What I love about a new year is it’s full of promise. It’s a chance to let go of the past — after all, who cares what you did last year — and reinvent yourself. Today.

You can let go of your fears.  You can let go of your failures.  You can start to believe you can cook.  Better than Bon Appetit.

You see where I’m going with this?

‘Cause she does.

Tonight, I tried out an appetizer recipe from Bon Appetit for our Turn the Tub Around viewing party at Hot Mama.

(Despite the photograph, I swear I did not stop halfway through the shoot to eat some butter straight from the bucket.  Not that I’m above that. It’s just our tub was empty. I know. I checked.)

Only I didn’t have sesame seeds, but found Panko bread crumbs in my pantry. Nor did I have pancetta, what I’ve come to think of as fancy, overpriced bacon (not that I’ve ever bought it; is it expensive?).

And so rather than following their Pancetta-and-Seasame-Coated Turnip recipe, I came up with my own:  Panko-and-Bacon-Coated Turnips:

  • 16 slices bacon
  • 2 large turnips
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup panko
  • vegetable oil

Looks yummy, right? Well, it was. But Bon Appetit knows two things I do not:

First, there is a reason you use a deep-fry thermometer. Although, I must say, our fire alarm works just as well, if you hold your hands over your ears. And second, thinly-sliced pancetta sticks to the turnips, unlike my fat slabs of Lorentz bacon, which unraveled.

We ended up with Panko-and-Bacon-Coated Turnip Kabobs. Which were clumsy, but surprisingly tasty.

Next time, I’d still use Panko.  Only I’d invest in pancetta, too.

Directions: Wrap a slab of bacon around each turnip chunk. Then, dip in egg. Coat with Panko. Deep fry in vegetable oil until Panko lightly browns, about one minute. Then bake at 350 for 7 minutes.

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