Making Chutney
René brought home a whole watermelon a few days ago, and while carving it up, I got inspired to make a chutney out of the rinds. I always hate to throw them away, because growing up in the South, where watermelons are sweet and plentiful, some of the ladies in the neighborhood used to make pickles out of the rinds. With that as my inspiration, I went online, located a couple of enticing watermelon chutney recipes and tried them both. One of them called for both the flesh and the rind, seasoned with curry powder and sweetened with brown sugar. It turned out remarkably similar to a standard mango chutney, only not quite as sticky. The other recipe wanted the rinds only and was spiced with lots of ginger and hot chilis and sweetened with regular white sugar. The result was a much spicier, syrupy chutney. Of the two, it was definitely my favorite. It was so good that after I filled a jar to the rim with it, René and I ate the leftovers with a spoon.

Having had such satisfying success with my first foray into making my own chutney, I went right out and bought all the ingredients to try my hand at a few more recipes. My neighbor had given me some lovely vine-ripened tomatoes, so I made a red tomato chutney spiced with cumin and coriander that turned out rather like a thick, sweet ketchup. From the other fruits I made peach chutney spiced with garam masala, apple-raisin chutney spiced with curry powder, and pineapple chutney spiced with a pinch of garam masala and lots of fresh ginger root.

As always, I improvised the recipes, and seasoned them so that each has its own unique flavor. I didn't want them to taste too similar to each other. I was going for variety, and with all the ripe flavors of the fresh fruits and the different spices in each one, I think I have quite a lovely array of condiments to serve with my Curried Lamb Stew and Chicken Vindaloo.

So, after my abounding success in making six different kinds of chutney, you can bet your ghee and garam masala that I will never again pay seven bucks at the grocery store for a five ounce jar of Major Grey's.
02:56 AM PDT Permalink |

Taking Photos of My Monsoon Wedding Dinner
We're still learning how to use the new digital camera, so a couple of the photos of last month's Korean dinner came out a little blurry. But most of them were quite lovely and highly detailed. I think the key is in making sure the tripod is good and steady, and keeping the camera absolutely still during the digital image capturing process. But when hot dishes start flying off the stove in my kitchen, things can get a little hectic. And even though my son Will is my food photographer, he's also my head waiter, so he gets a little flustered at serving time too. But I think this dinner will be much more relaxed than previous ones, as many of the dishes can be kept warm on the stove until serving time without overcooking, and most of them can be made ahead the night before and reheated without loss of quality.
12:04 AM PDT Permalink |

Let's All Raise a Glass...
...to the passing of Julia Child. She will be missed and long remembered. Bon Appetit to all the lucky souls at her table in heaven.
03:37 PM PDT Permalink |

Deciding What to Wear
I've always loved the look of the Indian sari, but alas do not own one. So, for my Monsoon Wedding Dinner & a Movie, I might even splurge and treat myself to a long-coveted addition to my wardrobe. But if that doesn't happen, I have lots of colorful skirts, sarongs and silk tops in my closet. For the fellas, maybe even a couple of embroidered gauze shirts over jeans if the weather is not too hot. Of course, I always like to be cool and comfortable while I'm cooking, so an apron over shorts and a halter is my usual kitchen attire.
12:48 AM PDT Permalink |

Special Cookware
For my Monsoon Wedding curry dinner, the only special cookware I anticipate needing is a mortar and pestle to grind the curry spices. That's an item I've been wanting to add to my repertoire for quite awhile, and now's the perfect time to go shopping for one. There's a fantastic kitchen emporium at the Napa Factory Outlets that's sure to have a nice selection at modest prices. That place is so amazing...I have a hard time going in there without buying one of everything in the store. I've never been one much for spending hours shopping for clothes, shoes and make-up, but I could spend all day in a kitchen store or an ethnic grocery.
01:00 AM PDT Permalink |

Designing a Table Setting
I want to serve this meal family style, with all the courses presented in big bowls for everyone to help themselves. So I'm going to set each place with empty bowls, plates and silverware. I'd like to dress the table with a colorful cloth and try to keep everything bright, festive and exotic. I may have to add a few serving dishes to my collection, as I do not prepare that many family-style dinners. Our local thrift shops are always an excellent source for an eclectic array of tableware at modest prices. You never know what you're going to find from one day to the next, but I always get lucky somehow.
12:03 AM PDT Permalink |

About the Fresh Ingredients
I always like to shop for my fresh ingredients as close to the day of the dinner as possible. And since most of the dinners happen on a Saturday night, Friday evening is the perfect time, while my son is at his TaeKwonDo class. It leaves me with an hour to while away, just the right amount of time for picking up my fresh meats and vegetables. And that way, if there's anything I want to make the night before, I have the rest of the evening to prepare it. And except for the spices, which I shopped for yesterday, the ingredients for my Monsoon Wedding curry dinnner are pretty basic fare, so I won't have to traipse all over town hunting for rare items.
12:03 AM PDT Permalink |

Tracking Down Exotic Ingredients
Locating all my specialty ingredients for my Monsoon Wedding Dinner & a Movie has been exceptionally easy this month. I already have a big jar of mango chutney that I bought online a couple of months ago at an Indian foods website called IShopIndian.com. It was only $5.95 per one kilogram jar, with a little shipping. What a bargain. I ordered 3 jars of it on pure faith, and it's so good we've already polished off one of them, plus half of the second one. But there's still plenty left for my curry dinner. IShopIndian.com carries an amazing selection of Indian ingredients, and free shipping on orders over $50.

When it came to the exotic spices (garam masala, curry powder, cardamom, turmeric, nutmeg, cinnamon, corriander seed, and cumin) I got really lucky. A new Cost Plus World Market just opened up in Napa, and they carry a full selection of ethnic spices at bargain basement prices. Most of them cost less than two dollars each.

The only thing I'm missing is tamarind paste and fresh curry leaves. I've never used curry leaves, or even seen them anywhere except the Food Network channel. The recipes all say that they are optional, but I'd still like to see what they're like. Maybe our gourmet grocery carries them. If not, I guess I'll just have to skip them. The tamarind I'm sure I can find at a local Mexican market.

So, with the exception of my fresh ingredients, which I will shop for the evening before the dinner, I've got everything I need to make an Indian curry feast.
12:34 AM PDT Permalink |

Finding Chutney Recipes
Today I did a Google search for chutney recipes and found a website called SweetBabyMedia.com. It features an extensive list of relishes, salsas and chutneys. Among them, the most interesting were Green Tomato Chutney, Cranberry Jalapeno Chutney, Cherry Chutney, Apple Peach Apricot Chutney, and Watermelon Rind Chutney. And to go with my Monsoon Wedding Curry Dinner, I'm going to try them all! Since they can be safely stored in the refrigerator for days or even weeks, I can make them up several days ahead of time so I won't be stressing out on the day of the dinner. And besides, chutneys and relishes are always better after they've had a little time to marinate.
06:58 PM PDT Permalink |

A List of Ingredients
Specialty Ingredients:

Coconut Milk, Mustard Seeds, Cumin, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Corriander Seeds, Cloves, Garam Masala, Mango Chutney, Curry Leaves, Curry Powder, Turmeric

Fresh Ingredients:

Shrimp, Chicken Breasts, Lamb, Onions, Garlic, Ginger, Green Peppers, Red Peppers, Carrots, Mushrooms, Potatoes, Spinach, Lemons, Limes, Tomatoes, Green Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Leafy Lettuce, Apples, Peaches, Apricots, Cherries, White Raisins, Jalapenos, Lentils, Whole Cranberry Sauce, Yeast

Basics:

Oil, Vinegar, Sugar, Milk, Eggs, Flour, Butter, Salt & Pepper

12:20 AM PDT Permalink |

Deciding on the Dishes for an Indian Dinner

Appetizer: Curry Infused Prawns with Mango Chutney
Soup: Mulligatawny
Salad: Cucumber Tomato Raita
Main Course: Lamb & Vegetable Curry, Chicken Vindaloo, Jasmine Rice, Spiced Lentils, Naan Bread and Assorted Chutneys
Dessert: Mango Sorbet with Fresh Tropical Fruits

12:03 AM PDT Permalink |

Designing the Menu
For my Monsoon Wedding Dinner & a Movie, I have a general idea of the types of dishes I want to serve. A couple of years ago, I came up with my own appetizer: steamed shrimp with a little curry powder added to the cooking water. Once they were done, they were subtly infused with the essence of curry, and I served them with a tiny dollop of mango chutney placed right in the center of the curl. It's so quick and easy that I definitely want to make up a batch of those.

For soup, it has to be Mulligatawny. Ever since I had that delicious bowl of it at Gaylord's in San Francisco's Ghiradelli Square, I've been wanting to try my hand at it. For the salad, something cool and refreshing made with yogurt. And for the main course, at least two entrees, one with lamb, and the other, Chicken Vindaloo, mostly because the I like the name of it and have always wondered what it was.

I also want to bake my own naan bread, and where I really want to get adventurous is with the chutneys. Jamie Oliver, aka The Naked Chef, made a really tasty looking Lemon Pickle on his show one evening to go with a curry dish. I've already looked that one up on the Internet. And there's a tamarind chutney in the Joy of Cooking that looks really good too. We have a large Mexican population in Napa, so the Mexican groceries here in town are sure to have plenty of tamarind pods or paste. I'm going to find one or two more chutney recipes at a website called SweetBabyMedia.com, and I have a huge jar of classic mango chutney that I found at an online grocer called IShopIndian.com. And if we manage to get through dinner without popping at the seams, I will serve a store-bought mango sorbet along with some simple slices of fresh fruit.
02:15 AM PDT Permalink |

Getting Acquainted with the Cuisine
When I think of Indian cuisine, I picture a big pot of curried stew, served over fragrant rice, with naan bread and a generous dollop of Major Grey's Mango Chutney. But in perusing my cookbooks for Indian recipes, I discovered a whole new world of dishes I'd never heard of, especially when it came to the vegetables and chutneys. The recurring ingredients appear to be yogurt, mint, corriander, chili peppers, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, mustard seeds, ginger, onion, coconut milk, a clarified butter called 'ghee', and a spice blend called 'garam masala'. My reasearch has really made me keen to experiment, so I'm looking forward to preparing such an exotic meal.
01:28 PM PDT Permalink |

Looking for Recipes
As always, I got out all my cookbooks in search of recipes for this month's Dinner & a Movie project. This time, the ones that looked most promising for Indian food were The Cooking of India from the Time Life Foods of the World series, The Joy of Cooking, and Madhur Jaffrey's Quick and Easy Indian Cooking. Rene gave me that one for Christmas a couple of years ago, but I have yet to try a recipe from it. The Cooking of India has lots of unusual stuff, and believe it or not, The Joy of Cooking has at least a dozen Indian recipes that look quite tasty and interesting. The Joy of Cooking is usually the place I turn to for classic dishes, but this new edition has lots more creative ethnic recipes than the old one. In my search, I found so many choices in the cookbooks I already have that I felt no need whatsoever to go on the Internet for anything except a chutney recipe or two.
12:04 AM PDT Permalink |

My Experience with Indian Cuisine
I still remember the first time I ever tasted curry. It was at the antebellum home of a flamboyantly gay elderly gentleman in Mobile, Alabama, my hometown. And believe it or not, the choice of meat for his curry dish was goat. I've always been fairly adventuresome when it comes to food, although there are things that I patently refuse to eat, namely the brains, heart, tongue, liver, kidneys, tripe or sexual organs of any animal, anything in the insect family, any endangered species, and anything too slimy or stinky. That still leaves lots of room for some interesting choices, like cactus, snails, raw oysters, squid, venison, squirrel, alligator, and yes, even goat. On the buffet table that day, the goat was cooked to perfection, and the sauce was a lovely shade of cellophane yellow, not too mild, but not too spicy either. I was hooked. However, it would still be several years before I attempted a batch of curry in my own kitchen, and you can bet it wasn't goat.

Since then I've made dozens of pots of curry and eaten in lots of Indian restaurants. My favorite so far is Gaylord's at Ghiradelli Square in San Francisco. They make the most heavenly Mulligatawny Soup I've ever tasted, not to mention the rustic naan bread and every kind of tandoori, vindaloo and curry dish imaginable.

When I lived in Tokyo, we used to experiment with lots of homemade curry recipes using a mortar and pestle to grind the spices. We also ate our fair share of Japanese curry mixes, a popular quick-fix meal. I must admit however, that now, when I make curry at home, I use a store bought curry powder and just add lots of it to a big pot of meat and vegetables. I found one that suits my tastes nicely, the only problem is that I no longer remember where I bought it and I'm about to use up the last of it. So it may be time for me to learn how to blend my own.
12:06 AM PDT Permalink |