Tag: Vegetarian

Nehru’s Masala and the Resourcefulness of Cooks

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I’ve already talked about Tikka Masala, but Butter Masala is an entirely different beast. Yes, they may look alike, and even taste similar, but somehow they each have their own completely separate character. Also known as Murgh Makhani, Butter Masala – which is most often made with chicken – was actually an accidental invention of leftovers and thrifty cooks. According to Cilantro Online, the dish came about at a restaurant famous for its chicken tikka. The cooks, not wanting to waste anything, would make a sauce from the juices released from the cooked chicken and the marinade, which they mixed with tomatoes and butter. Continue reading “Nehru’s Masala and the Resourcefulness of Cooks” →

Sweet Potato Soup with Attitude

I love sweet potatoes, and I love the idea of sweet potato soup but too often it ends up being bland or overly sweet. Sometimes its a little too much like baby food, or there’s too much cream to thicken it up. I was sick all last week and so of course I wanted soup. But I also didn’t want to make something that was overly involved or complicated; I was sick after all and it was a nasty virus. So I decided to make sweet potato soup, but with attitude. Continue reading “Sweet Potato Soup with Attitude” →

Fresh Pasta without the Gadgets

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It doesn’t get much simpler than fresh pasta: flour and eggs are combined to create a dough, which is then rolled out into any shape and any thickness you want. It’s quite magical really. And while I dearly miss the pasta maker attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer, I’ve made pasta with nothing more than my own two hands and a wine bottle as a rolling pin. Continue reading “Fresh Pasta without the Gadgets” →

Fried Vegetable Fritters with Homemade Mayonnaise

I can’t explain it, but I suddenly had a craving for fried vegetable fritters with homemade mayonnaise as a dipping sauce. I was skipping Hebrew and I guess felt like making it worthwhile. It was an incredibly specific desire, and I could even taste the exact ratio of mellow creaminess to bright lemon in the mayonnaise. Lucky for me I had all the ingredients on hand – egg, oil, lemon, breadcrumbs, zucchini, leftover artichoke. Before breading the vegetables I whisked a little seltzer into the egg, which made the batter nice and light. Use any thinly sliced vegetables you have on hand and serve this as a starter or snack. Then use the leftover mayonnaise to slather on sandwiches or dip fries into. Continue reading “Fried Vegetable Fritters with Homemade Mayonnaise” →

Risotto in the Style of Milan

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I brought a small container of saffron back from New York and have been waiting to use it. As the world’s most expensive spice (a pound of dry saffron requires at least 50,000 flowers and 15 hours of manual labor) you can’t just use the stuff willy nilly. On the other hand, a little does go a long way, especially if you soak it in liquid first. But what to use it on? My last saffron recipe, Rigatoni with Wine-Braised Chicken and Saffron Cream, would be hard to live up to. I’d been craving risotto, so Risotto Milanese it was. Continue reading “Risotto in the Style of Milan” →

Artichokes with Roman Flare

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This recipe, as with most of my favorite recipes of late, began with a trip to the shuk. It may be February, but springtime is in bloom, and the artichokes at the market were stunning (apparently they come to Italy in late February). With no particular plan in mind I bought four. You should know that I have a bit of a rocky history with artichokes, particularly an unusually thorny one that left me the worse for wear early in my cooking career. Artichokes can be intimidating – those tough outer leaves, the necessary trimming, the quick discoloration. But once you learn to properly turn and prepare an artichoke, the result is always satisfying. Continue reading “Artichokes with Roman Flare” →