Curried Chickpeas

I made a delicious dish of curried garbanzos at work last night. I sauteed onions, garlic and ginger with the "garam" (hot) spices, toatoes and chickpeas, and served it on a bed of rice with chutneys and cucumber raita. It was a hit.

Here's to You, Mrs. Jaffrey

I've switched from obsessing on Jacque to obsessing on Madhur Jaffrey. The cabbage rolls stuffed with potato were Divine! I did the tomato, garbanzo flour sauce and served them on a bed of rice with cilantro and chutney. Heaven! Note to self - visit India someday. The subtle spicing, the healthiness cum cheapness, the exoticism, all are so fantastic. I am a cook at an Indian restaurant, and I plan to work my way through her revolutionary cookbook.

What's up, homey?

Why is it so damned hard to get a decent home-fry? This is a question I've been asking myself for years. They're either mushy lumps or as dry as those forgotten sneakers in the garage. I think it's one of the ironies of cooking- the easier, the harder. Like biscuits, which are only 4 ingredients; should be simple, right? Yet any cook will tell you that it takes years to morph that flour, butter, salt and cream into a light, fluffy paddy of goodness. Even before I knew I wanted to be a good cook, I knew I wanted to make a good home-fry. The trick seems to be boiling the potato VERY al dente, then frying it in prodigious amounts of butter and oil. I don't muss it up with herbs or overt seasonings, just salt and pepper. I think the thing that can make or break your potato chunks is the crust. Ahhhh, the crust. Another elusive element of cookery. Let that little puppy frizzle and sear! Saute the crap out of it, but not too far, lest you be left with a dried out moccasin of a breakfast spud.

Bayless Rocks!

Damn! I am falling in love with the simplicity and flavor of real Mexican food a la Rick Bayless. Last night's meal featured delicious chicken enchiladas in a creamy roasted poblano sauce; very simple, yet over the top good! I am excited to delve more deeply into this cuisine. The health kick we are on does not mesh with my love of all things French, so I am happy to have cultural cuisines that do! Next, I want to do the raw seafoods marinated in lime juice. Oh yeah!

entre nous

Between us, I think that cooking is the ultimate alchemy. You take a puny seed, give it water, earth and light, and it becomes a plant. You take the plant, give it water, salt, and fire, and it makes a meal. You take a meal, put it in your mouth, and the world is created. It's a real kind of magic.
I haven't been musical lately. Haven't touched my paint brushes. The carpet I started to hook last year is still unfinished in the garage. But I cook every day. This is the true art. Survival. Not in a feral, scuff through the brush way, but in a moment of luxury amidst the chaos. I do it to keep my family alive, sure, but I must keep them happy, too. It is the greatest art I know, and I continue to grow in it; meal by meal; menu by menu. I have to do it, so I will do it well, and I will do it with a magical mind.

Belly

Our long awaited date night is finally here!~ With 2 little boys in our lives, the US time is tough to snatch. We are psyched to FINALLY get to check out our friends' restaurant, Belly. It is all the rage here in Eugene. What plaisir to be able to sit back, relax, and let someone else do all the work!

Meal Schedule

We created a night by night genre schedule for dinners. Tuesday is Mexican. I love the freedom from thought that this gives me. I don't feel constrained by it, yet, just focused. For tonight, I want to try some of Rick Bayless' recipes. He's so annoying, but an amazing cook.
Right now, I'm baking Martha's banana bread. It's delicious, the main difference from other recipes being the sour cream. What is up with the modern craze for sour cream in everything? I guess it's a great baking acid, and lends that tang, that je ne sais quoi. It healed my pastry crust, which used to be brittle with only butter (I'm not down with lard) and is now more akin to flaky pie flesh.