Although I am not a big fan of chilli  I did opt for some sweet chilli sauce which I incorporated in the chowder. I do believe the chilli is necessary for that extra kick in the dish, otherwise the sweetness of the corn will be too overpowering. I enjoyed the idea of eating the Tortillas with the chowder, the crispness of the hot-out-of-the-oven savoury snack and the chunky sweetness of the chowder complement each other well.

This is something that does resemble comfort food, although I found it to be very sweet.

I will give it a 7 out of 10 because of its sweetness. I prefer sweetness to be the complement to a savoury dish and not vice versa.

Will I make this again? For a light meal on a cold night? Perhaps. For a dinner party? No.

Have you tried this recipe? And what's your opinion about it? 

Do you prefer sweetness to be the main taste of a dish or do you prefer something savoury?