The Kitchen Detective

Who wouldn't enjoy pasta tossed with plump juicy shrimp, garlic, lemon and parsley? The reality, however, is the shrimp is easily overcooked and tough, the pasta can be starchy, and the overall dish bland and totally forgettable. We also discovered that delivering just the right amount of garlic flavor is a substantial culinary challenge.

Today's quick supper or side recipe: Pasta tossed with an Asian-style sauce of garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, peanut butter, soy sauce. Weeknight quick. Vegan. Low carb (with low-carb pasta). Weight Watchers 5 points. Who else is prone to this? Day One. Spy a recipe calling for some obscure (to us) ingredient, fun! Take note. Day Fifteen. Spot the ingredient in a grocery. Hey! that's what such-n-such recipe called for. Bring it home, add it to the pantry, middle shelf, front row, right in plain sight. Days Sixteen to Sixty. Life. Day Sixty-One. Spy the ingredient again, this time at the back of the pantry during the quite-successful-so-far ambition to actually use , not just store, the pantry's contents. Wonder, Now what recipe was that for?  read more »

This anytime easy meal is a cultural icon on a plate.

Today's recipe: A cupcake adaptation of a Cook's Illustrated recipe for carrot cake. Light crumb, lightly spiced. Excellent cream cheese frosting. People, as if we need one more reason to share our very best recipes, it's this: should we lose a recipe, we can call to ask, "By chance, did I give you my carrot cake recipe?" and then sigh with relief when hearing, "Yeah!  read more »

Cuisine is the tactile connection we have to breathing history. History and culture offer us a vibrant living society that we taste through cuisine.All cuisine is a reflection of the society from which it emanates in the end cuisine is the result of culture Chicken Korma...home-made & finger licking good! There was an article in the 'Daily Mail' a while ago, which was republished in the' Mail Today' , here in India, more than a month ago (May 16, 2008 pg 15 ). It talked about junk food as 'seen by most of us as an unhealthy but occasional treat. A survey in the UK has revealed just how bad a takeaway can be. Most meals surveyed exceeded safe limits of fat & salt content, the doner kebab being the worst offender, which can contain as much fat as a wine glass full of cooking oil' ! PHEW!!  read more »

Of Spaghetti & Vegetables... this one's a combination full-of-flavour! Bursting with flavour...an incredibly delicious focaccia ! Ever since I read that Casa Bencomo has a huge jar of organic garlic waiting to be used up, my minds hit the garlic trail. Am sure the jar at Amy's end is history, but my pursuit in never ending...garlic is one of my favourite ingredients. I was at a loose end for a meal one day...rummaged in the fridge & found bell peppers. Had a couple of heads of garlic & spaghetti. The Pasta Bible has place of honour on my bedside these days...a recipe I had read a couple of nights back came to my mind... Spaghettini all'Aglio Arrostio ( Spaghettini with Roasted Garlic). The garlic was duly put to roast, & the poor bell peppers tortured to grill again!  read more »

I wish this photo was better. These lamb shanks deserve better!  read more »

Today's vegetable recipe: Pure of grilled eggplant with garlic, lemon juice, tahini and parsley. A Middle Eastern spread or dip that's traditionally served with pita bread. Low carb. Weight Watchers 0 or 1 points. Before I loved the garlicky, lemony taste of baba ganoush, I loved the sound of baba ganoush, pronounced [bah-bah gah-NOOSH]. Say it three times, you might love the sound too -- but it only takes one taste of baba ganoush to love how it tastes! ALTERNATE SPELLINGS Baba ghanoush; baba bannoujh; baba-ganouj; babaganoush This version uses grilled eggplant which adds a smoky flavor and adds parsley which brightens the color. It's a winner! The inspiring recipe from Alton Brown suggested adding sugar or honey if the baba ganoush were slightly bitter. There was no bitterness here but I so loved the idea of honey that after taking the photo, I swirled some in (not mixing it in, leaving it distinct) and -- oh swoon -- very good! TAHINI Baba ganoush also calls for tahini, a thick paste of ground sesame seeds. It comes in a big jar and is expensive so you'll want to be able to use it in something other than baba ganoush. The other classic recipes that calls for tahini is hummus (here's the Kitchen Parade recipe for a simple hummus ) but for something truly spectacular, I suggest Armenian Tahini Bread ?  read more »

The Kitchen Detective

One might argue that chicken curry is a dish best left to restaurants, because the ingredient list is rather long. It is hardly a Food Network four-ingredient supper.