East Indian Lamb Curry

Soooo... If you are ever in the position where you have leftover lamb that you don't know what to do with, then this recipe is for you. Seriously, this recipe is for you. It is delicious, restaurant quality food. Wait, why do we say restaurant quality, when everyone know that home cooked meals are far superior than restaurants?  Hmm.
Anyway, I am going to try this recipe with chicken next to see if it will do well. Or maybe pork.  It was sort of complicated. My mom's recipes usually are. By the way, I DID NOT cook this. My mom did!  People think that I am always coming out with amazing food. Well... I am. But at least half of what I post is my mom's creations. I always try to give her credit though.

Notice there is no actual curry powder in this recipe. That is because curry is made of all these other spices. My mom ended up creating her own curry. If you love Indian food, you will probably love this. It was so rich in flavor.  And not linear flavor, but there was a depth to the flavorings.

East Indian Lamb Curry

Substituted chili for cayenne, did not chop up pepper. In addition, grated fresh ginger instead of paste, did not add tomato. Simmered meat with first group of seasoning for about 20-30 minutes, then add all other ingredients except yogurt (only had buttermilk) Once onions tender, add buttermilk (yogurt in future) and turned off the heat and stirred it in. Took cardamom seeds out of pod. Scooped out the cloves, seeds and bay leaves before adding onions and spices.

1 1/2 lbs. boneless lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
1 black cardamom pod
1 (2 inch) cinnamon sticks
10 peppercorns
4 whole cloves
1 1/2 large onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 green chili pepper, chopped (optional)
salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:
1 Heat oil in large pan; add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves.
2 When leaves begin to sizzle and fragrance starts to release, add onions and sauté until light golden, about 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently.
3 Stir in the ginger paste, garlic, chili pepper, and lamb.
4 Season the lamb with salt; continue cooking, stirring mix, for about 20 minutes more, adding a little water if necessary to keep food from sticking.
5 Add turmeric, coriander powder, cayenne, and garam masala; stir for 5 minutes, adding 2 tablespoons water.
6 Add diced tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
7 Then add 4 cups of water and simmer for 15 minutes, or until meat is getting tender.
8 Lower the heat
9 Whisk the yogurt with a fork; and add to the pot slowly.
10 Then cook until meat is done to your liking and sauce is thickened.
11 Garnish with cilantro leaves.
12 Serve with steamed basmati rice

 If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. - Tolkien

Classic 50's Chippy's Diner

Mom and I tried out the new diner in Escondido. Chippy's Diner took over the Metaphor Café, which is awesome because it was seedy to begin with. Grosser once it was abandoned. Chippy's is on the corner of E. 2nd Ave and Juniper.  They just opened up this past February. You can check out the article in the Union Tribune.

I liked their look. Full of black and white checks, some vintage décor, old Coke stuff. It was quiet when we went there as it was lunch time. However, they are still brand new and have not even completed renovating. Part of the eating area was curtained off because they haven't completed that part yet. One day they probably will have juke boxes and more wall art, but they aren't quite there yet. I just like to support local establishments, especially one's that are trying to get up and running. I know how that is, after working for 2 locally and independently owned establishments.

Besides all that, the food was pretty good. Mom got a Reuben and I bought a cheeseburger. The cheeseburger was very good. I feel that if the meat is not marinated or flavored in some way, it is BORING!  This was not. The owner was a chef for several restaurants before this, so he knows his stuff. Oh, and besides, they serve Coca Cola, not Pepsi!  So booyah Pepsi lovers.

But the fries were what I loved the most. Their signature fries are served with scatterings of balsamic vinegar and minced garlic and sprinkled with parsley and parmesan cheese. Very delightful.

And don't forget the pickle!

They leave you with little candies with the check too. Saltwater taffy and bubble gum. So cute.

Eat Pray Love

Well, I decided to start this blog because everyone is always asking me about my food pictures. I never used to like to cook, in fact, I hated cooking a few years ago. Growing up, my mom stuck to the basics because I am sure we whined a lot about trying new foods. So Hamburger Helper and Mac n Cheese were our friends. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I love Mac n Cheese to this day.
After moving out of the house, I ruined Rice a Roni, twice. So I decided that cooking was not for me. Besides, at the time, I had my own private chef who was great, inventive, and loved to cook. I gradually tried again, and discovered I could make awesome tuna salad and that I inherited my dad's ability to make great omelets.

I actually love to eat. I love eating out. I love trying new foods. I love trying new restaurants. I love eating at local places whenever I travel. In fact, I ate my way through my New York trip. Well, who hasn't done that. It was on my trip to PEI all by myself that I really began to discover  that I enjoyed new things. (For those of you who don't know PEI, read Anne of Green Gables.)

Learn a book, Seth!

I won't be posting regularly by any means. I am a grad student so it isn't like I can cook every day. So just get over it!  :)

And sorry if you don't get my literary, movie, TV, or random SNL references that I might scatter about. Plus, I will probably scatter random nature photos. I mean, why not?

I will be king. Stick with me and you'll never go hungry again!