Carmelized Oranges and Bulgur and Lentil Salad with Tarragon and Walnuts

Carmelized Oranges does not appear on Epicurious, and I'll tell you why. Because somebody thought of it in the middle of the night, wrote it out, thought it sounded good, and stuck it in the cookbook.

That's the only conclusion I can come up with, because this recipe makes no sense whatsoever.

Sauteeing orange slices in butter "until they turn golden brown"? Adding half a cup of orange juice to a quarter cup freshly cooked caramel to make a sauce?

First, when heat is applied to oranges, they fall apart. The only way you're going to get them golden brown is by dipping them in batter and deep frying them.

Second, I wouldn't exactly call orange juice a "sauce", no matter how much caramel flavor you've got in there.

This is not to say it didn't taste good. Dr. S. LOVED it with vanilla ice cream, and I poured some of that orange juice in my ginger tea and thought it tasted mighty fine.

But come on, Editors of Gourmet Cookbook!! Didn't anybody screen these recipes?

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What do you cook for your family after a week of feasting and merrymaking? Bulgur and Lentil Salad with Tarragon and Walnuts, of course!

This is not to say I wasn't a little apprehensive about this recipe. In spite (or perhaps because) of my twelve years as a vegetarian, I'm a little spooky when it comes to recipes that call for things like bulgur.

I was worried for nothing. This recipe is a winner and our Sea Meadow vegetarians will be enjoying too it at some point--maybe at Christmas, maybe next summer. What makes it great is the vinegar and the walnuts--they add a layer of refinement that takes it beyond those slodgy, chewy, whole grain salads of yesteryear.

I must confess I didn't make it exactly as printed, since tarragon for some reason was nowhere to be found the day after Thanksgiving. I used sage, sliced it into ribbons and mixed it in with the bulgur while it was cooking to get the raw off.

I still gained a pound and a half this week, so watch this space for more recipes that will have a hopefully slimming effect.