Spicy
I can see now why Penzey Spices can be so dangerous. In anticipation of the colder months I'm toying with the idea of experimenting in a warmer climate's cuisine. The current choices are Thailand and India. There's something about Indian cooking that's particularly welcoming. The complex aromas are warming, spicy and sweet. The slow cooking methods and stew-like creations are incredibly comforting...home cooking at its best. And despite an unfortunate anise pod encounter at Honolulu's supposedly top Indian restaurant, Ross has come full circle to embrace this region's culinary personality.
Of course I picked up a basic Indian cook book as a started. Though in retrospect I could knock on any number of my neighbors' doors and properly collected a volume of favorite family recipes. But being the introverted nerd that I am, I'll seek the creative seed in the secluded pages first.
The first task was to familiarize myself with a few recipes...to gain the breadth of ingredients I may come to encounter...and hopefully distill which ones I should stock in my pantry.
That list is exploding with spices and seasonings. And at the base of each...a warm spice blend. Garam Marsala. This spice combination is largely a Northern Indian concoction, though it is referenced throughout countless recipes. I have no doubt were I to delve deeper into the regional flavors of the country I'd run innumerable variations of the blend. And each family would adjust to their person taste as well. With this in mind, I wanted to concoct the blend from scratch myself...instead of buying the pre-mix available at Penzey and a few of the ethnic grocers.
Green and black cardamom pods, whole cloves, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, bay leaf, nutmeg...
only three of which my pantry possessed. Which is where Penzey came in.
Oh what a dangerous store. In addition to my Indian checklist, we realized we had no parsley (but really, with so many other complex and interesting herbs out there, do we really need parsley? Yes, yes we do). Or turmeric. Or paprika. Or dried chives and scallions...but those truly are better fresh...
And such a sea of seasoning blends! BBQ and Old Bay. Fox Point. Herb de Provenace. Venison sausage seasoning. Bouquet Garni. Seasonings for salads, soups, roasts, dressings, pastas. All in all it was a little overwhelming.
And of course the tiny vials of saffron and vanilla screamed to be taken home as well. Such decedent, carefully cultivated plant bits. Maybe some other day. It was shock enough to drop over $30 all our new stash of flavor. Adding just one of those two would nearly double that tab.
Today or tomorrow I'll dry roast my first stab at the Garam Masala. And use it in a simple chicken curry...perhaps murgh tariwala or murgh tikka masala. Paired with basmati rice and nan.
Oh food...
Soul warming and comforting food...
Of course I picked up a basic Indian cook book as a started. Though in retrospect I could knock on any number of my neighbors' doors and properly collected a volume of favorite family recipes. But being the introverted nerd that I am, I'll seek the creative seed in the secluded pages first.
The first task was to familiarize myself with a few recipes...to gain the breadth of ingredients I may come to encounter...and hopefully distill which ones I should stock in my pantry.
That list is exploding with spices and seasonings. And at the base of each...a warm spice blend. Garam Marsala. This spice combination is largely a Northern Indian concoction, though it is referenced throughout countless recipes. I have no doubt were I to delve deeper into the regional flavors of the country I'd run innumerable variations of the blend. And each family would adjust to their person taste as well. With this in mind, I wanted to concoct the blend from scratch myself...instead of buying the pre-mix available at Penzey and a few of the ethnic grocers.
Green and black cardamom pods, whole cloves, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, bay leaf, nutmeg...
only three of which my pantry possessed. Which is where Penzey came in.
Oh what a dangerous store. In addition to my Indian checklist, we realized we had no parsley (but really, with so many other complex and interesting herbs out there, do we really need parsley? Yes, yes we do). Or turmeric. Or paprika. Or dried chives and scallions...but those truly are better fresh...
And such a sea of seasoning blends! BBQ and Old Bay. Fox Point. Herb de Provenace. Venison sausage seasoning. Bouquet Garni. Seasonings for salads, soups, roasts, dressings, pastas. All in all it was a little overwhelming.
And of course the tiny vials of saffron and vanilla screamed to be taken home as well. Such decedent, carefully cultivated plant bits. Maybe some other day. It was shock enough to drop over $30 all our new stash of flavor. Adding just one of those two would nearly double that tab.
Today or tomorrow I'll dry roast my first stab at the Garam Masala. And use it in a simple chicken curry...perhaps murgh tariwala or murgh tikka masala. Paired with basmati rice and nan.
Oh food...
Soul warming and comforting food...
Labels: food
posted by Unknown at
11:20 AM
1 Comments:
Stop it, you're making me hungry.
I bought a vanilla bean at World Market for $3.50, and have carefully decanted it into a small stoppered bottle with vodka (much like Admiral Nelson)--voila, vanilla extract. And Todd assures me that I can keep replenishing the vodka and the bean will last for years. Decades even. So it might be worth the investment...otherwise, in the eighteenth century rosewater was the flavouring of choice, since vanilla beans were so expensive. Were and are, I guess.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home