Oxtail Stout Pot Pies
Many of the books I read as a child were by the British author Enid Blyton - Famous Five and Secret Seven series. I loved them! These kids were having so much fun and solving mysteries to boot! I lived vicariously through their fictitious adventures. But, sprinkled liberally in these books were mentions of British foods! Pies, jams, puddings, teas .. so much more. I fell in love with these delights, without an inkling of what they were or ever having sighted most of them!
Since then, I have developed a lifelong reverence of pies - sweet at first. But, as I grew older and got into more classics and Victorian/Edwardian fiction, the savory kinds. Bakewell tarts, Spotted dicks, cherry pies, steak and kidney pies, stout pies …
Spaghetti and Meatballs : Italian after all?
Italian cuisine is one of America's favorite ones and, indeed, Italians constitute 6% of the US population. But, the forever question has been is "Is the Italian food eaten in the US really Italian?"
Does the infamous spaghetti-meatballs dish really have no Italian origins?
The truthful answer to that is that is "It's complicated"...
One Pot Roast Away From Happy...
Summer may not be the season you may associate with lamb roasts. But there are two great reasons you should make them now.
1. It's a one pot meal, which, means more time with your wine bottle, feet up.
2. This is high time for the meat as well as the herbs and produce. So everything tastes amazing with little work!
Nargisi Kofta Curry
Back into the action of the week, after a three day weekend, it feels strangely not disconcerting. Perhaps, that is a truly relaxing weekend. One that leaves you nurtured and nourished for the coming week despite the onslaught of more bitter cold.
And, this week, I am going to make more hearty, warming meals. With a little meat and a lot of vegetables and more eggs. Eggs are good. Actually, good eggs are really good.
The recipe today is called Nargisi Kofta. I am not really sure of it why it is named thus but it definitely harkens to Persian origins. Notstanding the name, the style of cooking is a definite give away of it having been an import of the Mughal conquest into North India. But, much like a lot of the cuisine knowledge they brought and shared, the Persian influences in Indian cuisine, is much beloved. This dish is another testament of it.
