A Place to Please the Senses

I love to travel. Which is interesting because I am also a homebody.  I love to be home and I love to be away from home.  
I don't love packing and unpacking. However, if I had to choose only one, I would choose to pack.  
My unpacking strategy usually goes like this.  Dirty stuff in the hamper, shoes on the floor, clean stuff remains in the suitcase until it needs to be worn.  Forget clothes are in the suitcase. Think there is a ghost in the house because can't find my favorite trousers. Elation when said trousers are discovered while packing for my next trip.


To be honest, when I travel out of the country, I usually pack older clothes or I stock up on various inexpensive items, and leave them behind.  My goal is to have less clothing and more goodies when I cross through customs.

Always within the legal limits--of course....

Today I was digging through my travel files because a friend's mom is heading to India for an extensive holiday.  Even though I am leaving shortly on a fabulous adventure of my own, I am a bit envious of her, as India is one of my most favorite places. 
  
When planning a big trip several years ago, I was looking for a place that would have beautiful sights, good food, great shopping and amazing spas.
There are only a few places that made the short list..and India won hands down.
 While in India, I was fortunate enough to be able to take cooking lessons from a top chef at a very special resort that sat in a remote village near a wild animal refuge.  He kept a garden for his herbs and vegetables.  He grew apples so he could make his own pectin for preserving. He had a cardamom bush. I want a cardamom tree! The kitchen staff cans and pickles all spring, so they would have condiments during the rainy season and the barren summer months.  If it didn't grow or wasn't raised locally, it rarely made it on the menu.  
It was incredible that even with limited ingredients, the food was spectacular.  I ate mostly vegetarian as the bird flu was a concern; the kitchen had been stripped of all eggs and chicken.  They do not serve or eat beef, and I am not a fan of lamb--fish is a luxury.  
Not to worry, the food was balanced and beautiful.  I have had a lot of culinary training, but I feel my education at Ranthambore was perhaps my most meaningful.  It is a talent to prepare good food simply. It is a gift to prepare simple food so that it is fit to serve an Emperor.  I credit my time there for making me a better and more resourceful cook.


In going through my notes, I was flooded with wonderful memories and a renewed desire to pull out my spice jars, dust off my thali plates and prepare a rajasthani feast.

Mint Chutney

1 Tbs roasted and ground cumin

1 small onion-quartered

2 serrano chiles

juice of 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups cilantro leaves

2 cups mint leaves

pinch sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Put all in a blender and whirl until all pieces are finely chopped.  If it is too thick, add a bit of water a little at a time until it reaches desired consistency

My Favorite Yogurt Banana Relish

2 cups plain yogurt (drained to remove much of the liquid)

1 tsp roasted cumin--ground

1/2 tsp roasted cumin--whole

1 serrano chili--sliced into thin paper thin rounds

1 Tbs fresh cilantro leaves--chopped

2 Tbs brown sugar

to taste salt

1/4 tsp or more cayenne pepper

2 ripe bananas cut into thick rounds and then quartered

Mix all together and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to let the flavors meld

These can be served with papadams, naan, on rice, chicken, or roasted meat.

Masala is a spice combination and a curry is the equivalent of what we would call a stew. It refers to a number of different dishes, not a particular spice.

Chicken Jalfrezi

2 Tbs olive oil

1 1/2 medium onions--finely sliced--paper thin

3 cloves garlic--chopped

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cut into generous size "fingers"

1 Tbs + 1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

2 large red "bell" peppers--julienned

1 large can + 1 small can diced tomatoes

1 thai chili pepper--finely diced

1-4" piece cinnamon stick

3 Tbs ghee

1 Tbs + 1 tsp toasted and ground coriander

3 Tbs grated fresh ginger

2/3 cup cilantro--chopped

Heat oil in skillet. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add the chicken and season with turmeric, chili powder and salt.  Fry gently, scraping the bottom and turning the chicken.  Add red peppers and fry for 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes with their juice and cover the pan.  Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.  Uncover and simmer for another 10 minutes to let the excess liquid evaporate.  Add ghee, cumin, ginger and cilantro and simmer for another 5-7 minutes.  Serve chicken with sauce spooned over top.

Vindaloo Sauce

4Tbs vegetable oil

2 cups onion--thinly sliced

1 1/2 tsp ginger--minced

1 1/2 tsp garlic--minced

2 Tbs raisins--minced

2 1/2 Tbs--white vinegar

MASALA
1 1/2 tsp cayenne

1 tsp  whole cumin--toasted and ground

1/2 tsp coriander seed--toasted and ground

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp ground clove

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp mustard seed--toasted and ground

1 3/4 tsp salt

2 lb lamb, chicken or protein of choice

In frying pan--heat oil.  Add onion and fry until edges are nicely brown.  Stir in garlic and ginger and fry 1 more minute. Add raisins, vinegar, masala and 1/4 cup water.  Fry and stir until spices are cooked.  Put protein in and another 1/4 cup water and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low and cover and cook for 35 minutes.  Increase heat and continue to simmer 10 minutes.  Sauce should be fairly thick.  Serve warm.

note: If you are having a dinner party and wish to have something really special, you can cook this up without the protein, substituting 1/4 cup chicken broth for one of the water additions. Make the sauce, and set aside.  Pan fry your protein to achieve a beautiful caramelized presentation.  Serve a bit of the sauce spooned on top or pooled on the plate with the protein on top. Serve the remaining on the side.

You Are What You Eat

My husband is a hunter. Not in the men are from mars context...trying to explain away why relationships are complex. He is a real hunter...the kind whose closet contains as many camo garments as it does dress shirts (or perhaps more in his case). The thing is, Mike doesn't kill anything he doesn't intend on eating. Fine when it comes to odd turkey hunt, or pig posse...but what do you do when on his shoulders is a big bear.
Can it, of course.
Before you go saying...hmmm interesting....
Let me stop you...
it is awful. Salt it, spice it, add potatoes and onions...
still gross
slice it, dice it, deep fry it
intolerable...
not even edible dipped in chocolate...trust me
it tastes just like you would imagine bear to taste...bearey...
Moose Manwich, tasty..
Venison and eggs...respectable breakfast
I even will eat Dall sheep stew without much of a fuss.
but bear...not unless the only other option is person.

I grew up in Los Angeles, where rabbit is considered wild game. Nevermind that every shop in Chinatown has a stockade of little bunnies to choose from. Reminds me of that scene in "Roger and Me"...pets or meat. I laughed and laughed at that poor woman's expense. In reality the joke was on me. People eat rabbit and people keep rabbits as pets. Pets or meat is a legitimate question.

I've cooked rabbit...I've eaten rabbit. It's quite tasty actually.

We have a freezer full of "exotics". Did I mention my husband is a hunter? Funny thing, hunters are friends with hunters...and so if we don't catch, lure, shoot, spear it ourselves, there is always someone else who has more than they can eat and wives who insist that they share.

I was at a cancer seminar recently and the inevitable talk about nutrition began. We've been hearing more and more about eating a Mediterranean diet. I really wanted to raise my hand and ask...where does wild game fall on that list? But because I was in a room full of women who obviously didn't eat, let alone eat game, I lowered my hand.
And then it came to me.
The meat is great for you...the preparation and accompaniments are what will kill ya. Venison.. lean meat...great for you...creamy gooey mac n' cheese, not so much.

Remember when I said, hunters are friends with other hunters? Well, a few weeks ago, one such friend dropped by the house...with a cooler full of pheasant and chukar. Huh?
I mean, who ever heard of chukar outside of over hearing it in reference to getting rid of someone..."yeah, she's a nice girl, but she's harshing my mellow, so I think I will chuck her."

Bottom line...most game needs to be marinated, slow-cooked, or both. I adapted an Indian recipe I love, for the birds. This sauce is delicious...but even it can't make bear taste good. It's a little spicy, a little sweet and a lot tasty.

If you can't find chukar in your local field or parking lot, try lamb, beef, pork or turkey. Serve with rice to help sop up the juices.

Chukar Vindaloo

4-6 servings

1 medium onion peeled and quartered

1 inch fresh ginger--peeled and roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic—crushed

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 ½ Tbs coriander seed—toasted and ground

1 ½ Tbs cumin seed--toasted and ground

1 Tbs ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

pinch cinnamon

pinch red pepper flakes

¼ tsp or more cayenne pepper

1/4-1/2 cup water

4-6 chucker--skinned removed (if using other meat, use about 3lbs--cut into pieces)

1/2 small onion--thinly sliced

1 cup chicken broth

handful of raisins

1-3 tsp dijon mustard (optional)

Finely process the onion, ginger and garlic. Add the vinegar, coriander, cumin, turmeric, sugar, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper. Process until if forms a smooth paste. Add water to resemble a thick soup. Pour into a ziploc type bag. Add chucker and marinate 4 hours or overnight. Too cook. Heat a medium to large dutch oven with a bit of olive oil Saute onions until soft (about 5 minutes). Add the chucker and all the marinade to the dish. Add the chicken broth and raisins. Lower heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes. The meat should be falling off the bone, but not actually off the bone. Do not let the sauce get too thick. Add more chicken broth if necessary. Do not let sauce boil. If desired you may add a bit of dijon mustard to make the flavor "pop".