geek

Grinding my own garam

garam masala

Spicy food is something I love, but even though I have a cabinet full of spices I’ve never actually made my own garam masala before. This is mostly because I’m incredibly lazy but it’s also because we have a Penzeys Spice Store here in town…I always assumed that their blends are as good as fresh. Holy cow…I can’t believe how stupid I was. Penzeys is good, but fresh toasted and ground is fantastic…it’s like fireworks in your mouth…like spicy pop-rocks, like a mini-vacation to a warm and loveable land.

I guess you can tell I’m enthusiastic about this…it’s like someone who just quit smoking, or lost 30 pounds, or found god….it’s all they can talk about, and every single conversation eventually turns to their obsession. That’s me baby…I’m a grinder and toaster now…never to go back to my lazy, idle ways of sloth and less robust flavor.

Besides being filled with that aforementioned fabulous flavor, it was super easy (btw, I said “super” with a french accent…as in “soup-per”). I searched the interwebs and found lots of recipes for garam masala and they all pretty much used similar spices while noting that garam masala is perfect for customizing to your personal taste. I used black peppercorns, cloves, green cardamom, star anise, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black cumin seeds. I toasted them in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until they were fragrant, the aroma flitting about the house like a spring breeze, and then I tipped them into the grinder that I use for spices. I pulsed them until they were ground well…but not too fine and then I made the best garam masala curry I’ve ever, ever made.

garam masala

Garam Masala Spice Blend
printer-friendly recipe

1 1/2 Tbs black peppercorns
3/4 Tbs black cumin seeds (kala jeera)
1 1/2 tsp whole cloves
4 large green cardamom pods
2″ stick of cinnamon
1/2 a whole nutmeg
2 star anise

Gently roast all spices and grind everything to a fine powder in a coffee or spice grinder. Makes enough for two batches.

Garam Masala Curry

1 onion
1 potato
1/2 head of cauliflower
1 chicken breast
canola oil

Peel and dice the onion. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy pan and toss the onions and half of the garam masala spice mix into the pan. Stir and cook over medium heat.

While the onions are cooking peel and dice the potato. Add it to the pan. Segment the cauliflower into small florets and add it to the pan too. Lastly dice the chicken and add it to the pan. Add salt. Add just a bit of water or chicken stock to come up about halfway on the ingredients. Cover and allow the ingredients to heat up to a boil and then immediately lower the heat to a simmer.

Let the covered pot simmer until the potatoes begin to get tender then remove the lid and adjust seasonings. Maybe add more salt, more garam masala (just a bit). Check the liquid level and adjust by adding more water, stock, or cream or allowing it to cook down. When the ingredients are all tender and the seasoning and consistency is right then you are ready to eat. For me it cooked for about 30 minutes total…20 with the lid on and 10 with it off.

February 29, 2008 | Filed Under beef, fish, poultry, pork, food, gratins, stews, and stir-frys, quick and easy, recipe, rice and other grains, spicy, vegetable | 4 Comments 

End of the month roundup, part two…savory

tomato risotto

Risotto is a great weeknight winter food. You come home from work, tired and cold, right? First put on your comfy clothes, you know…those sweat pants that are like 12 years old but are so soft and so droopy you barely even know their there…the fluffy socks, the warm, soft shirt. Now pour a glass of wine, put on some music…I recommend The Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed or Radiohead’s In Rainbows, and make risotto. You’ll be warm and toasty all over by the time you serve it up.

I made this risotto with the liquid I drained off the tomatoes for last week’s pizzas. I call it tomato water because it’s practically clear but it’s incredibly tomatoey…perfect for risotto. I sauteed some onion and garlic, then added some wood-hen mushroom and sauteed that. When that was tender I removed it and lightly sauteed the arborio rice until it turned light gold, then I added about a cup of white wine, and when that cooked down I began adding the tomato water mixed with about a cup of chicken stock. When it was finished cooking I added a lot of grated Parmesan, and freshly ground black pepper…it was the best risotto ever.

This is a white bean and fresh ham hock stew. Seasoned with garlic, a few crushed whole roma tomatoes, onions, thyme, and apple cider vinegar it was a great meal that got better each time it was reheated…in the spirit of a cassoulet. I trimmed the fat from the ham hocks before throwing them in the pot and they certainly contributed quite a bit of tender, tasty pork.

white bean and ham hock stew

Since all the good potatoes are gone and I’ve been too busy to go see what’s at the winter farmers’ market, I’m stuck eating russets from another state (yikes!!!). But every once in awhile a baked potato is what you want. Maybe a simple one with butter, salt, and pepper, or…

baked potato

maybe a piggish extravaganza stuffed with extras like yogurt, bacon, and cheese…it was another simple meal but we all loved it.

baked potato

My post this weekend over at Accidental Hedonist is about food and film…go take a look.

February 1, 2008 | Filed Under bits and pieces, food, gratins, stews, and stir-frys, mushroom, rice and other grains | 8 Comments 

Fideo killed the radio star

Fideos with ground beef, spices, and black beans

The food blogosphere seems to be totally about cookies right now. I get it because I’ve been busy baking my own but right now I don’t feel compelled to contribute to the glut of cookie recipes. Instead I’ll offer you something quick, easy, economical, and deeply satisfying.

According to Wikipedia, fideo is the spanish word for a noodle of any type. I picked up a bag of fideo in the Mexican food section of Woodman’s and after checking out what the interwebs said about it, I decided to strike out on my own. I wanted a quick, easy dinner that everyone would eat and that wouldn’t turn the kitchen into a disaster area. My efforts yielded exactly that. Sure, it wasn’t very pretty, but it did have a robust spicy flavor, a comforting texture, and molten cheese….mmmm, molten cheese. I couldn’t help but think of it as the mostly organic, homemade version of hamburger helper. From start to finish it took less than 30 minutes, one pan, and no leftovers. What’s not to love?

Fideos with ground beef, spices, and black beans

Spicy fideos with ground beef and black beans
Click here for the printer-friendly version

1 pack age of fideos
1 pound ground beef
1 onion diced
¼ cup Penzeys spicy taco seasoning
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup water
1 jar canned tomato puree
1 can black beans drained
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded

Brown the ground beef in the skillet. Drain it if necessary. Add the onion and let it cook for a few minutes. Add the fideos and stir to combine. Add the seasonings, water and tomatoes and stir to mix it up. Let this bubble and cook for 10 minutes. The liquid should be mostly absorbed by the fideos. Add the black beans. Preheat the oven to broil. Top the fideos with the cheese and stick the pan under the broiler to melt and brown the cheese. Serve with a salad alongside.

Video Killed The Radio Star, The Buggles - 1979

December 19, 2007 | Filed Under beef, fish, poultry, pork, food, pasta, pizza, noodles, quick and easy, recipe, rice and other grains, spicy | 8 Comments 

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