Thanksgiving 2009

Happy Thanksgiving! Indeed it was. This year, for the first time, we had a Thanksgiving potluck and I should've known that like all our other potlucks, this one too would be a rip-roaring success!

The Menu:

Turkey

Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Beans & Cranberry

Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

Corn Bread

Dessert:

Pumpkin Pie

Pecan Pie

Of course, there was apple cider and plenty of wine. But Thanksgiving would not have been Thanksgiving without the most important ingredient - a bunch of good friends.

Happy Turkey Day!

Achar Gosht

This recipe is courtsey Aunty R. She made & packed a dabba of Achar Gosht for SK & myself last week. A day later the recipe was in my inbox :-)

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds of Mutton (boneless)
5 Whole Red Chillies
¾ cup Onions (pureed)
1 tsp. Ginger Paste
1 tsp. Garlic Paste
1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
1 tsp. Mustard Seeds
1 tsp. Fenugreek Seeds (Methi)
5 Cloves
15 grams of Jaggery
1 tsp. Aniseeds / Saunf
½ tsp. Turmeric Powder
1 tsp. Red Chilli Powder
Salt
1 cup yogurt

4 cups Water
½ cup Mustard Oil

Method:
1) In a dish whisk the yogurt with one liter of water.
2) In a microwavable dish heat the mustard oil until hot in the microwave. Add to the oil: the ginger paste, garlic paste, onion puree, cloves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds and aniseeds. And microwave on high for 8 minutes.
3)Then mix in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and microwave for another 2 minutes.
4)Add the mutton, whole red chillies, jaggery and curd water mixture and cook in a pot on the stove for about 15 minutes, or until well done.

YUMMMMM. That's all I can say.

Goldfish

Goldfish is a fabulous seafood restaurant located right at the Perimeter, Dunwoody. It's another feather in the hat of the "heretoserve" chain in Atlanta. For the longest time Goldfish remained one of those restaurants that's right around the corner but you never visit. Until two months ago, that is. Thanks to SK, we celebrated my last birthday at Goldfish.

Our love for seafood made our choice for appetizers & entrees so much more difficult. I had the gumbo and we split a very delicious sauteed mushroon appetizer. For the main course we had the Tom Tom Tilapia and Pepper Grouper. The food was great as was the ambience. The only down-side was the service. They were pretty busy for a week-day and our food took rather long to arrive.

A must for seafood lovers.

West Egg Cafe

West Egg Cafe is so called because 1) It's tucked away in Atlantat's little known West side and 2) They serve eggs, of every shape, size and preparation. I was at the West Egg Cafe a few weeks ago with some of my co-workers. I give them full points for introducing me to this little joint.

The cafe has the semblance of a family run inn. With mismatched chairs, checquered table cloths and the strong smell of bacon, this cafe could very well be your Grandmother's kitchen. The menu is fantastic - more so because it's so simple. While there isn't a very large variety, every platter comes with a heap of grits, potatoes, bread and of course eggs.

It's a great place for brunch. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a hearty heap of eggs.

Berry Time

It's strawberry season, has been so for a while now actually. I love seeing 2 boxes for $5 at the store...makes me want to eat as much as possible before the end of summer. So well, my next couple of posts will be dedicated to the strawberry.

I start with the the simple but always in style - Strawberries -n-Cream. No recipe needed here. The cute bowls were a wedding gift. We enjoyed this delicious dessert a few days ago. It's berry time!

Foods of the Lebanon

I found this book at the library a couple of weeks ago. As the name suggests, it's a Lebanese recipe book by Cassie Maroun-Paladin.

The first time I tasted Lebanese food was in Kuwait, about 15 years ago! It was hummus and pita bread but naturally. Since then I have developed a great liking to Middle-Eastern cuisine. My all-time favorite is perhaps the ‘Shawarma’. I can still remember our summer vacations in Kuwait and the local vendors with their conical ‘shawarma’ stands.

Back to the book. It takes you through every appetizer, entree and dessert possible. There's also a special section for pickles, breads, yoghurts and refreshing drinks. My favorite section is perhaps the 'Kibbi'. Kibbi refers to a kind of ground meat preparation and is apparently the monarch of Lebanese cuisine. You can eat it stuffed, fried, with gravy or as meat balls. I would really love to try this dish. The book has an ample section for meats, poultry and vegetables. I’ve learnt that Lebanese cuisine is similar to Indian, in that they use comparable ingredients, are curry based and are served over rice. Last but not the least, dessert! I’ve eaten many kinds of Lebanese dessert. The desserts are all very rich and use dry fruits. This book has recipes to many delectable petite fours, the most popular being the ‘knafie burmah’. This dessert is common to Greece and Lebanon and you know what, I’ve even seen a variation of it at Costco!

Eggplant Stroganoff

This is G jn's recipe. The pretty picture with the stain-glass background is also hers.
Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant
1/2 lbs mushroom
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoon pepper
1 cup cooking wine
Method:
Cut the eggplant and mushrooms into thick chunks. In a cup mix the cooking wine, salt, pepper Once they release their juices stir in the soup mix. Add some water if needed. Cook 5-6 minutes until sauce has thickened and veggies are heated through. Do not overcook.

Serve over rice.

Thanks G.