Indian

Well, I usually only blog about food from places that I have been. But today I am breaking the rules and blogging about food from a place that I am going... India! My husband is looking forward to visiting the Taj Mahal, my kids are looking forward to the elephant ride included in the travel package, and I am looking forward to the spice markets!!!

Indian food has really grown in popularity in the United States. This is nice, because now some of the staple ingredients in Indian cuisine are easy to find in stores. I think the unique spice blends and seasonings are what makes us Americans love Indian food so much! Many people are hesitant to try Indian food at first because they think it is extremely spicy. While some of it's cuisine can be (like any other cuisine), most of it is just filled with lots of exotic savory flavors and spice blends. Some popular Indian spices are Garam Masala (a blend of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, black pepper and coriander), curry (a blend of many spices including coriander, fenugreek, turmeric, red pepper and onion), tandoori masala (typically a blend of garam masala, garlic, ginger, cumin and cayenne pepper), and whole cardamom seeds (which posess a pungent lemon/ lime/ pine flavor).

I am making my favorite Indian dishes tonight. The main course is Murgh Makhani (otherwise known as "butter chicken"). Butter chicken is cooked in a rich savory sauce, but I am slow cooking it for melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and amazing flavor. I am serving it over steamed Basmati rice and with fresh homemade naan bread for dipping in the extra sauce! I am also making vegetable pakoras, which are savory little vegetable dumplings that are fried and served over a cilantro and mint chutney. To wash it all down, I am making an Indian drink called Lassi. Lassi is a yogurt- based drink that can either be sweet or salty and is most commonly flavored in mint, mango, or banana. It is blended with ice and soda water. I ordered a sweet mint lassi in an Indian restaurant (thinking I wouldn't like it but still wanting to try something authentic), and was blown away! It was so unlike anything I have ever tasted, and was so refreshing and delicious. Even my kids liked it!

I hope you will try this exotic dinner that I am sharing with you-- the butter chicken is surprisingly easy to make. This is crazy delicious-- even the pickiest eaters will enjoy it! As they say in India, Svadist khana!!!

Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)
Naan Bread
Vegetable Pakoras with Mint and Cilantro Chutney
Sweet Mint Lassi

Photo: Baby foodie! My youngest trying her first naan!

French Date Night

Whoa! When did it become Wednesday again? Another busy week has passed, and despite all of the ethnic cooking that I did, I did not get one blog in! What a week in my kitchen though-- I tried out some new original recipes and they turned out AMAZING! They will definitely be blogged about in the next week or so, so be on the lookout!

It is Wednesday night date night again tonight, and I have been way to busy to plan anything exotic (although I've had some great ideas...). It is just my husband, Lukas, and I tonight, so I will keep it simple, yet romantic... a French inspired date!

Growing up in Northern California has spoiled me when it comes to my taste in wines. I LOVE the wineries in the region, and I have to admit that I haven't ventured out too much beyond that. Recently, Lukas and I have talked about trying out wines from other countries. Naturally, French wines seem like a good place to start! French wines have always carried a great reputation, so I am going to grab a few to try out.

I need to go pick up my children now, and fortunately there is a Whole Foods Market between my house and my kids' school. I know they have a nice selection of carefully chosen international wines, as well as artisan cheeses. How simple is that? A romantic evening of tasting French wines, and some artisan French cheeses to eat with some baguette. Entertaining with global flair doesn't have to be complicated to be fabulous!

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I just returned from picking up my kids from school and stopping by the market. I was right-- they had such a huge selection of French wines and cheeses that I didn't know where to start! Recently I had some Rhone and Burgundy wine from France, so this time I thought I'd try a new one: Carignan. Brie, French Morbier, Atlantique French Baby Swiss, and Doux de Montagne cheeses will accompany the wine. I have a fabulous French music CD called "Paris" (by Putumayo World Music-- one of my favorites!) which plays the kind of music that I was listening to at a cafe next to the Arc de Triomphe when I was in Paris. It was magnificent. I loved the markets in France, and I love how great French foods are easily accessible here. Last-minute date night dilemma is solved! It couldn't have been easier, and it is going to be fabuleaux! Bon appetit!

Photo: My sister and I in front of the Eiffel Tower

German Happy Hour

Happy Wednesday!

A while back, my husband and I started a tradition to help get through the week: creating a date night on "hump day", (a.k.a. Wednesday). Instead of the traditional happy hour fare, I am replacing cocktails and nuts with snacks and drinks from around the globe! From now on, every Wednesday's happy hour is going to take on the theme of a new country that I've visited. Tonight, I am reliving my visit to Germany.

Germany is truly an amazing country to see. It's history is so complex and the sights are breathtaking-- from the forests and castles in Bavaria to the centuries-old buildings in the cities. Germany was one of my first insights into different cultures' ways of dining; Germans are true "diners" and a meal at a German restaurant lasts for hours (I guess that explains why they can drink from those huge steins full of beer without getting drunk...). I remember the first time I visited a Hofbrau in Munich with my parents as a teenager (pictured above). I was too young to have a stein full of beer, but we started with a German pretzel and were so amused by it's size! We tore away at that pretzel while the German polka band played in the background. It was authentic and awesome!

That is my inspiration for tonight's simple happy hour fare. I am making German soft pretzels (individual servings, though- not like the giant one I had!), with some good German beer. Fortunately, there is a wide variety of German beers in chain stores. If you want an even wider selection, check out an import store's beer section. An interesting tidbit regarding Germans and beer-- sometimes they will mix it with other drinks. The most popular mixers are cola or lemonade. So if you will be with a daring bunch, make sure you have those on hand to suggest trying it out! Also, if you will have some guests who are not as keen on beer, Riesling is one of the best known varietals of wine in Germany that can easily be found here in the states.

So go and get your delicious pretzels baked and salted, and stock up on that beer (and lemonade and cola, maybe)! As they say in Deutschland, Guten Appetit!

*note: recipes uploading soon!

Photo: My father and I in Munich, Germany

Mexico

Well, Cinco de Mayo was a few weeks ago, but the food that I made that weekend is still heavy on my mind. It was DELICIOUS!!! What a feast we had to go along with our fiesta! That is perhaps one of my favorite things regarding Mexican food and cooking: it is delicious, inexpensive, and can feed so many people.

Mexican food is quite familiar to most of us here in the United States. I live in California, so Mexican food is abundant, and there are many Mexican food markets with specialty items (even our national grocery chains have aisles with an abundance of fabulous Mexican specialties). I have many influences to credit in my Mexican cooking. Obviously, my many travels to Mexico allowed me to peruse the food stands and markets, which gave me a sense of authentic foods and ingredients. Here in LA, there are some pretty authentic food stands, too. But I also married into a Mexican family, so I have experienced firsthand what Mexican cooking is all about: families cooking together and making lots of dishes that have been passed down through the generations. I love it! Through my extended family, there are so many authentic recipes that I have learned.

Today I am sharing the recipes that made up my Cinco de Mayo feast. I kept it very traditional. I often make the very simple street tacos (warmed corn tortilla with grilled chicken and chopped onion and cilantro), but this time I made my tacos "Ranchero" style. I warmed the tortillas open faced to melt shredded jack cheese, then added an avocado slice, a spoonful of pinto beans, the grilled chicken, lime squeeze, and topped it off with some cabbage salsa (sounds weird bit it is AMAZING stuff!). I also toasted some flour tortillas to serve with some chile verde which had been simmering all day for maximum flavor and meat that is melt-in-your-mouth tender. I had a huge pot of black beans (homemade, not canned), and added my own seasonings to make this simple side dish savory and delicious. And while everybody was waiting, I had some chips, guacamole, and that cabbage salsa for munching on (as well as some Mexican beer and margaritas). Nothing beats Mexican food! Go and enjoy this as much as we did-- so delicious and easy to make! Ole!

Ranchero tacos
Cabbage Salsa
Black Beans
Golden Margarita Granita