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Shrooms! Garam masala!
I never knew you could grow your own mushrooms indoors, before this one entry in ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
food_porn. But I looooove mushrooms, it sounds easy to grow, and so now I've ordered this! Not from that place, though, because they're closed due to moving or whatever. But I liked their pictures/descriptions. :D There are all sorts of mushroom kits available, but I decided to go with the mushroom I use most in my cooking, white button. I figure they're a safe start, and if all goes well, I can be a little more adventurous in what mushrooms to grow.
The only problem is, I've consistently read that they need cold temperatures, like 45°F/15°C, and I'm not sure it gets that cold in my house anymore now that spring/summer is arriving (although, yes, the weather has spited me and it's coldish/rainy now). :-S I know, like I needed more challenges in nurturing living things. I don't even know how cold my fridge is -- but even if it were the right temp (not too cold), should one really be growing fungus in one's fridge? Is that ... sanitary? I think I'm just going to have to stick the kit in my basement area (though it's not really underground so can it be called a basement?) and hope for the best. And if it doesn't work out, I won't give up ... I'll just try again in the winter, when the weather will be more conducive to mushroom growing.
So I'm almost ready to make the Chicken Tikka Masala. I got the last of the ingredients yesterday (sans cilantro -- try as I might, I just cannot stand it), as well as a humbling lesson. I had done my original shopping at Fred Meyer, because it's newer/cleaner/fancier (they have a whole section of the store dedicated a Whole Foods-like atmosphere, with all the organic choices you'd find at WF, spices in jars, etc.). However I could not find any garam masala. The recipe says I can find it in the spice aisle, so I looked there for sooooo long. Couldn't find it in the Hispanic/Asian food aisle either, or the organic herb section. Went out to my car and realized that I was a Bad Mommy and I had forgotten to get dog food. >< So I figured, fine, I'll just get that from the run-down, crappy Safeway and at the same time check for garam masala there, because why not, even though they probably won't have it? You guessed it -- their paltry (compared to FM) spice aisle had garam masala. And lucky for me, it was crazily discounted, probably because no one buys it. (Is that why FM doesn't bother to stock it?) The moral is: Don't get too big for your britches when it comes to grocery shopping. So I bought them all, in case I never find it again. But do spices go bad?
And they had avocadoes for $1 each! Okay, they weren't Haas, but they'll work just fine in salads and such.
Edit: I'm so easily influenced. After reading this entry, I had to try burfi and soan cake for myself. Wondering if there were any Indian bakeries near me, I Googled around ... and came across an article that made me suddenly remember the Indian bakery/market near me that I've passed by a dozen times, but never had the interest to check out!! Both the bakery and the market are offshoots of my favorite Indian restaurant here. At the market I bought a box of the soan cakes as well as some Weetabix. (I NEVER see that in American supermarkets! My family lived in England before coming to the States, so growing up I was introduced to a weird mix of cultures. Mmmm Weetabix is so much better than regular cereal.) Then I went to the bakery and got some burfi -- but there were so many choices that I had her box up a piece of each kind. :D The descriptions at the journal linked above are quite accurate. The first bite of burfi really reminds me of the consistency of fudge, but when you actually eat it, it doesn't have nearly the same kind of cloying sweetness that renders me unable to eat much fudge at one time. It becomes almost like a really moist and rich cookie -- only not. (So far I have really enjoyed the coconut, mango, and almond ones.) The soan is good too, but it's a little too 'fluffy' and sweet for me. So full now glurg.
Oh and irony of ironies -- of course they had pounds and pounds of garam masala at the market. *facepalm*
food_porn. But I looooove mushrooms, it sounds easy to grow, and so now I've ordered this! Not from that place, though, because they're closed due to moving or whatever. But I liked their pictures/descriptions. :D There are all sorts of mushroom kits available, but I decided to go with the mushroom I use most in my cooking, white button. I figure they're a safe start, and if all goes well, I can be a little more adventurous in what mushrooms to grow.The only problem is, I've consistently read that they need cold temperatures, like 45°F/15°C, and I'm not sure it gets that cold in my house anymore now that spring/summer is arriving (although, yes, the weather has spited me and it's coldish/rainy now). :-S I know, like I needed more challenges in nurturing living things. I don't even know how cold my fridge is -- but even if it were the right temp (not too cold), should one really be growing fungus in one's fridge? Is that ... sanitary? I think I'm just going to have to stick the kit in my basement area (though it's not really underground so can it be called a basement?) and hope for the best. And if it doesn't work out, I won't give up ... I'll just try again in the winter, when the weather will be more conducive to mushroom growing.
So I'm almost ready to make the Chicken Tikka Masala. I got the last of the ingredients yesterday (sans cilantro -- try as I might, I just cannot stand it), as well as a humbling lesson. I had done my original shopping at Fred Meyer, because it's newer/cleaner/fancier (they have a whole section of the store dedicated a Whole Foods-like atmosphere, with all the organic choices you'd find at WF, spices in jars, etc.). However I could not find any garam masala. The recipe says I can find it in the spice aisle, so I looked there for sooooo long. Couldn't find it in the Hispanic/Asian food aisle either, or the organic herb section. Went out to my car and realized that I was a Bad Mommy and I had forgotten to get dog food. >< So I figured, fine, I'll just get that from the run-down, crappy Safeway and at the same time check for garam masala there, because why not, even though they probably won't have it? You guessed it -- their paltry (compared to FM) spice aisle had garam masala. And lucky for me, it was crazily discounted, probably because no one buys it. (Is that why FM doesn't bother to stock it?) The moral is: Don't get too big for your britches when it comes to grocery shopping. So I bought them all, in case I never find it again. But do spices go bad?
And they had avocadoes for $1 each! Okay, they weren't Haas, but they'll work just fine in salads and such.
Edit: I'm so easily influenced. After reading this entry, I had to try burfi and soan cake for myself. Wondering if there were any Indian bakeries near me, I Googled around ... and came across an article that made me suddenly remember the Indian bakery/market near me that I've passed by a dozen times, but never had the interest to check out!! Both the bakery and the market are offshoots of my favorite Indian restaurant here. At the market I bought a box of the soan cakes as well as some Weetabix. (I NEVER see that in American supermarkets! My family lived in England before coming to the States, so growing up I was introduced to a weird mix of cultures. Mmmm Weetabix is so much better than regular cereal.) Then I went to the bakery and got some burfi -- but there were so many choices that I had her box up a piece of each kind. :D The descriptions at the journal linked above are quite accurate. The first bite of burfi really reminds me of the consistency of fudge, but when you actually eat it, it doesn't have nearly the same kind of cloying sweetness that renders me unable to eat much fudge at one time. It becomes almost like a really moist and rich cookie -- only not. (So far I have really enjoyed the coconut, mango, and almond ones.) The soan is good too, but it's a little too 'fluffy' and sweet for me. So full now glurg.
Oh and irony of ironies -- of course they had pounds and pounds of garam masala at the market. *facepalm*
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Did we ever decide if this Thursday was good to get together, and if so, where we were gonna go?
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As for the spices...I don't think they go bad as long as they're sealed. When I put together a spice rub, I don't let it sit around for more than 6 months.
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soan papdi makes me sick, I've never been able to stomach more than a bite of it. I love that you never thought of the market :)
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There was actually a box of soan cake and a box of soan papdi. I opted for the cake because the sales girl said it was 'softer.' I'll probably pass on it in the future and just go for the burfi. :D
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And it is nice to find someone else in this day and age who can't stand cilantro! :)
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As I've grown older, I've been able to eat things that I never truly enjoyed, out of sheer laziness or familiarity. Cilantro is not one of those things. Its flavor is *unmistakable*, and eating even a bit of it can ruin a whole dish for me. I don't know what it is; I like to think of myself as being a very open-minded diner, so having these total anti-cilantro taste buds can be annoying sometimes. But yes, any time I meet someone else who hates the stuff is like meeting a long-lost relative. :)) Cilantro haters, unite!
Also, this is very long overdue, but I have been LOVING your most recent story. Wine is one of those things that is a complete mystery to me -- and probably always will be, because I'm somewhat allergic to alcohol and have no taste for it -- although it always fascinates me to read about. Last year there was an article in the LA Times about this guy who really knew his wines, and he always chose the wine when he and his friends dined out, he and his wife drank the same wine every anniversary since their first but he was running out of bottles, etc., and I just loved it. I really, really enjoy learning about all that stuff, and love that there are people out there who can make such distinctions even if I myself cannot. Anyway, your story is wonderful in that sense -- especially the analogies you make between wines/characters (I find it interesting that Draco has not yet chosen a wine for Ginny -- deliberate on your part, I'm sure; the question is whether or not he ever will). And your notes at the end are just as pleasurable to read as the story! Now if I ever have a question about wines, I'll know who to go to... ;)
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As far as cilantro goes, I can handle it in very small quantities. But even then, it significantly reduces my pleasure in a dish. Everyone in my family loves it, which can occasionally make meals awkward. But I guess you probably know all about that.
I'm glad that you are enjoying my story. Actually, that is an understatement. I did manage to contain myself, but I almost did a happy dance when I read your comment. It means a lot to me that a writer of your caliber can say such positive things about my writing. I was a little concerned at first that the story (particularly the notes) wouldn't interest people who don't drink wine, so it is especially nice for me to hear that you find it worth reading. And if you do have a question about wine, I'd be happy to try to answer, but I am afraid that I am coming across as much more knowledgeable than I really am. It is amazing how much you can learn from books, not to mention the internet!