12/04/2006, Home.
Serving Mama
Mom came over for dinner after a meeting in LA so we tossed a few things together and came out with an Indian feast - palak paneer, lentils in gravy, and spiced rice accompanied by yogurt, a medley of veggies and some (slightly out of place) fake chicken nuggets! On the side we had hot naan and a beautiful salad. Yes, we were hungry!
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11/27/2006, Home.
Ina, Graham and a Metric Ton of Food
My sister and Graham were in town for Thanksgiving so we had them over for dinner. I roasted a butternut squash with seasonings and onions, served with a skillet full of potatoes, veggie meatballs, peppers, onions and spices, a pot of lentils in a savory sauce, salad and naan.
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10/19/2006, India Sweets and Spices
Masala Dosa, Idli, Pakora, Samosa, Oh My!
We both have a dear place in our hearts for Indian food. Cheap, expensive, fast, slow, north, south, greasy or delicate, I almost always enjoy it. This place came with highly qualified recommendations, and after a few trips there it's obvious why. The food itself is a mixed bag - some is simply great... I love the sambar, a spicy lentil/tamarind soup, often served with idli, or as a side with virtually anything, for breakfast, lunch or dinner (or all three!). They also make a great masala dosa, but again, I don't think I've ever had a masala dosa (big crispy crepe stuffed with an aromatic potato/chickpea mash) I didn't just love. I remember Todd introducing me to masala dosa about 10 years ago, telling me it was basicallt the Indian hamburger, meaning cheap, fast, not entirely healthy, but filling and yummy. But what really sets this place apart is the truly awful service; I don't mean they are slow - though in fact the various items on your order typically arrive randomly spaced out, so you just have no hope of eating simultaneously with the rest of your party. What stands out with the service at this place is the supremely bitter, annoyed attitude of the husband and wife who own and operate the food line (the place is also a market). These people are serving nonstop to a packed house of grateful, friendly customers, and we tend to get nothing but grief and spite from the two behind the counter - have you seen the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld? Ok, you're getting warm.
So why do we go back? Well, for Julia it's the fact that we can get more purely vegetarian food than we can eat, and a mango lassi to share, for less than $12 for two people. Seriously, it's about the cheapest edible food in LA, and it's way better than the next best thing. On this night I got a masala dosa with sambar and Julia got a no. 3 special, which we shared along with maybe 1/3lb of pakora and a lassi. For $11.35. Another bonus? I think the owner's anger towards the customers tends to lead him to serve spicier food than he would normally to the gringos in the crowd, having no idea that for me when it comes to Indian food it's all about "no pain, no gain".
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10/11/2006, Home.
Indian Good Eats
A stressful, long day calls for good, warm, savory comfort food. Start with recycled quinoa and brown rice; mix up a quick marinade from soy and Worchestershire sauce for a package of diced extra firm tofu and then toss them on the George Foreman grill; split a red onion in half, lightly season, and toss on the grill with the tofu; next, heat up a box of the incredible, space-age ready-to-eat Indian food from Tasty Bites; garnish with fresh tomato and yogurt, and serve with hot naan. Those are some good eats for 12 minutes in the kitchen!
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10/3/2006, Home.
Pumpkin Lentil Stew with Quinoa, Tahini Greens, and Naan
The bounty of leftovers! We made a veggie broth quinoa with garbanzo beans and dried cranberries, veggie meatballs, stir fry greens with a tahini lemon sauce, and a mound of pumpkin lentil stew, served with hot garlic naan. Even in SoCal we like to make the transition to fall foods, with or without an autumn chill!
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2006-05-03, Los Angeles.
Tonight we dined of India. A terrific eggplant in gravy, curried rice, and a vegetable and cheese yellow curry, served with hot naan. Does it get any tastier?
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