Monday, February 28, 2011

Spicy Eggplant and Potato Curry

I found this dish at my favorite Indian restaurant in San Francisco among the vegetarian curries. Eggplant was a novel vegetable for me, but a standard and versatile vegetable in places as diverse as India and Italy. Small and large eggplants work equally well. Serve with brown rice or whole grain flat bread.


Ingredients
BASE
1 medium onion peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seed ground
1/4 tsp red chili flakes ground
1/8 tsp black peppercorns ground
1/2 inch ginger peeled and chopped or grated
2 cloves garlic peeled, crushed and chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
MAIN
1/2 large eggplant with skin, diced (4-6 cups)
2 medium potatoes peeled and diced
FINISH
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, torn

Preparation
To grind whole spices: Grind cumin seed, red chili flakes and black peppercorns into coarse powder in spice grinder. Set aside.
To start base: Brown onion, lowering heat once it colors, 10-12 min. Add splash of water, garlic, ginger, and ground spices, and simmer 2-3 min. Then add chopped eggplant and potatoes, and continue to simmer without a lid; as eggplants cook they will release enough water to cook the potatoes, and when water escapes, the sauce with thicken, 30-45 min.
To finish: Mix in garam masala, continue simmer 5 min, adding or boiling water as necessary for moist gravy thickness. Garnish with fresh corriander leaves and serve hot with brown rice or whole wheat flatbread.

Spicy Cauliflower and Potato, Aloo Ghobi

This curry starts with a vegetable flavor base of browned onion and tomato, with aromatics and freshly ground whole spices. I like to think of cauliflower as the main ingredient, with potato added. The common Indian name Aloo Gobi has this reversed, potatoes and cauliflower. This dish served dry also makes a good filling for a whole wheat pita.


Ingredients
BASE
1 med onion sliced
2 med plum tomatoes diced
1 inch ginger peeled, chopped or grated
2 cloves garlic peeled, crushed and chopped
1 tsp cumin seed ground
1 tsp coriander seed ground
1/4 tsp red chili pepper ground
1/8 tsp black peppercorn ground
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp salt
MAIN
1 small head cauliflower chopped (or 1/2 large head)
2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
FINISH
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 handful fresh cilantro chopped

Preparation
To grind whole spices: Grind cumin seed, corriander seeds, red chili pepper flakes and black peppercorns into coarse powder in spice grinder. Set aside. This step can be done while browning onions, along with prepping the main ingredients.
To start base: Brown onion, lowering heat once it colors, 10-12 min. Add splash of water, ginger, garlic, and ground spices, and simmer 2-3 min.
Main: Then add chopped cauliflower and potatoes, stir, cover and continue to simmer, 30-45 min.
To finish: Uncover and mix in garam masala, continue simmer 5 min, adding or boiling water as necessary for moist gravy thickness. Garnish with fresh corriander leaves and serve hot with brown rice or whole wheat flatbread.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

My Profile

Lori, My Partner
My partner of 14 years, Lori, was diagnosed with cancer, and passed away 2-1/2 years later, on July 9, 2010.
We were both engineers in Silicon Valley. When Lori moved to Silicon Valley we both worked at the same company. From almost the first date we became partners. Together we worked, we vacationed, and made a home.


In Memory
Every day I cook in the kitchen, I say never again.
Lori wanted to warn and help her friends and family avoid her tragedy. But we never figured out how.
Through cooking I give my own meaning and memory to Lori's struggle.

Warning
How did we miss the warnings? Lori had a severe phobia of doctors and dentists, and before meeting, she hadn't been to a dentist or doctor since childhood. So early detection really wasn't an option for Lori.
I believe that, for Lori, prevention was the only thing that would have worked, but also in every case, that prevention would be preferable to medicine. We had friends and colleagues die from cancer, yet no one warned us, specifically, to eat whole plants, get plenty of sun, activity and rest, and avoid junk, processed products, meat and dairy. But unless practical and fun, the warning might not have done any good.

My Cooking
I'm an amateur cook, not counting low paying high school and college jobs. Without any sisters, and single, I kept a few cookbooks handy. Silicon Valley is mostly about restaurant food, and I only started cooking every day when my partner Lori was diagnosed with cancer.
Farmer's Markets, Whole Foods Market, and a weekly farm Community Supported Agriculture produce box supplied our kitchen.
Kris Carr and Dr. John McDougall became our food heroes.

Help Me
I'd like to stop cancer from ever happening. More than 50 years and hundreds of billions in cancer research failed Lori when she needed it. Prevention is nothing more than rediscovering what we used to know, back when cancer was uncommon.
I don't have all the answers, but I'm trying to figure it out one meal at a time.
This blog is for all of our family, friends, neighbors and colleagues, to remember, warn, hopefully tempt, and ask for your help.
Good years and health are priceless.