Years ago, a Sri Lankan friend of mine had a baby and her mother came to stay for several months after the birth. She made a delightful mushroom curry that has become a staple in my rotation of meals. My fondest memory of this dish was making it for my bar buddies in grad school - it's a great dish to make at 3am because it cooks quickly and is very satisfying.
I recommend using baby bella mushrooms. Also, this dish is VERY spicy if Indian grade curry powder is used. X is South Indian and even he breaks a sweat if I make it according to recipe - I make it with 1/2 tsp chili. Try it the first time without the chili, then take it from there the next time.
Sri Lankan Mushroom Curry
1/2 cup onions
2 cloves of garlic, 2 slices of ginger
1/2 lb mushroom caps, chopped in quarters
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
2 whole cardamom pods, crushed
1 inch cinnamon stick
1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 tbs oil
salt
1 cup water
-fry onion in oil until edges begin to brown
-add garlic, ginger and stir fry for a minute or so
-add the rest of the ingredients and stir fry for a minute or so
-add water and bring to a boil, let cook for 10 minutes, then reduce and let gravy thicken
August 31, 2007
August 29, 2007
What happens if every team in the NFL goes 8-8?
Ah, football season is upon us. It is only pre-season, but hello! For hardcore football fans, that COUNTS. Thank god for a household with two televisions.
Actually, I don't mind. For some reason, I associate cozy family situations with football on a snowy Sunday afternoon - perhaps, because my own family NEVER watched football? As a singleton, I dreamed of marrying a football fan and spending Sundays reading a book while my husband and kids cheered teams on. And now, I get to do that. Every fall and winter. For the rest of my life.
Be careful of what you wish for, Grasshopper.
_______________________________
The other night, I was half dressed and I heard X call for me. It was a Come Here NOW call. The kind of call that propels you to scurry down the stairs half-naked even through your blinds are not drawn. The kind of call that fills your heart with a teeny bit of terror as you imagine some serious injury or fire. Nope. It was not to be that particular night. It was a MOUSE. Our kitty Pearson had dragged in the sweetest, furriest little thing that wasn't even as big as my thumb. X held Pearson while I scooped up that cute little mouse and deposited him outside. Oh, I wish Arun would have been up - that would have been the highlight of his evening. And yes, that is the sort of house we live in where I am the one to rid it of varmints and the like.
I keep telling you all the tools in the garage are mine, but you will not believe me. Hopefully, my girl will be a knitter but also will be able to operate power tools. And hopefully, also my boy, so all will not be lost. Gender bend that.
I have been resisting a full-on rant for a long, LONG time about this and even now, I'll try to resist because I do not have anything profound to add to this classic argument. I am really weary of the "boys are stinkers, girls are angels" bullshit being bandied about. Friends. Family. Random strangers. Not all boys are mud grubbing, tree climbing little terrors. We get pissed at the stereotyping of our girls and yank Barbies out of their hands, but we do not mind placing labels on our boys. Is Arun a stinker sometimes? Of course. I suspect that Anjali will be, also.
While I am at it, I might as well add this - do not call my son a "naughty boy" or a "bad boy" and then refer to his sister as a "good baby" or a "good girl". His actions may be naughty, but he isn't naughty. I think this may be a generational thing - it seems the older folks are the ones to place an adjective to the person, rather than to the action. And no, this is not New Age hocus pocus. I firmly believe if you consistently call someone Naughty or Bad, they will begin to believe it.
_______________________________
More Simian Snaps - Two For the Price of One!
Pink is my signature color
One of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies.
Nice
REAL NICE.
X is totally and completely responsible for this new trick. Grrr...
Smirk
The hair is REALLY curly the day I wash it, then gets flat the next. Channeling Don Ameche be damned. Me LOVES her hair. Squee!!
Freeze!
And he does it on command. SCORE.
He looks like a streaker.
Except in diapers.
Actually, I don't mind. For some reason, I associate cozy family situations with football on a snowy Sunday afternoon - perhaps, because my own family NEVER watched football? As a singleton, I dreamed of marrying a football fan and spending Sundays reading a book while my husband and kids cheered teams on. And now, I get to do that. Every fall and winter. For the rest of my life.
Be careful of what you wish for, Grasshopper.
_______________________________
The other night, I was half dressed and I heard X call for me. It was a Come Here NOW call. The kind of call that propels you to scurry down the stairs half-naked even through your blinds are not drawn. The kind of call that fills your heart with a teeny bit of terror as you imagine some serious injury or fire. Nope. It was not to be that particular night. It was a MOUSE. Our kitty Pearson had dragged in the sweetest, furriest little thing that wasn't even as big as my thumb. X held Pearson while I scooped up that cute little mouse and deposited him outside. Oh, I wish Arun would have been up - that would have been the highlight of his evening. And yes, that is the sort of house we live in where I am the one to rid it of varmints and the like.
I keep telling you all the tools in the garage are mine, but you will not believe me. Hopefully, my girl will be a knitter but also will be able to operate power tools. And hopefully, also my boy, so all will not be lost. Gender bend that.
I have been resisting a full-on rant for a long, LONG time about this and even now, I'll try to resist because I do not have anything profound to add to this classic argument. I am really weary of the "boys are stinkers, girls are angels" bullshit being bandied about. Friends. Family. Random strangers. Not all boys are mud grubbing, tree climbing little terrors. We get pissed at the stereotyping of our girls and yank Barbies out of their hands, but we do not mind placing labels on our boys. Is Arun a stinker sometimes? Of course. I suspect that Anjali will be, also.
While I am at it, I might as well add this - do not call my son a "naughty boy" or a "bad boy" and then refer to his sister as a "good baby" or a "good girl". His actions may be naughty, but he isn't naughty. I think this may be a generational thing - it seems the older folks are the ones to place an adjective to the person, rather than to the action. And no, this is not New Age hocus pocus. I firmly believe if you consistently call someone Naughty or Bad, they will begin to believe it.
_______________________________
More Simian Snaps - Two For the Price of One!
Pink is my signature color
Nice
REAL NICE.
Smirk
Freeze!
He looks like a streaker.
What's cookin', good lookin'?
We had friends over for dinner on Monday. They are Indian, which always leaves me in a quandary - do I cook what I normally cook? Since I normally cook Indian, that is pretty boring for an Actual Indian. Sometimes, I will do some Kerala specialties, if the guests aren't actually from Kerala. However, X and I are mighty, mighty tired of my Indian cooking in these days of Budgetary Restraint (Read: I am cooking all the damned time now) and we wanted to do something special. So, ziti it would have to be. I do not know many Western dishes and Average Jane's Baked Ziti saves my ass every single time. With the ziti, I served Caprese salad and crème brûlée. An Australian pinot noir completed the meal.
The lovely thing about the ziti is that it can be tailored for dietary restrictions or heat preference which is why I love serving it to Indian guests. I throw in extra red pepper to make it spicy and add turkey sausage if the guests are not vegetarian. Our guests this time around do not eat meat, so I loaded up on more of the veggies instead.
Here are the recipes for the rest of the meal:
Faux Caprese Salad
I fell in LOVE with Caprese salad on my visit to Rome. Back home, I threw this together one day and we have been hooked ever since - it is one of our summertime staples. As you can see, it will not be getting me any cooking awards because it is just a simple Caprese salad that is not authentic in the least. However, it is yummy and that is what counts here. Everything is pretty much "to taste". In the mood for more tomatoes - then throw more in! Want to go more authentic by slicing the mozzarella and tomatoes instead? Go for it!
Ingredients:
8 oz fresh chopped mozzarella cheese, 1 inch cubes
1-2 cups chopped tomato
3-6 tbs balsamic vinaigrette
handful of chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Mix ingredients well, making sure not to smash or crumble the mozzarella. Do not make this more than 30 minutes before eating - once it sits for too long, everything gets soggy.
_________________________________
Crème brûlée
Hands down, crème brûlée is one of those desserts where you get a lot of bang for your buck. For whatever reason, folks are always impressed although it is actually quite easy to make. Personally, I think it is the kitchen torch which adds the element of fire - caramelizing the sugar coating in front of your guests is always a crowd pleaser. I use 200 ml size ramekins - you can go with a smaller size, you will just need more of them. This dessert can be made the morning of your gathering and kept covered in wrap in the refrigerator. Often, I will double the recipe so that we can have a more the next day as well. I highly recommend having crème brûlée with coffee for breakfast.
A few notes about this recipe. I throw in an extra yolk - I like the consistency better. Also, they recommend using a mixer when you temper the eggs which I do NOT recommend. I have had mixed results with this because the mixer tends to add air - I have had the best luck tempering by hand. I mix the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract by hand then add cupfuls of the scalded cream little by little until the eggs are heated enough to where they won't curdle. They are correct when they say the middles will still be "nervous". I pull them out when the middles are a little bubbly and jiggly. No worries - they will finish setting in the fridge. Dealing with pans of hot water is precarious work - I prefer to pull the ramekins out by hand with kitchen tongs, then push the pans of water back into the oven to deal with when they have cooled a bit (another advantage of making this earlier in the day when you will not need your oven while they cool). Then I set them on the counter for a little while before transferring to the refrigerator. Again, this is one of those desserts that is well worth working on until you get it right - I have never had anyone complain that I served them this instead of ice cream.
This recipe is from the Parker House Inn of Quechee, VT
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
6 Tbs white granulated sugar
5 large egg yolks
1 Tbs pure vanilla extract
granulated sugar
Scald cream in heavy-duty saucepan. Beat yolks, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until pale and thick. Slowly pour hot cream into egg mixture while beating at the lowest speed. Ladle into 4 custard cups and place in roasting pan. Pour very hot water into pan, to two-thirds up the sides of cups. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-45 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE- the middles can still be "nervous".
The lovely thing about the ziti is that it can be tailored for dietary restrictions or heat preference which is why I love serving it to Indian guests. I throw in extra red pepper to make it spicy and add turkey sausage if the guests are not vegetarian. Our guests this time around do not eat meat, so I loaded up on more of the veggies instead.
Here are the recipes for the rest of the meal:
Faux Caprese Salad
I fell in LOVE with Caprese salad on my visit to Rome. Back home, I threw this together one day and we have been hooked ever since - it is one of our summertime staples. As you can see, it will not be getting me any cooking awards because it is just a simple Caprese salad that is not authentic in the least. However, it is yummy and that is what counts here. Everything is pretty much "to taste". In the mood for more tomatoes - then throw more in! Want to go more authentic by slicing the mozzarella and tomatoes instead? Go for it!
Ingredients:
8 oz fresh chopped mozzarella cheese, 1 inch cubes
1-2 cups chopped tomato
3-6 tbs balsamic vinaigrette
handful of chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Mix ingredients well, making sure not to smash or crumble the mozzarella. Do not make this more than 30 minutes before eating - once it sits for too long, everything gets soggy.
_________________________________
Crème brûlée
Hands down, crème brûlée is one of those desserts where you get a lot of bang for your buck. For whatever reason, folks are always impressed although it is actually quite easy to make. Personally, I think it is the kitchen torch which adds the element of fire - caramelizing the sugar coating in front of your guests is always a crowd pleaser. I use 200 ml size ramekins - you can go with a smaller size, you will just need more of them. This dessert can be made the morning of your gathering and kept covered in wrap in the refrigerator. Often, I will double the recipe so that we can have a more the next day as well. I highly recommend having crème brûlée with coffee for breakfast.
A few notes about this recipe. I throw in an extra yolk - I like the consistency better. Also, they recommend using a mixer when you temper the eggs which I do NOT recommend. I have had mixed results with this because the mixer tends to add air - I have had the best luck tempering by hand. I mix the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract by hand then add cupfuls of the scalded cream little by little until the eggs are heated enough to where they won't curdle. They are correct when they say the middles will still be "nervous". I pull them out when the middles are a little bubbly and jiggly. No worries - they will finish setting in the fridge. Dealing with pans of hot water is precarious work - I prefer to pull the ramekins out by hand with kitchen tongs, then push the pans of water back into the oven to deal with when they have cooled a bit (another advantage of making this earlier in the day when you will not need your oven while they cool). Then I set them on the counter for a little while before transferring to the refrigerator. Again, this is one of those desserts that is well worth working on until you get it right - I have never had anyone complain that I served them this instead of ice cream.
This recipe is from the Parker House Inn of Quechee, VT
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
6 Tbs white granulated sugar
5 large egg yolks
1 Tbs pure vanilla extract
granulated sugar
Scald cream in heavy-duty saucepan. Beat yolks, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until pale and thick. Slowly pour hot cream into egg mixture while beating at the lowest speed. Ladle into 4 custard cups and place in roasting pan. Pour very hot water into pan, to two-thirds up the sides of cups. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-45 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE- the middles can still be "nervous".
August 28, 2007
Which came first? The chicken or the egg?
Well, I'm back to my normal self - "crabby, sarcastic". Which is infinitely better than "weepy, hormonal". I hope I've left the post-partum blues behind for good, because dude, that SUCKED.
The kids are just adorable these days. Anjali is very vocal and smiley - just as vocal as Arun was, but MUCH more smiley than he was at this age. Arun's still not rockin' an expansive vocabulary, but he is starting to do a few word combinations - to an entertaining effect. When X goes to bathroom, Arun stands outside the door yelling "Da PEE, Daddy! Da PEE, Daddy!" X is slightly repressed when it comes to bodily functions. Let's just say that my sense of hilarity is more refined when it comes to the toilet humor. ahem.
I have a ton of photos I need to upload to Flickr. I've read that it is best to send most photos to your account, as opposed to putting them directly on your blog. This helps decrease download times. I am curious as to whether anyone gives a hoot where I put photos? It's actually easier for me to send most of them to Flickr, then put a few out here. It cracks me up whenever someone gets all snooty about folks posting pics of their kids and whatnot. Why read someone's blog if you don't care about those things that are important to them? I love to see pics of cute kids, cute pets and even cute orchids from my favorite bloggers.
I've decided that in lieu of trying to carve entertaining tales out of the boring minutiae of my humdrum extistence, I'm going to start turning to shit sitting on my shelves. It's my lame attempt at saying "I AM interesting, dammit!" First up: books. I have quite an array of quirky books that I've picked up over the years and I am going to share those. They'll be under the category "commonly unique".
What follows is a series by Sloane Tanen. It's a weird set of photos with chicks in all sorts of odd and everyday situations - everything is in miniature. For example, one photo shows two chickens hanging out in a park with a basket of eggs - the captions reads" Caroline's eggs hadn't even hatched and already Victor's eyes were wandering". One of the things I get a special joy out of is the fact that some of the furniture is the very same I had in my first doll house. This book would also appeal to those who love miniatures - the odd humor is just the icing.
Bitter with Baggage Seeks Same: The Life and Times of Some Chicks
Going for the Bronze: Still Bitter, More Baggage
In finding the photos on Amazon, I discovered a new one has just been released! MUST HAVE IT.
Hatched: The Big Push from Pregnancy to Motherhood
The kids are just adorable these days. Anjali is very vocal and smiley - just as vocal as Arun was, but MUCH more smiley than he was at this age. Arun's still not rockin' an expansive vocabulary, but he is starting to do a few word combinations - to an entertaining effect. When X goes to bathroom, Arun stands outside the door yelling "Da PEE, Daddy! Da PEE, Daddy!" X is slightly repressed when it comes to bodily functions. Let's just say that my sense of hilarity is more refined when it comes to the toilet humor. ahem.
I have a ton of photos I need to upload to Flickr. I've read that it is best to send most photos to your account, as opposed to putting them directly on your blog. This helps decrease download times. I am curious as to whether anyone gives a hoot where I put photos? It's actually easier for me to send most of them to Flickr, then put a few out here. It cracks me up whenever someone gets all snooty about folks posting pics of their kids and whatnot. Why read someone's blog if you don't care about those things that are important to them? I love to see pics of cute kids, cute pets and even cute orchids from my favorite bloggers.
I've decided that in lieu of trying to carve entertaining tales out of the boring minutiae of my humdrum extistence, I'm going to start turning to shit sitting on my shelves. It's my lame attempt at saying "I AM interesting, dammit!" First up: books. I have quite an array of quirky books that I've picked up over the years and I am going to share those. They'll be under the category "commonly unique".
What follows is a series by Sloane Tanen. It's a weird set of photos with chicks in all sorts of odd and everyday situations - everything is in miniature. For example, one photo shows two chickens hanging out in a park with a basket of eggs - the captions reads" Caroline's eggs hadn't even hatched and already Victor's eyes were wandering". One of the things I get a special joy out of is the fact that some of the furniture is the very same I had in my first doll house. This book would also appeal to those who love miniatures - the odd humor is just the icing.
Bitter with Baggage Seeks Same: The Life and Times of Some Chicks
Going for the Bronze: Still Bitter, More Baggage
In finding the photos on Amazon, I discovered a new one has just been released! MUST HAVE IT.
Hatched: The Big Push from Pregnancy to Motherhood
August 25, 2007
Mama Knows Breast: A Book Review
Correction: Oops! There IS an index. My bad!
On Thursday, I received a copy of Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding by Andi Silverman. By Friday evening, I had finished it after just two sittings.
In short, this is a quick, easy, interesting read that will make an excellent gift for a mother - new or experienced. The author has an engaging tone and a moderate, non-judgmental voice that should make any mother feel at ease, even if she ends up supplementing or not breastfeeding at all. I would feel totally comfortable giving this as a gift, without feeling pushy towards the mother.
The book is divided into 8 chapters that cover the topics of pros/cons, basic breastfeeding instructions, pumping/supply maintenance information, breastfeeding etiquette, spousal support, sex, public nursing, and finally, weaning. This little gem is small, compact and easily held in one hand. Despite its small size, it still can get you through the entire process of breastfeeding - from the first latch to the last.
There were a few things I found lacking. This book can't be used as an "end all, be all" reference - it covers the highlights, but it doesn't have an index (I am a total Index Whore - I love me a good index). To make up for the lack of an index, it does provide an ample list of extra online resources, though. I also was disappointed in the paragraph regarding co-sleeping - it was a few sentences, mostly which served to highlight the dangers, rather than the benefits. Considering that co-sleeping can go a long way in supporting a breastfeeding mother, I'd like to see more about this in a future edition.
However, overall, I just loved this book and declare it to be an Inhaler * . The illustrations are quirky and the text is light and humorous. I enjoyed that because breastfeeding can be very stressful, scary and downright painful to a new mother. Per my quick Amazon searches, there simply aren't any fun, positive books regarding breastfeeding. Who wants to read a textbook if they don't have to? I'd rather have a friend holding my hand - and this book does just that by walking you through it in a reassuring and comforting manner.
Again, I think this would be a great, unique gift for a mother planning to breastfeed, which is why I posted it here over at Rancid Raves as well as the New BoobLog.
*in-hal-er
noun
1. A book so compelling or suspenseful that it must be consumed immediately in only a few sittings.
2. A book so easy and enjoyable to read that it can quickly be consumed in only a few sittings.
On Thursday, I received a copy of Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding by Andi Silverman. By Friday evening, I had finished it after just two sittings.
In short, this is a quick, easy, interesting read that will make an excellent gift for a mother - new or experienced. The author has an engaging tone and a moderate, non-judgmental voice that should make any mother feel at ease, even if she ends up supplementing or not breastfeeding at all. I would feel totally comfortable giving this as a gift, without feeling pushy towards the mother.
The book is divided into 8 chapters that cover the topics of pros/cons, basic breastfeeding instructions, pumping/supply maintenance information, breastfeeding etiquette, spousal support, sex, public nursing, and finally, weaning. This little gem is small, compact and easily held in one hand. Despite its small size, it still can get you through the entire process of breastfeeding - from the first latch to the last.
There were a few things I found lacking. This book can't be used as an "end all, be all" reference - it covers the highlights, but it doesn't have an index (I am a total Index Whore - I love me a good index). To make up for the lack of an index, it does provide an ample list of extra online resources, though. I also was disappointed in the paragraph regarding co-sleeping - it was a few sentences, mostly which served to highlight the dangers, rather than the benefits. Considering that co-sleeping can go a long way in supporting a breastfeeding mother, I'd like to see more about this in a future edition.
However, overall, I just loved this book and declare it to be an Inhaler * . The illustrations are quirky and the text is light and humorous. I enjoyed that because breastfeeding can be very stressful, scary and downright painful to a new mother. Per my quick Amazon searches, there simply aren't any fun, positive books regarding breastfeeding. Who wants to read a textbook if they don't have to? I'd rather have a friend holding my hand - and this book does just that by walking you through it in a reassuring and comforting manner.
Again, I think this would be a great, unique gift for a mother planning to breastfeed, which is why I posted it here over at Rancid Raves as well as the New BoobLog.
*in-hal-er
noun
1. A book so compelling or suspenseful that it must be consumed immediately in only a few sittings.
2. A book so easy and enjoyable to read that it can quickly be consumed in only a few sittings.
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