Ok...what is that you may be asking? Ingredients include chick peas, fresh tomatoes, red onion, and a lot of spices such as coriander, salt, dry mango, pomegranate seeds, chili, cumin, musk melon (cantaloupe to most of us), pepper, salt, fenugreek leaves (say what?), cloves, mint, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom, caraway and mace....yes, it's an Indian dish. Masala means, big surprise, spice mixture; chana means chickpeas. This Chana masala was spicy and sweet and really cranked up in flavor and heat.
When I was visiting my brother in NYC this past weekend, he escorted me to Patel Brothers Market in Jackson Heights. He knew I'd love it and, I did. Patel Brothers Market carries everything from Ching's Hakka Egg Noodles to Parachute Coconut Oil to nearly 40 different curries. You can find this fabulous store online at www.patelbros.com and in 35 locations nationwide...so it's not your typical or local mom-n-pop, neighborhood Indian store, but it's amazing, nonetheless. Patel Brothers carry literally hundreds of spices and spice mixes. On one back wall I found numerous bags and tins of spices (paprika, curry) and in one amazing little corner we looked over ceiling-high shelves of boxed spice mixes for chicken, lamb, fish. After much searching, I bought a jar of Garam Masala curry paste with cinnamon and ginger; Fish Curry masala; Hot curry powder; and Tandoori Chicken masala, all for $8.00. Jai ho!
I have decided that for the rest of August we are cooking Indian. Tomorrow I will try out Tandoori Chicken masala, spiced and marinated in yogurt and then slow-cooked in my shiny, blue clay tandoori pot, I know this chicken will be delectable. And, I'm excited to finally use my tandoori pot which we received from my sister-in-law for our wedding several years ago and have never used....yet! We are having guests over for dinner. I hope they like spicy food! No worries, the cool mango lassi (that bright yellow yogurt, mango drink) we are also trying out should turn down the burn if their mouths are aflame :)
So, now my granddaughter is up and running...everywhere! Not to sound too mooshie but this is such a miracle! I know all about child development from my text books but it is such a different thing to watch and be a part of. You can watch it all unfold...first you crawl (or scoot in Addie's case) and then, up and off you go. Now she is imitating so much of what I do when I'm with her. She is bright and sweet and such a love.
My husband and I loved it but the caffeine in the chocolate
So many things to eat, so many things to play with.
Mango lassi (mango, yogurt, honey) is amped up a bit, and loved by Miss Bethany here, with rum! Oh yah.....
I have been to New York to visit my brother at least as many years as he's lived there (16). He usually escorts me to the same places each time. We wander through Soho as I am inspired by all the art. We visit Dean and Deluca to gawk at all the amazing pastries, breads, canned goods and spices from all over the world. But this trip we went to a new place for lunch, the Jackson Diner (thanks to Andy for the suggestion). Kind of a funny name for an Indian restaurant, but wow....what a lunch. Between 12 and 5 or something like that, this restaurant serves a huge Indian buffet full of interesting chicken, vegetable and lamb dishes. I can't stand lamb so avoided those but the tandori chicken and the curry chicken were spicy hot and delicious. I didn't like the spinach dish but loved the roasted vegetables. And the chick pea masala was really tasty. I also ate a huge chick pea flour tortilla the size of a giant platter, which had a potato filling and was rolled into a long tube. Amazing with the sweet sauce you dipped it in. The naan was kind of cold and somewhat plain but good anyway. Little side note here, nothing beats the naan at Naan and Curry in San Francisco. They make fresh and delicious, warm naan with potato, curry and pea filling right in front of you! I read a bunch of reviews of Jackson Diner dating back to 2005. I guess Hillary Clinton has dined there. I also see that not everybody has been happy with the service and some complain about it not being as clean as they'd like. But, the food, especially this buffet, was really delicious and inexpensive. I know when I return to New York soon with my husband, we'll be checking this place out again for another yummy lunch.
I'll take the black quilted leather side pouch ankle boots for $1295 and throw in that brown pair, too. Just put it all on my account. I know many of the well-coifed and perfectly dressed women we saw wandering around the Chanel store on 5th Avenue were doing just that. Of course, then, there were lots of people like me, summer tourists who embarrass their siblings who actually live in New York, by walking around in slow motion pointing with their mouths half open. New York City (from Jackson Heights...this really cool Indian section with delicious curry and women walking around in fabulous, colorful, sparkly saris) to Times Square (what an amazing place to be as the sun sets and all the buildings light up) is jaw dropping and I've been here 10 times. I get the side of New York that makes people want to move. It is dirty. When I come home after a day out the first thing I am relatively obsessed with doing is washing my hands with antiseptic. It is crowded. You have to get that "bite me" attitude as you try to navigate the crowded sidewalks in some sections of New York. People can be distant and unfriendly. On the subways, for example, people have a variety of ways of keeping their world small. Many wear sunglasses or listen to their i-Pods, watch a movie or read a book. Some sleep. Nobody makes eye contact. But, I love New York and am so grateful my brother moved here 16 years ago as I never would have had the chance to even dream of wearing those fancy Chanel boots if I hadn't seen them in this window display :)
