flavors of India

This should come as no surprise, but on Friday night, another spontaneous Indian party erupted. And of course, resulted in some delicious food. This time, Susieji made a few vegetarian dishes for Aditya, who came for a visit from San Jose! He fried some chopped potatoes in spices, and made Dal (lentils) in tomato and turmeric. He also made a chicken dish that included onion, cilantro, tomato, and a garlic ginger paste.

For the Dal, he started by sauteing some chopped tomatoes in a large pot, then added the lentils and water (follow the measurement suggested on the box). He also added turmeric. Susieji is the same kind of cook I am, in that we don't measure. So I'm sorry I can't tell you how much turmeric. Follow your instincts. While that was simmering, he sautéed some garlic and chopped jalapenos in oil in a separate pan, and added them to the lentils once finished. He seasoned with salt and pepper. Soo delicious.

After dinner, we were all sitting in the kitchen when Susieji walks back in with a present. They presented it to me while Rajiv snapped a few pictures, hoping I would cry. I didn't, but I'm sure I will once I read what they each wrote on the inside cover. Oh yeah, it's an Indian cookbook, which I guessed as soon as they handed it to me. We know each other so well.

So many surprises sprung from my new life in Boston, and I love each and every one of them.

The following morning, Sujoy used the leftover chicken to make omelets, also amazing.

This is the book that the boys picked out for me. Out of curiosity, I yelped Indian groceries in Jacksonville and found several promising prospects. I'll let you know once I visit them, and once I test out my new cookbook :)

Tonight, I'm hosting my own going away dinner, with a few more of my favorite people. I'm trying out a Greek-inspired chicken dish, so stay tuned!

m

good times, great oldies

This past weekend, I got to spend some quality time with a few of my wackiest oldest friends! 

Thursday night, we met up at Shannon & Russ's for a bottle of wine and some cheese from Cardullo's. Afterward, Jordan, Trinity and I headed out for dinner and ended up at Sacco's for bowling, pizza and beers. We ordered the special, which was a pear, arugula pizza with a white cheese sauce and a mushroom, goat cheese and peppers. They were so good...

...and a nice compliment to our beertinis (its a Boston thing... that we invented). Some other things happened after that, but I'll just leave you with a photo of the beertinis...

its just beer

On Saturday, I took Trinity, Jordan and Andrew to my favorite breakfast spot, Uncommon Grounds for some eggs benedict and a short stack.

 (clockwise, from top left: salmon, crab cake, spinach & feta)

It was a crazy fun, unexpected weekend, one that I desperately needed.

I spent most of my calories on lunch today, so for a light dinner, I made a tuna salad. Instead of preparing it the traditional way with globs of mayo, I opted for a few healthier add-ins. I mixed in some whole grain mustard, a little horseradish, s+p and chopped tomatoes. Then I scooped it onto a bed of arugula and drizzled a little oil and balsamic vinegar over it. Deee-licious.

I can't wait to eat the rest tomorrow on a sandwich.

Finally, I have some sad and happy news. The sad news is, after three years in Boston, I have decided it's time to move on. It's been an incredible three years, and I am so, so sad to go. But it's time. The good news is, I'm headed back to Florida. Back to my family and friends, back to non-rocky, warm-water beaches and back to teaching. I am so excited.

This should mean exciting things for FeDish! I've learned a lot about food and cooking over the past three experimental years, and it will be fun to apply my Boston-influence to the way we cook down south. I'm also really excited to cook for my Florida people.

So, needless to say, there is a lot of partying to be done between now and then. Sanne's birthday is tomorrow (and its restaurant week!), and this weekend, I'm getting my favorite Indians together for some cooking and dancing! Stay tuned!

m

craving...

I want this or this, please. Thank you.


what do you want?
m

eat meat repeat

I'm finally getting back into the routine, and enjoying a quiet Saturday morning at home. I had some leftover quiche and toast with homemade plum jam, a Christmas gift from one of the doctors I work with.

In other news, I made a cooking-related New Year's Resolution. I want to learn how to cook Moroccan food. I have been scouting tagines on the internet and came across this beauty from Williams Sonoma.

Gorgeous, right? I was talking to the guy who makes my favorite sandwich at work, and come to find out, he's from Morocco and is a great cook! He's been giving me some tips, and I told him I'd bring a sample of something once I get cooking. Although I'm a little nervous to have a real Moroccan taste my sad Moroccan food. Hopefully this pretty tagine will boost my confidence and make everything taste better.

In other, other news: MEAT WEEK IS COMING TO BOSTON Y'ALL! For those of you who have never heard of it, Meat Week is just what it sounds like-- a week of eating delicious Southern-style BBQ all week long. Since its humble beginnings in 2005, Meat Week has spread like hot sauce to 20+ cities, and finally, Boston! Lucky us! For more information, check out the website, where you can learn more about the "holiday that time forgot", get a full schedule of Meat Week activities near you, and buy an official t-shirt. I hope to see all of my Massholes there in T-15 days!

m

feeding the masses

As the dust settled from what was another successful party, we began the time-honored tradition of feeding the stragglers. Big Breakfast after a party is on my top ten list of Favorite Things in Life, right after Hurricane Parties and just before People Reading Novels and Walking at the Same Time.

We hadn't bought anything for breakfast, so I thought for sure someone would need to go to the store. Silly me, all we needed was a carton of eggs. We got creative with leftovers for everything else.

Apple Wheat Pancakes (Trader Joe's Wheat Pancake Mix + 1 shredded apple)

Baked Eggs w Ham and Green Onion, with green onion from our Witch's Curry

...and sauteed potatoes w onions, from leftover party potatoes

leftover spiders

also, some Zucchini Bread w pecans, better late than never!

We will show you some party pictures (wigs! weenies! witch's curry!) as soon as we finish sorting through the madness. Really, they are ridiculous.

m

to do list

I swear, I will make you hate apples before the week is out. Here are a few things I'd like to try with my peck. All three of these were found on smittenkitchen.com.

Apple Pie Cookies

(socuteitmakesmewanttocry)

 

Apple Honey Challah

 

Apple Pancakes

And here are a few low-commitment ideas for the non-bakers out there. From delish.com.

Frisee and Green Apple Salad with Goat Cheese Torts



I wish I was eating this right now...



Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Apples and Leeks

Has your brain exploded from apple-overload yet? Good, because we have more!

m

on the go

I've seen these mini egg casseroles, and I always forget about them when I'm cooking breakfast. Yesterday was the perfect opportunity for this breakfast on the go. My friends Jordan and Andrew, Andrew's friend Marie, Alyssanne and I went apple picking. Before we left, I whipped up some egg muffins with fresh basil, heirloom tomatoes, cheese, s+p, and a little chopped ham (for the meat-eating half of our group). I mixed everything together, just like you would any other breakfast eggs, spooned a little in each muffin hole and topped them with a little extra cheese.

Then I baked them at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. Quick and easy and still impressive. Also, delicious.

Tomorrow, we'll tell you all about our apple-picking adventure, and the recipes that have made our kitchen smell so incredibly autumnal. 

preview

Have you done any fall-themed activities yet? What are your favorite things to make with apples?

part two: the following morning...

We did have a party Saturday night. It was tons of fun, with music and Indian food and lots of laughing and it was very fun and Indian. Before I tell you about that, I'm going to give you part two: breakfast. We almost always cook a big breakfast after we throw a big party. It's been awhile since we've done this, so it was nice to have a full table of friends to feed.

Sujoy, who will now and forevermore be known as Susie, bought some sausage. Actually, he bought hot dogs by mistake, but later went back and bought sausage. Anyway, he sauteed some red onion, green pepper and indian spices with soy sauce, maple syrup, and scrambled egg. An interesting combination, but very tasty. It was a nice, spicy compliment to my pancakes.

Meanwhile, I found a basic pancake recipe to play with. I made two batches and added my leftover sweet potatoes to one batch, and lemon juice & blueberries to the second. My sweet potatoes were salty enough already, so I simply omitted the extra salt from that batch.

aside: While watching him spaz around while cooking Saturday night, I realize that I may have met my match in the kitchen. Susie might be more high-strung and more improvisational when cooking than I am. But he's damn good at it.

I thought I ruined the second batch and was about to throw it out and start over, but Susie encouraged me to improvise. I am not very confident in my baking abilities, so this worried me a little. But I went with it, and they turned out great. Thanks, Susie! We just ended up with twice as many pancakes as I thought we needed... but then I remembered I was feeding 7 boys. 



the winner!



The boys wanted more pancakes, so I told them to go make it themselves. Q: How many grown-ass men does it take to pour batter into a pan??

A: 5

Stayed tuned for part 1: the party!
What are your favorite pancake add-ins?

m