15 October Saturday

As all the fresh produce ages at a rate that outpaces my eating it, it goes where all such things go- into the minestrone pot. That´s where the remaining farmer´s market produce went earlier this week, and seemingly on cue, the fog rolled in, the air got cold, and the summer produce was over.

Last night a few friends came by, and I hadn´t really planned anything for food, so when folk got hungry, out came the soup pot. I broke up some spaghetti noodles, dropped them in water, got out the bag of shredded cheese, and dinner was served. It was a delicious requiem for the passed season. It was a pantry clearer, as I call it, where several items are completely used up. Now, the fridge is basically empty, a blank canvas. I was offered, for the first time this year, a pumpkin item. It´s time. Time to pumpkin.

I´ve made a list of things on sale at the market, including squash and pears, and chuck roast. I haven´t made a beef stew in a while, maybe even a couple of years. Wait a moment. Silently waiting in the fridge, a package of boneless, skinless, chicken breasts I had intended to put in the soup before I decided to go veg with it. So, before I do the pot roast, I´m going to make Makhani Murgh with Naan and dal. Now that´s a surprise turn.

It´s a cold and grey day, and I´m watching a movie about gigantic ants laying siege to Los Angeles. The city is under martial law as the ants march toward the city. On the stove top, a braiser filled with thick deep orange liquid giving up a heavenly scent of cumin and Garam Masala. If you keep an active pantry, and you should, you will know that buying spices in smaller quantities means ya go through them more quickly, means they are fresher, means the dish tastes much brighter and more vibrant than their curry house counterparts.

This beautiful sauce is tangier, more flavorful, and less bland-creamy than a restaurant sauce. It improves with a little rest after the trauma of being cooked. While it rests, I´ll make some yellow dal and Naan to go with it. It is more sauce than anything, there´s not much chicken, so maybe some basmati rice would be good.

Well, the ants were eventually burned and the good people of Los Angeles were spared a gruesome end, this time. Now, Spencer Tracey will play Dr. Jekyll AND Mr. Hyde. The couplet caption beneath the photo was sung by Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd. This role was originally played by Angela Lansbury, the great actress who died earlier this week. So, this Indian dinner will be eaten in her memory.

Now the yellow dal is cooking, and the rich scent of turmeric and ginger fills the air. I must say where the last movie was unbelievably stupid, this Jekyll and Hyde is amazing. This movie is being shown on one of those channels that has really long commercials that include an elderly woman laying at the bottom of the staircase near an overturned laundry basket. Absolutely hilarious!!

Now naan is possible in your oven, even a Magic Chef. That beautiful baby, the Magic Chef, has really worked her magic over the last thirteen years. When you bring the temperature to the highest, and you let the baking stone get hotter and hotter, the raw dough hits with a sear, and in three minutes, crisp, thin, tangy, tandoori simulated bread comes out of the oven, as above. So then, the whole meal:

The full meal. The Makhani Murgh, the Dal with cumin, red chili flake, and garlic, the Basmati rice, the naan. As predicted, the spice level was higher and more vibrant and well, a little spicier. It didn´t blow my brains out, but there was a lingering and satisfying effect in both the chicken and the dal. The dal in particular was really good. When the lentils were completely cooked, I added melted butter infused with crushed garlic, red chili pepper, and whole cumin seeds to toast. Then, I stirred this mixture into the lentils, transforming both them and myself.

I also want to clarify something-

The reason I made this meal is that I had all the ingredients already in my house. It was cold, it was foggy, there were great old horror movies on TV, I wanted a fun, festive meal that didn´t require me to leave the house or spend money that I hadn´t already spent. Now, friends, this is the real power of a well stocked pantry. There are spices, herbs, seeds, blends, and all sorts of flavorings right at your little finger tips. Now, I am out of cumin, out of rice, and nearly out of curry spice. Well, no there are plenty of curry blends leftover. But there are not many joys that equal using the food you already purchased to make something new.

I put some of the dough into the fridge. It has been a long day, what is done, is done. What is not done, is not done. Let it be. There will be fresh Naan tomorrow, when I try some new dishes. I´ll buy the roast and make stew on Monday. Good night!

Everything was delicious.