A quick bit about chicken dilruba ...

Midway through my attempt at making this tasty curry (which I've had only one time - at Haveli in Ottawa, a truly excellent restaurant) I realized:

Oh hey!  I totally forgot to document this.  Oh well, I'm sure I'll make it again - next time!

Psht.  So glad I didn't waste my time.  It did not turn out at all like I was expecting and was certainly nothing you'd want to see a photo of.  I ground the nuts by hand and I'm not sure I cooked it properly (the recipe was a little vague) so it wound up lumpy, pasty and dry rather than creamy and rich like the one at Haveli.  So sad.  Tasted all right, if completely different than chicken dilruba, so the leftovers will still be eaten.

Thoughts for next time:

• Verify that I was using Punjabi garam masala ... seems odd to specify Punjabi if there's not some other variety that shouldn't be used
• Swap yogurt or milk for cream or coconut milk ... I think it could be creamier and I've always liked everything I've used coconut milk in
• Get a bit more generous with the saffron (again, the recipe was a bit vague)
• Buy properly ground nuts or find a way to powder them myself

Hopefully I get a chance to iron out the kinks and try this again soon.  The original was definitely worth a bit of fiddling around to be able to make myself!

Food Blog: Pasta and meatballs.

I've been itching to make myself something home-cooked, cheap and cheerful for a week or so now.  I've also been reading a number of food blogs, including my friend Gord's site, which has got me somewhat inspired.  Since I've been enjoying photo-documenting my other adventures, I'd thought I'd give it a go with a culinary adventure.

My choice of recipe: a very straightforward meatball and tomato sauce recipe borrowed from Jamie Oliver (with a few adaptations for those of us not feeling like the walk to the good supermarket).  The meatball recipe is almost identical to a burger recipe of his I was a big fan of two summers ago (not that I hated it this summer, I just lacked a grill) so when I saw an idiot-proof 8-minute clip of this recipe my mind was made up.  At a little over £2 a serving and about 30 minutes cook time, the dish certainly makes for a sensible and tasty mid-week meal.

While usually I enjoy a challenge in the kitchen, I prefer taking them on when I'm at my mom's where I've got a full kitchen of equipment and a better stocked pantry at my disposal.  Here in Scotland, I'm trying to avoid accruing excess gear so I liked the idea of ten pretty standard and versatile ingredients (plus olive oil and salt, which I always have around).  


The meatballs turned out really well and were a breeze to make.  No hiccups on the first round is an A+ for any recipe as far as I'm concerned.  I'd recommend them to both seasoned cooks looking for a quick one-off after class as well as anyone who's a bit scared of anything involving more than heating and stirring.  The sauce tastes as simple as it looks, and is a healthy two-minute miracle when you don't have anything on hand.


This would work well when having guests, too; it's so foolproof that it'll turn out great and won't keep you tied up in your cooking.  Hit the jump for a walk through of my experience, I'll pop a short breakdown at the end to summarize.

The Edinburgh Zoo.

What better way to avoid the depressing list of to-do's that inevitably makes up a university student's late October weekend than with a trip to the zoo?  I certainly can't think of one!  Who has time to worry about overdue readings, overdue library books and quickly coming-due papers when watching animals frolic in their not-so-natural environments?

This marvelous opportunity arose thanks to America making the suggestion.  She's only here for the semester, which is both kind of sad and also very handy.  It's handy in that she's got a lot more drive to go see and do things around town, and usually asks for company (and we all know I work best when forced to by others).  Daylight is in short supply already, and the zoo takes note of that in November by closing earlier so no better time than the present to see what it's about!  As usual, I was very pleased for the invitation to a day out.  Hit the jump for a bit of photo-blogging, a link to the album and some commentary.  To come: observations on living six degrees below the arctic circle and the sunless state it puts you in.

London calling.

Having fully embraced Picasa and all the wonderful things it can do, I suppose it's high time I filled the internet void in on my recent travels to London. Game plan: day by day breakdown, possible photo accompaniments, and of course a link to my photo album from the adventure. Expect a lot of over-enthusiasm for contrast and colour adjustments - hopefully I get the hang of tasteful editing as this year goes on. But first, a quick weather update: The days are getting shorter (and I mean shorter) and there's a constant and noticeable chill. I'm determined not to turn on my heater yet, but I have broken out the woolly jumper May knitted me.
On to London!

Coming soon ...

I promise I'll have a nice long and (hopefully) entertaining update on my weekend of adventures in foggy Londontown. Well, actually it was quite sunny. Oddly sunny. But regardless, details are on their way! Get excited folks!

Three days to deadline

This is a very normal time for me to start working, so I'm not panicking. Nope, not at all. Well, not about this assignment, certainly. Things that are more likely to strike panic in my heart (well, until tomorrow night, when I will, in fact, start panicking about this assignment) might include:

Yogurt and an update on my weekend

Greetings! UK supermarkets are home to a multitude of unique and sometimes worrisome food items which include but are not limited to:

Fridge Raiders - "Our deliciously meaty Fridge Raiders come in bags, full of irresistible flavours" ... they are chunks of chicken in a bag. Surprisingly tasty.
Innocent Veg Pot - assorted vegetarian meals in resealable plastic pots. But if the vegetables are innocent too ...
And of course,
Muller Yogurt Corner - The most delicious thing you've ever had.

That final item happens to make up 80% of my fridge contents, by unit (the other two items are a bottle of wine and a single bottle of beer). Be proud! I'm eating healthy!

As for my weekend ...