Nourishment

Another episode of Tastes of India cooking class with Sangita and Arijit, last evening at La Mesa Community Center, Monterey, California.
The appetizer course consisted of Keema Ghoogni, tiny, tender Indian garbanzo beans with minced chicken in spicy broth; Ada Chaa (Indian ginger milk tea). As always, we arrive at 6 for class, hungry and excited for the evening's taste adventures. The appetizer was stunning, flavorful, and complex. The ginger milk tea was the perfect counterpoint, and demonstrated once again that hot, spicy foods and beverages are actually very cooling and refreshing during hot weather.

While we fortified ourselves with the appetizer dish (and seconds), Arijit showed some very interesting videos about the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, and an historical site in the southeastern state, Orissa, called Konarak.

We then followed Sangita into the kitchen area and learned the process for making the main dish, which was Patisapta Pithe, delicate, tender-thin pancakes stuffed with a mildly sweet coconut stuffing, and when we couldn't eat another bit, the remaining coconut stuffing made into Laddu (coconut balls) for a final treat. The coconut mixture has to be formed into balls while it is still blazing hot, and we all expressed awe at Sangita's apparently asbestos-lined fingers...how does she do that?

More cooking from the heart

Sangita and Arijit shared another wonderful Tastes of India event Saturday night. As always we enjoyed wonderful appetizers while Arijit showed videos and we discussed geography, history, culture and their impact on regional cooking and tastes. The dishes Sangita prepared and taught were typical of southern Indian dishes. First, there was flavorful poha and a wonderful spicy lhassi with green chiles and toasted spices to go with it. Then we gathered around and observed the preparation of the main dishes, which were Sambhar, a rich lentil curry made with a variety of fresh vegetables, and medu vada, a dumpling made from urad dal and spices. As you can tell from the video, the evenings are filled with laughter and wonderful, nutritious dishes, always an adventure in flavors. Food for body, heart and soul.

Poha, Breakfast of Champions (and sock-knitters)

Poha, Breakfast of Champions
Originally uploaded by tangocatmum

When we went to India Cash & Carry on the field trip with Sangita and Arijit, I made sure to pick up some poha. I've been wanting to try some recipes with it, I love upma so much, but it is made with semolina (wheat) and my body is happier with more rice. Poha is parched and flattened rice, and even comes in a whole-grain variety, so it is super quick cooking. This recipe went from inspiration to inhalation in 15 minutes. Sean walked up the stairs and said "that smells good," and we were eating. As usual, I culled several on-line recipes, such as this, and fiddled with my own twists, such as using some mustard oil and adding fresh spinach.


Good food seems to inspire and fuel the knitting lately, though I am beginning to worry that sockknitting is taking over my life, kind of like The Red Shoes
Even while knitting away on a pair, I'm dreaming about casting on for another pair, or eyeing the containers of sockyarn lurking in the corner.


I finished the Vampire Nanner socks, and immediately cast on for giant man-socks for #2 son. He picked the yarn himself during his visit, feet were measured, and I have turned the heels on both socks.

Am I faithful? nope. I have been wanting to try sock yarn with some bamboo content, and found Sheepaints on the Loopy Ewe site. This is a blend of merino, bamboo and silk, and I've cast on another pair of Nanners for Sean.
It's interesting, even with only 20% bamboo, I can really feel the cellulosy-ness of it. The yarn is nice, and if it proves to be tough and cushiony and comfortable, it will be worth it, but it just reminds me how much I love the feel of mostly wool blends.
And, I'm straying in my mind to this seductive stuff:

Destined to be for my daughter, who loves all things purple AND sparkly, Amethyst jewel with tiny strands of real silver throughout, and just as soft and yummy as can be, from Crash Into Ewe
Not to mention the other non-sock projects I have on the needles or queued currently. Sweaters, toys, dog coats, felted bags, lace shawls, hats, scarves, mittens.
I wish I were an octopus. Think of non only all the knitting I could accomplish, but all the socks I would need!

And last, the cats are being so entertaining lately, here's Brigid, playing with one of the felted catnip mice I made:

Contrast this with the King of all Gopher-land that she brought to us for breakfast a few days ago:

Anyone know any good gopher recipes?

Inspired

July 5th, Indian dinner
Originally uploaded by tangocatmum

I can't say enough good things about the Indian cooking classes with Sangita and Arijit in which I have been lucky enough to participate over the last year. Such visually beautiful, soul-satisfying food, fragrant beyond belief, and nutritious as well. Sangita has demystified the ingredients and the processes so that making this meal for dinner with ingredients on hand was an enjoyable adventure.
Clockwise, from top left: Mango pickle, cilantro-ginger chutney, lime wedge, yoghurt, ghoogni, mach bhaja, cabbage rice, Trader Joe's multigrain naan bread (I was too tired to make roti from scratch after all)
Thank you, Sangita and Arijit!

Tastes of India class, June 28th

The summer series has moved to a new location, it is definitely a more homey setting. We had three new students thanks to an article that appeared in a local newspaper about the classes. We also had two guests from out of town. As always the food and company were wonderful.




Here, Sangita is preparing chapati dough from scratch. It has to be kneaded until smooth and tender, formed into balls, and then left to rest prior to rolling out thinly. Then it is cooked in a dry, flat pan, and finally puffed up over the open gas flame. Delicious!

Not enough hours in the day

I'm on a cleaning-out binge. I have spent several hours going through random piles of things in random rooms and closets and drawers and cannot see any difference. So here I am, doing something much more enjoyable. Hooray for the internets!

Tastes of India class was wonderful as always, and Sangita and Arijit give us more than culinary tastes. History, geography, philosophy and humor mixed into a nourishing garam masala.


We had cholar dal, a spicy stew with chickpeas, fresh raita and paratha, which Sangita miraculously makes exactly the same size and thickness, and each one a perfect round. I guess after 999,999 she has it down.
For dessert there was a wonderful halwah, or pudding, make with milk and bottle gourd.



It's a very nice group of students in the class, I'm looking forward to the next field trip.

On the knitting front, I finished the April 2008 Mystery Socks, from Goddess Knits.
These will be a gift, but I don't think the recipient reads my blog, so no danger of a spoiler there.

I also finished another gift, a silk scarf made from Schaefer Patty, in the colorway Rosa Parks. Quite beautiful, but a nightmare from start to finish. Ten knots in two skeins, and color running like crazy. I have read all the tutorials on how to set dye and done my best. Fingers crossed and I will warn the recipient not to get into a hot tub wearing it.

Break time is over, back to the closet monsters.

Tastes like home

My mum never cooked like this, but when I step into Sangita's kitchen at school, I feel like I've just come home after a long, hungry time away.

The fifth session of the Tastes of India classes has just started up. Sangita has been away in India working on projects and visiting family for six months, and she was missed. She and her husband, Arijit, form a great team, making the classes a multi-media presentation that stimulates all our senses, and enlightens and enlivens the evening.

This week she taught us to prepare Alu Makha (seasoned mashed potatoes, Bengali style), Moong Dhal (thick dhal soup made from split green gram), Sada Bhat (plain rice, also Bengali style), Mach Bhaja (Marinated spicy fried fish), and Ghoogni (Garbanzo beans cooked in spicy sauce).

The fragrances from the spices being heated, as well as the sauces and cooking rice were intoxicating. From the first bite to the last morsel cleaned from the pan, we were all glad to be home again.



I was inspired to try and replicate it a few days later at home. Practice, practice, practice.

Help with my Central Park Hoodie

I'm working steadily on my CPH, got the body done in one piece, and then studied all the notes and hints on the CPH KAL, as well as at Ravelry on short-row shaping and three needle bindoff for the shoulders. I also went down to my wonderful LYS, Monarch Knitting,
(where they are always happy to hold my hand) when I got to that point. In return I got to show Koryn cabling without a cable needle, which is now working great for me, I don't even think about it. Hmm, wonder what to do with my stockpile of cable needles? I'm now working on the hood, about halfway through that, and I also cast on the two sleeves, on one circular, they are a good portable project, although I also have two man socks going in Austermann Step for portable projects. I have plenty of at-home help and supervision, as you can see here:


I'm also keeping up with practicing my Indian cooking, even though my inspiration has gone back to India for a few months. I'm going to make the cabbage rice dish for dinner tonight, more okra and bitter melon and probably Murg Mukhani this weekend, we ate every last bit last night, except for the remains, which Brutus ate every bit of, and then, as he washed his face, said "Is there more, please?"