Chicken Korma

I had to suffer through some bad news last week. Beta Wife came home last Monday and said, “why don't you sit down.” She explained that our favorite (and most convenient) Indian restaurant, Khana Khazana, had closed. We had just picked up dinner on Friday and had seen no signs of impending closure. There was no warning, except the subtle signs I failed to notice...the oversized condiments and the free mango lassi. And then on Monday, brown paper over windows with Sharpie-written block letters: “Coming soon, Ms. Wally's cafe.” After the initial shock, came anger...then betrayal. Then came the desire to stamp my foot and throw a tantrum involving the repeated statement: NO FAIR.

But I'm a survivor. If I can't walk down the street to pick up my Friday night Indian fare, then dammit, I'll just make my own. I did a little research, found a few recipes, and used the ingredients I thought most closely resembled the flavor profile of my late Khana Khazana favorites, Chicken Korma and Saag Paneer. The korma was our favorite of the pair, so I'm putting that recipe up first (recipe for the saag coming soon). It is magically delicious and probably a good bit healthier than ordering at a restaurant. So there, Khana Khazana. Turns out I didn't need you after all.

Chicken Korma

1 pound boneless chicken breasts (or thighs), cut into pieces
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 cardamom pods, crushed/broken
4-5 cloves, whole
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
5-6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground red pepper (hot or mild, choose your heat level)
½ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp ground allspice
1 tsp kosher salt
1 heaping cup plain yogurt, low fat
2-3 oz heavy cream
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup roasted almonds, ground*
oil for sauteing (I used sunflower oil)

1. Sauté the onion, cardamom pods, and whole cloves until onion is soft.

2. Add the garlic, ginger, and chicken, sauté for 5-6 minutes, or until chicken is lightly browned.

3. Add all remaining spices, coriander through allspice. Stir for about one minute or until mixture is fragrant.

4. Stir in in the yogurt, cream, chicken stock and tomato paste. Mix well, then add the ground almonds.

5. Cover and bring to hard simmer; remove lid, reduce heat, and cook uncovered until the sauce is reduced to cream-like consistency, or about 35-40 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Serve with rice—I prefer Jasmine or Basmati—or a piece of Naan. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro, or top with chopped cilantro. Feel free to add more red pepper to taste.

*To make ground almonds, take regular, whole roasted almonds and throw them in the food processor until coarsely ground.

The Sazerac, The Saints, The Superbowl

In honor of the Saints finally making it to the Superbowl, this Sunday's beverage of choice will be the Sazerac. Of course I will probably be backing the Colts, but I still want to give the New Orleans crew the props they deserve. The Sazerac, a classic cocktail created in the Big Easy, is one of my favorite drinks. The Sazerac is relatively simple, and its two most defining ingredients, Herbsaint and Peychaud's bitters, are New Orleans traditions.

Herbsaint, an anise flavored liqueur similar to Pernod or Absinthe, was first released in 1934 in New Orleans. It was called Legendre Absinthe at the time, but ― though the recipe never contained wormwood and was not actually absinthe ― the Department of Agriculture had their trousers in a twist and made them change the name so there would not be any confusion. Peychaud's, a bright red gentian based bitters was created by a creole apothecary somewhere around the year 1830. This fellow Peychaud is also said to have had a hand in developing the Sazerac cocktail, which became quite popular in the 1850's. Both products are owned by the New Orleans based company, Sazerac. Speaking of which...

The Sazerac

1 sugar cube
1 tsp Herbsaint (or similar liqueur)
2-3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
2 oz rye whiskey*
1 hearty strip of lemon peel

Tools: pint glass, zester, bar spoon

In a single rocks glass (lately I've taken to using a stemless wine glass for my Sazerac) add the Herbsaint and rinse the glass. Discard the extra liqueur. Add the sugar cube (I usually use a half) and add the bitters. Dissolve/crush the sugar with a spoon. Pour the rye into a pint glass filled with ice and stir for 20-30 seconds. Pour into glass (sans ice) and zest the lemon peel into the drink.

*Rye whiskey, not bourbon.

Cold Weather Beer

After I made a list of the my favorite seasonal brews this year, I realized they were all local, Northern California beers. And that made me think of how much really good beer is in this area, which made me think of SF Beer Week, which happens to start tomorrow. Read on...

Monks Blood, 21st Amendment
San Francisco, CA

This is a complicated beer. It's not like any dark lager I've had before. In fact I'd almost compare its flavor profile to a cola. It's like a beer soda! And I know, I know, that sounds totally nasty. Right now some of you have just had terrible flashbacks involving VitaMalt, but just go with me on this one. Pricey, but worth the splurge, at about $2.5 a can.


Brown Shugga, Lagunitas
Petaluma, CA

I've yet to try a Lagunitas beer I don't like, but this one is particularly satisfying. (Just for the name alone, five stars.) A sturdy winter beer that I think would pair well with chili or some sort of meaty stew. Think toasty caramel and crème brûlée.

Gingerbread Ale, Bison Brewing
Berkeley, CA

Bison Brewing in Berkeley makes some pretty darn tasty -- and organic -- beer. Nice hints of ginger and cinnamon spice. Not a “flavored” beer by any means. Picks up where fall pumpkin beer leaves off.

AND

Chocolate Stout, Bison Brewing

The Chocolate stout is amazing. In fact, in a blind tasting, I'll bet you could mistake it for a Young's Double Chocolate stout. I mean, if you hadn't had one in a while.

And don't forget that Friday is the start of SF Beer Week (Feb. 5-14). For a full list of events in the Bay Area check out their website!

An Unlikely Pair: Boccalone and Humphry Slocombe

the empty wrapper -- I love that they include an "!" in the title

I was recently with friends buying some of my all-time favorite meaty treat, mortadella, at Boccalone a couple of weeks ago when I saw the strangest thing up at the counter. Candy. Caramels specifically, so I asked the meat tender to tell me just what in the heck was going on. Turns out, these caramels are crafted by SF ice cream maker Humphry Slocombe, and made with lard from Boccalone. Holy sh*t! Caramels made with lard? We got a pack and tasted them immediately. I admit, I was skeptical about the whole idea—was it perhaps good in theory and a let-down in execution? I didn't want my expectations to be too high...


They are, in fact, amazing. (Though from our "tasting panel," one person out of four was not impressed.) The caramel is ridiculously soft. You can taste the lard--it's creamy and rich, but doesn't coat your tongue. I kept expecting to find a little piece of ham in there somewhere. I probably should not even be telling you this, considering these little nuggets are hard to get ahold of already. But just in case you're picking up a salumi cone at the Ferry Building and spot them, you'll know. Don't hesitate; when you change your mind and go back the next day... all gone.

FYI--4 pieces for $3.50

Boccalone
Ferry Building Marketplace
Shop 21
415-433-6500

Who Invited the Cheese Doodle?

So there's this guy who takes wire and everyday objects, often food items, and he makes art. Exciting? Okay, the description doesn't do the work justice, you have to see it to get it. But I think that you'll come to the following conclusion: freakin' AWESOME. Terry Border, an artist with a penchant for twisting wires around, creates clever scenes depicting the secrets of lonely lemons, the surprising affair of the cheesey poof and tater chip, and of course, what happens when legumes go bad (see zombie peanuts.) It takes the phrase “playing with your food” to a new level. Check out his book, Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things. For an instant fix you can visit Terry's blog, Bent Objects.

Thanks to Terry for letting me use these images for your immense enjoyment.