Working On Their Taste Buds
I've attempted in the past, to well-round the kids' culinary habits. It hasn't worked well so far. Right at the top of the list of things they'd rather eat, are junk fast food and homemade junk-like fast food. I am determined to make them try new things. And, thus began my foray into Indian cooking. I have not had a previous fondness for Indian cooking. Then, last summer, I had some of the most scrumptious Curry Chicken one could ever hope to have. At Manitoulin camp, no less! But, we came home and it wasn't until this past month that I've really given it much more thought. I hit the library and found a delightful cookbook outlining various and sundry curry recipes.
It was a most enlightening cookbook, too. It covers many dishes from all over the country (I had no idea that foods varied so much there.). There is a wonderful section in the beginning listing out spices and what they look like, how to use them, how to store them. There is a section for breads-what kinds are eaten where, how to make them, what to serve them with. It's been a real treat to read this book.
So, I've made Thursdays my unofficial Indian dinner day. While the kids have not taken to everything I've made, they have liked some of the dishes I've tried. So far, we've had Rogan Josh, Coconut Chicken, Chicken in Cashew Sauce, and Tikka Marsala. I tried my hand at making a traditional Naan (bread) and it...well, it didn't look exactly like the picture, but it did have good flavor. Maybe another try is in order.
I've had a lot of fun with the spices, too. I'm cooking with things I've never really used before. Ok, I don't do much cooking period, but this is a real plunge into the world of food with flavor. I stocked up on all sorts of crazy things like...anise. And Cumin SEEDS. And I've made my own spice mixtures. I made Garam Masala. All by myself. It was crazy. The house just wreaked (in a good way) of spices when I got done with the Garam Masala and one other one I made-I forget the name of it now, but it's quite pungent-I can't wait to try it out.
This month of Indian cooking has been a pleasant experience, I think. I'd like to keep it up. Maybe branch out into some really crazy stuff. Like prawns. There are some downright tasty looking dishes in that book. But, I've got to start them off slow. No sense scaring the kids. Or scarring them.
It was a most enlightening cookbook, too. It covers many dishes from all over the country (I had no idea that foods varied so much there.). There is a wonderful section in the beginning listing out spices and what they look like, how to use them, how to store them. There is a section for breads-what kinds are eaten where, how to make them, what to serve them with. It's been a real treat to read this book.
So, I've made Thursdays my unofficial Indian dinner day. While the kids have not taken to everything I've made, they have liked some of the dishes I've tried. So far, we've had Rogan Josh, Coconut Chicken, Chicken in Cashew Sauce, and Tikka Marsala. I tried my hand at making a traditional Naan (bread) and it...well, it didn't look exactly like the picture, but it did have good flavor. Maybe another try is in order.
I've had a lot of fun with the spices, too. I'm cooking with things I've never really used before. Ok, I don't do much cooking period, but this is a real plunge into the world of food with flavor. I stocked up on all sorts of crazy things like...anise. And Cumin SEEDS. And I've made my own spice mixtures. I made Garam Masala. All by myself. It was crazy. The house just wreaked (in a good way) of spices when I got done with the Garam Masala and one other one I made-I forget the name of it now, but it's quite pungent-I can't wait to try it out.
Here is my Chicken in Cashew Sauce. It was ever so yummy, but viewed with suspicious by the progeny. It was the white button mushrooms that put this dish on the "dislike" list.
My ever so pitiful Naan. The recipe, which I thought I followed precisely, stated at the end that you are to pull the bread into a "traditional pear shape". It was at that point of so-called "pulling" that my bread broke like glass, chucks of dry dough went flying and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So, I rolled out the dough, and baked it anyway. Oh and I'm convinced that my broiler goes immediately from white bread to burnt bread is 2.2 seconds.
This month of Indian cooking has been a pleasant experience, I think. I'd like to keep it up. Maybe branch out into some really crazy stuff. Like prawns. There are some downright tasty looking dishes in that book. But, I've got to start them off slow. No sense scaring the kids. Or scarring them.
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