Multiculturiosity

I wanted to try a new squid recipe. This is apparently my new favourite thing, trying new squid recipes. So my mom sent me one from the Thai cookbook I got her for Christmas, Wandee Young's "Simply Thai Cooking". I didn't feel like emailing back to get Wandee's red curry paste … [Read more...] about Red Curry Paste

Compared to my last loaf of gluten-free bread, this one looks a little nicer, but it didn't have that banana bread crust on top, you know, the cracked roof, that's a sign that it's perfect. This one was a bit denser since it didn't rise quite as much, I was still pretty happy … [Read more...] about Gluten-Free Bread, Take 2

Do you know those games where there's a picture and then next to it there are a bunch of other pictures that look exactly the same except they have something missing, and the point is to figure out what's missing? That's what I felt like this morning when I walked outside of my … [Read more...] about A Eulogy for Potted Plants

I hate this name. It's not mine. Curry is a horrible name. It seems so degrading to me. Anything remotely spicy and Southeast Asian is considered curry. You show me the curry leaves in the recipe before I'll let you away with calling something a curry, and even then I have a … [Read more...] about Thai Calamari Curry

I realize the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, which is kind of how I feel about my repeated efforts to make baigan bhartha. I feel somewhat justified in the fact that I keep trying different recipes, but does … [Read more...] about My Favourite Vegetarian Indian Dish: Baigan Bhartha (Eggplant)

Just like garam masala, chaat masala is just a simple blend of spices ("masala" = spice blend, but "chaat" masala is intended specifically for use in "chaat" dishes). These snack bowls are sold at roadside stalls in India, and usually consist of deep-fried bread, dried yellow … [Read more...] about Chaat Masala

Apparently Garam Masala just means "hot and spicy". Like "curry", it's just a blend of different spices, roasted and then ground. The base of it is usually cinnamon, coriander and cloves but other spices drift in and out of recipes. So every Indian cook has their own blend, or … [Read more...] about Garam Masala Recipe

Spice is what you need when it's hot. The heat makes your body work to cool itself down. It's like turning your interior freezer to 'ON'. Indian food is the perfect balance of heat and less heat. Cool yogurt, fresh cucumbers, cooked beans and spices. Every spice for a different … [Read more...] about Masala Puri

Can you see the red chili pieces? My blender got a good work-out on all these masalas and chutneys. The green would have been a better colour if my cilantro and mint had been fresh and not frozen, but how often do I really use a whole bunch of mint? There are only so many juleps … [Read more...] about Mint Chutney

I wanted to use my pomegranate seeds. I've had an air-tight box of pomegranate seeds sitting in my cupboard for a few months now, waiting to be made into a delicious Indian meal, along with my mango powder. Unfortunately, Madhur Jaffrey doesn't have a single recipe in her "Indian … [Read more...] about So Many Spices…