Sunday, June 25, 2006

I had some good meals about a week or two ago: Cafe Gratitude with Rahul, Chez Florio with Ailis... I'll have to write about them later.

I wanted to stop in and make notes of things from my travels to remember:
"Cucina Da Mario"
di Masiero Anna Lisa
San Marco 2614--Venezia
Tel. 0415285968
The little canalside restaurant Francesco brought me and my mom to, where the woman spoke no English and berated some meek English tourists for requesting something off the menu that she had apparently run out of. "...Everything here is fresh! You think I sell things from cans here? No! Nothing comes out of cans! So that means you can't have everything exactly as you like it all the time!"

"Innocenti" ceramista a Montefiesole
is the man who made the beautiful majolica boxes with birds I bought for myself and my mom in Cinque Terre.

Vieng Travel (viengtravel.com) is the place that books the accomodations in the Tree Top Lodges in Khao Sok.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Recipes from Rahul's mom

Masala Dosa
1 cup urad dal
2 cups rice
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

Soak the until soft, then blend together with water until smooth. Let the batter ferment in a warm place overnight before frying.

Bhaji (potato filling for dosa)
Around 5 small potatoes
Black mustard seeds
A pinch of cumin
A pinch of turmeric
A couple of curry leaves
1-2 onions, cut into half-moons
1-2 green chilies, sliced
A piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
Salt
Lemon juice
Cilantro (optional)

Boil and peel the potatoes, then dice into small cubes.

Heat oil in a pan over high heat. Add the mustard seeds. When they begin popping, add the cumin, turmeric, and curry leaves. Fry for a minute. Add the onions, chilies, and ginger, and fry the mixture for a few minutes. Add some water and salt to the potatoes. Cook over low/medium heat. After the mixture is cooked, season with lemon juice and cilantro.

Fried Cauliflower
Cauliflower
Whole coriander seeds
Rice flour
Chickpea flour
Salt
Chili powder

Make a batter from the coriander, flours, salt, and chili powder mixed with water until just liquid. Batter the cauliflower and deep-fry it. Serve with sweet Thai chili sauce.

Doodh Peda (condensed milk candies)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup sugar
Ground cardamom
Saffron

Cook all ingredients together over medium heat until caramelized. Let cool slightly, then roll into balls and let cool. These candies should be soft.