“There’s a somebody I’m longing to see
I hope that he turns out to be
Someone to watch over me…
I’m a little lamb who’s lost in a wood
I know I could always be good
To one who’ll watch over me…
Won’t you tell him please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh how I need
Someone to watch over me
Someone to watch over me…”
— George Gershwin
mama sanderling, watching over her babies at the edge of Lake Superior
…. the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer?
have a listen to Nat King Cole’s classic, set to pics courtesy of Snowqueen555.
The last sunset pic reminds me of Michigan,
so thanks, Snowqueen, whomever you may be!
Well it’s certainly crazy, but not hot and hazy — more like a June monsoon in my neck of the woods. If New England has seen five sunny days this month, I’ll eat my hat. Also not much time for lazy! The girl-child is off to drivers’ ed and then summer camp — while the boy-child is on break between classes and a summer internship. It seems once school lets out, life gets more hectic! I was, however, fortunate to enjoy a visit to my beloved upper peninsula over the past couple of months.
sandhill cranes ~ twenty miles north of nowhere and just south of Lake Superior
snow buntings playing at whitefish point
the lighthouse at whitefish point ~ with a laker far off on the horizon
lake superior agate
dream boat ~ the Edward L. Ryerson ~ steaming downbound from the Soo
a sunset in paradise…
And the garden, of course, takes much spare time in a most rewarding way!
As a very late birthday gift, I bought myself some organically grown heirloom tomato plants which arrived late in May, all the way from California (thanks, mom!).
In spite of the heavy rains and lack of sun, these tomatoes are taking off.
marianna’s peace ~ heirloom ‘potato-leafed’ tomato ~ early June
… and late June
How does your garden grow?
Oh, and by the way… I’ve been cooking too, albeit mostly simple things of late.
I am hoping for some hot weather in July to get homemade dosa/idly batter going quickly! Tonight, it’s cool and rainy, so it’s this Udupi temple special from Ramya’s Mane Adige ~ a dish so delectable that it’s become a fast favorite. She made hers with brinjal; I also added pumpkin to mine in the form of sweet buttercup squash. So sweet in fact, that I didn’t add much jaggery. The squash was also a good thickener, so I didn’t use coconut. And of course, for seasoning, it was none other than ISG’s magical sambhar podi 
No photos of that, as it’s still on the stove, but check out Ramya’s pic and you’ll be drooling, I promise. Thanks, Ramya!
frying pakodas on a late-winter evening
If you have kids, you know what a ’snowday’ is –more than just a storm –
it means no school! I think of this month as the start of spring, but here in
New England a blizzard in May is not unheard of. We are used to seeing
March come in like a lion and that’s what it did Sunday night.
About 18 inches fell between midnight and 6 am.
School was cancelled yesterday, and though I had to work,
I could go late and in casual dress — so a bit of a holiday for m and me.
I spent the early morning watching the birds — juncos, goldfinches and their irruptive cousins the pine siskins, along with a solitary song sparrow and a lone carolina wren.
These and the merry band of chickadees and their usual cohorts, tufted titmouse, nuthatches and downy woodpeckers, made for a cheery morning amidst the blowing white.
Then thanks to ISG, I got the idea to make some pakodas last night.
A snowday late in winter inspires such cravings… I could afford to indulge in a little crispy goodness. Of all the veggies I have fried (admittedly not too many) my favorite is bell pepper. The flavors of bell pepper and besan seem to have a special affinity. I had a red bell pepper and that came out delicious.
Still I think my fav is the green.
Other than the peppers, I thought of Sailu’s yummy ulli pakodi, but after a lazy weekend with little shopping, discovered I didn’t have one fresh onion in the house! I’ve been trying to get the veggie drawer cleared out, so I made use of a few different things I had on hand — sans onions.
crunchy dried jackfruit chips
they taste delicious reconstituted too ~ especially in sambhar!
This is not exactly a recipe, as I didn’t really follow any one.
It’s more a little tale of my learning experience.
I am no expert in fritters! The pepper pakoda came out best.
Perhaps someone has a better way to fry greens (fry greens!??)!
Please do let me know!
~~~
Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Pakoda
1 c dried jackfruit chips, soaked in boiling water for 30 min, and drained well
2 c mixed spinach, baby greens and mushrooms, chopped
2 big green chilies, chopped fine
Red Bell Pepper Pakoda
1 red bell pepper, seeded, scored on the outside, and cut into small pieces.
Wash well and drain on paper towels.
Batters
For the jackfruit and greens, I mixed mostly rice flour and just a little besan.
I got the idea to go heavier on rice flour from Mandira’s crispy beguni recipe.
I mixed it according to Sailu’s recipe with green chiles but skipped curry leaves; and seasoned all to taste with salt. Added some melted ghee and a few drops of water. The first batch fell apart and I had a tasty, albeit messy plate of fried individual leaves. I sprinkled a little more flour and a few more drops water — this time mashed it all together with a fork until it would hold together (the reconstituted jackfruit will mash a bit like potato). This second batch was better, and the rice flour definitely made it crunchier!
For the red bell pepper, I mixed 1/4 c besan with 1/2 c rice flour, then following Mandira’s instructions, added poppy seeds, salt and seasoning. Then just enough water with this to make a medium batter. The scoring helped the batter adhere to the peppers.
I took a photo, then I decided to add some Rajwadi Garam Masala to the ketchup — a very happy discovery! I am shamelessly addicted to this particular store-bought masala. It releases a deep, mellow aroma when you cook it; in this instance it made a delightfully spicy and flavorful dip for the deep-fried goodies.
spiced-up ketch-up!
So there you have it ISG, thanks for the inspiration! And thanks Mandira and Sailu for sharing your tips and recipes. Come right over next time it snows
kitchen-sink and red bell pepper pakoda in EAPG ~
Michigan pattern by US Glass, circa 1902
a lone carolina wren at the sunflower feeder
Sunday was a snow day. It snowed all morning. In the afternoon, we went out and cleared off the driveway and walks. Then it snowed again all night.
Come Monday morning, before work, I had to fight the snowblower to clear a path out of my driveway. I love winter, though, I really do.
I love it because the birds flock to the feeder with a passion born of necessity — something they don’t face in spring. Suet takes the place of insects, and even the shiest of creatures, a little carolina wren, was undeterred by my noisy foray into the white wilderness.
carolina wren peeking from behind suet cage
downy woodpecker
and his big cousin, hairy woodpecker. they are almost identical but the hairy is larger with a longer bill, and lacks the spots on the outer tail feathers
There is something about a snowstorm that brings out the best in me. Maybe it’s the birds after all! No matter that we’d shoveled all morning, and I was feeling lazy. Sunday was an evening for cooking, and my not-so-little girl-child wished hard for chicken. It won’t be long before she’ll be off on her own, thought I, so I ventured out in the lull of the afternoon just to get chicken. I cooked it with broccoli and pasta, just the way she likes it, especially for her. And I felt good
Even after cooking a bit for the kitties, I had enough chicken left for another dish.
I remembered ISG’s biryani. She made it with seeraga samba rice, which I don’t have, but I do have sona masuri. So last night, I tried ISG’s version.
I followed the recipe (always a wise idea for me!) — the method to the letter — ingredients with very few little changes: ISG used chicken masala and I used Nawabi meat masala instead. This masala has stone flower, which adds a special taste. I also added a black cardamom, just because I love them and it seemed it would fit with the star anise and cloves and cinnamon which ISG’s recipe called for.
It was the first time making biryani in the pressure cooker, and it won’t be the last. When I opened the cooker, the aroma flooding the kitchen was enough to make my mouth water.
The dish itself was sublime — spicy and rich — I took some to work today with hastily made cucumber raita, and a few of my coworkers gleefully gobbled it up.
Thanks ISG, for another fantastic recipe!
Two winter delights!
ISG’s spicy, delicious chicken biryani from the pressure cooker ~ on canary twisted optic by imperial glass, circa 1927
carolina wren in wintry wonderland
this little chickadee was so intent on digging sunflower seed out of the snow…
he wouldn’t look up for love or money…
and when he finally did, he was facing the wrong way!
“lazy lentils” ~ masoor dal with garlic ~ served in a decorated Michigan pattern glass bowl by U.S. Glass, circa 1902
*begin bragging mom section*
It must be a January thing — this bragging mom stuff. Or maybe it’s dear Asha’s influence — see her joyous comment in a previous post!
My son made not only high honors, but a perfect 4.0 for his first term of junior year in college!! My daughter is in yet another winter play — and (hurrah!) finally deciding that going to college might be worthwhile after all — and studying for her junior year HS midterms *without* my harassing hand! 
*end bragging mom section*
I had a recipe for lentil soup and it called for all the usual suspects:
lentils (the plain old green grocery store variety), onion, carrots, celery –
plus the interesting addition of garlic and tomatoes.
I didn’t have plain old green lentils, nor tomatoes nor celery, so I made the soup with masoor dal, onion, carrots, and plenty of garlic. And that is how I discovered, quite by accident, that the delicate masoor dal has a great affinity for heady garlic. The trick is to slice the garlic rather thickly.
You may know that the taste of garlic depends on how you cut it. Chopped fine, it is strongest. Larger dice, a little less pungent, and whole, it can be quite mellow.
I have found that slices provide the best savory garlic flavor without overpowering.
This happy little dal discovery has been a staple on many of these chilly winter evenings when I was too lazy to *cook*. As ISG pointed out, this has been the coldest spell in a long while — so this is on the stove again tonight.
Like many recipes, it sounds more complicated than it is. This almost cooks itself — hence the title “lazy”
Lazy Lentils
(masoor dal ‘lentil soup’ with plenty of garlic!)
1 small or 1/2 large red onion, diced fine
6 cloves garlic, sliced rather thickly
2 carrots, peeled and cut in medium dice
the real kitchen scene ~ no cleaning up for photos tonight
1 tsp oil or ghee (ghee is better)
3/4 c masoor dal, rinsed well
2 1/2 c water or vegetable broth
pinch turmeric
salt to taste
~~~~
In a small sauce pan, heat ghee over medium-low and add onions and garlic. Cook until translucent, about 5-10 minutes. Do not brown.
Add carrots and stir well. Cover the pan and continue to cook over med-low heat another 5-10 minutes, until carrots are softening.
Add dal, turmeric and water. Stir well, cover, and simmer over low heat about 20 minutes, until dal begins to break up. Add more water if necessary, and cook another 10 minutes or so, until dal is soft.
Salt to taste, and mix it up well with your mathu or a wooden spoon.
Serve hot as a soup or over rice as a thin dal, and enjoy the garlicky-goodness on a cold winter night!
simple pleasures on a cold evening ~ garlicky dal and old glass
pine siskins are in town! if you have goldfinches (non-streaked, right) this winter, watch for these little northern finches tagging along at the feeder
Maybe it was the siskins. The sight of these little northern visitors, so far from their usual summer stomping grounds, always causes me to sit up and take notice. It’s exciting! The little siskins brought me back to the thrill of bird-watching in my own backyard, and I think, indirectly, back to the thrill of cooking in my own kitchen.
With cooking, like bird-watching, you never know what may appear
pop-quiz: find the siskin!
I don’t know what’s gotten into me over the past six months. I started a new job in August, and the days when I was energized *after work* were lost in the shuffle.
The new job is far better — don’t get me wrong — but I confess, I do miss the leisure time I had at the old job, where I could read up on recipes and then take a long lunch hour to shop! I used to have Indian groceries close to work — now it takes a special trip on the weekend to get my fresh veggies and replenish my spices.
Moan, groan, complain!
Busy at work is no excuse for my laziness — but the result has been weeks filled with endless thrown-together veggie soups, the occasional chole made with ready-mix — and of course, sambhar.
What would I have done without dear ISG’s magic sambhar powder, all these long lean months!
Tonight I decided to treat myself to a home-cooked meal — with fresh spices and indulgent coconut.
I was craving fish, so bought myself a small piece of salmon when I went to lunch today.
fresh salmon
Temps are in the single digits here, so there was no danger that the fish would spoil in my car for a few hours. Driving home this evening, I thought of the wonderful fish dishes at Malabar Spices. Then I remembered the wonderful South Indian red chillies that Mallugirl herself sent me for Arusuvai, way back when. I still had a few in the cupboard…
I dropped into Malabar Spices and did a little reading, then I got out the camera and started cooking.
HA — that last sentence sounds a little crazy, but it’s true! The creative circle never disappears. No matter that I’ve been off acting lazy — your blogs inspire me to cook, and cooking inspires me to blog.
This ended up sort of a mix of S’s yummy-sounding fish molee and goan curry. The veggies I used made it reminiscent of Nana’s Fourth-of-July-salmon-with-peas-and-potatoes, but alot more flavorful. Thank you Mallugirl, for the inspiration and for the fiery chillies!
freshly roasted coriander, cumin, and south indian red chillies
Salmon Stew
1/2 lb skinless salmon fillet
1 c coconut milk (I used the light version, from a can)
For the veggies:
1/4 lb mushrooms, sliced
2-3 small potatoes, sliced
For the paste:
1 TB coriander seeds
1 TB cumin seeds
3-4 hot red chillies
3-4 cloves garlic
For the seasonings:
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
1-2 green chilies, slit
5-6 curry leaves
bit of tamarind extract
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp jaggery
salt to taste
splash of lime juice
Roast the coriander, cumin and red chilles in a nonstick pan until fragrant. Blend with the garlic and a little water to make a paste. Set aside.
Spray the same pan with Pam and brown the mushrooms over high heat. Remove to a small bowl and add the potatoes. Brown them on medium heat, and remove to another bowl. Finally, brown the fish over medium-low heat, just to sear the outside, and remove it to a plate.
In a medium sauce pan heat the coconut oil. Add the chopped onion, sliced garlic, curry leaves and green chiles.
onion, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves
Cook until the onion begins to brown, then add the spice paste. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring well. When the paste is fragrant, add the tamarind extract and cook another few minutes. Then add the coconut milk. Simmer on low heat for 5-10 minutes, then add jaggery and salt to taste. Stir well, then add fish and the browned mushrooms and potatoes.
simmering salmon stew
Simmer again, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Finally, stir in a splash of lime juice.
I had this over rice cooked with a little salt, turmeric, and green peas. Yum!
salmon stew with green-pea rice ~ served on American Pioneer glass by Liberty Works, circa 1931
fragrant, freshly-made spice paste ~ how I have missed this!
Since last I was here, we’ve had no heat for a week…
nor’easter in the backyard
titmouse in the feeder-tree
big kids all bundled up
and I’ve had a trip out to northern MI, my favorite place… and it was so cold I didn’t even take any photos. You can however, see where I am thinking of moving in a few years…
isn’t it the cutest house!
lots of cedar trees, and its own little creek
Just think how close I would be then, to beautiful Lake Superior…
ah, wilderness!
Yes, I’m summertime dreaming on a frosty winter’s eve… not a bad place to be
To all of you, dear friends who keep passing by (even when I am so lazy) — I wish you a New Year filled with joy and wonder!
with this…?
53 grams of feathery piping plover among a ton of Lake Superior agates
(the agates are just waiting to be found!)
with this?
half a pound of pungent peeled garlic cloves
with this…
half a pound of colorful washed moong, masoor, and val dals
or with these…
thirty-three and a half pounds of furry felines sleeping cosily on Thanksgiving
What would you do if you were invited to a very special occasion — Nritya Nipuna no less — with a birthday party to follow?
I have been invited to this special celebration and I humbly ask for your advice
What would you wear?
What would you bring for the birthday kids (there are two — a boy and girl)?
Is there a gift of special significance for sixteen-year-olds?
Would you bring some food along with the gifts; would that be welcome?
The party is to be held at a local school.
What would you do, if you were me?
Thank you in advance
Ahh… the lazy, hazy days of summer are fast coming to an end.
My favorite journey, summertime or anytime, to the wilds of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has come and gone in a flash.
I’m homesick already
I hope you’ve all enjoyed a lovely summer too! More vacation pics, garden pics, and maybe even some cooking are in order soon — as well as a visit to all of my favorite blog-haunts!
In the meantime, spend a virtual day at Lake Superior!
~~~~~
a sea of wildflowers leads to…
a path through the dune grasses, and an inland sea…
water to the east…
and to the west…
and to the north, as far as the eye can see… but there’s more than meets the eye on these vast shores, here in the fabulous UP!
an adorable entourage of baby piping plovers is nearly hidden in the sand…
they feed at the water’s edge ~ undeterred by towering waves…
they keep company with a ring-billed gull, who nearly dwarfs the tiny plovers ~
this gull is not aggressive ~ he almost appears to be their protector!
as late afternoon approaches…
the plovers play on ~ the end of another beautiful summer day on lake superior…
At last, at last, it’s garden time! And at long last, it seems I can use WordPress again — oh, how I have missed sharing my little corner of the world with you all, dear friends! Hooray!
To celebrate, a few photos from the yard this holiday weekend…
french lilac in bloom
female ruby-throated hummingbird ~ taking off at an astonishing 53 wingbeats per second!
good enough to eat ~ homegrown baby lettuces…
…and baby spinach
…and baby swiss chard ~ soon it will be ready for ISG’s chard sambhar!
a longer wait for ichiban eggplants and golden jubilee tomato
and…
one expert told me… “looks like ash gourd…”
~~~~
During this little break, I managed to fix most of my computer issues. Happily, I am finally able to properly thank two wonderful blogger friends for a bounty of goodies! These fabulous packages came to me through the Arusuvai Friendship Chain. As I am sure you know by now, Arusuvai was started by lovely Latha and Lakshmi of The Yum Blog and two more dear ladies, Bharathy of Spicy Chilly and Bhags of Crazy Curry. It was introduced in the US by still another special lady, Latha of Masala Magic. Once more I send my thanks to you all!
beautiful Rajasthani-style handbag full of treats from Bhags!
This exquisite bag was filled with treats from all over India. Imagine my delight at this amazing assortment!
From Pune, soft and tender kokum, the likes of which I have never seen in any store. From Chennai, *real* filter coffee. And from Bhags’ own hometown of Nagpur, genuine varhadi masala. Fragrant doesn’t begin to describe this wonderful blend of spices.
Thank you so much, dear Bhags, for your kind generosity! Your package of treats from India means more than I can really say, and I can assure you each of your thoughtful gifts will be savored for a long time to come
package full of surprises from Pel ~ including one ingredient that was a big mystery to me!
From dear Pel, fellow Great Lakes afficianado, came this wonderful package full of surprises. It included homemade light-as-a-feather chaklis (and just because I am late Pel, don’t think I won’t be hounding you for that recipe!); homemade metkoot, to sprinkle over hot rice with ghee; giant white fungus for a yet-to-be-discovered Chinese-inspired dish, and lastly, music to cook by and incense to relax with after the last dish is washed.
Of course I musn’t leave out the obligatory mystery. It’s the bag at the front of the photo. At first I thought it was something to do with methi. I will leave Pel’s hint to see if anyone can guess: “It’s actually a single spice…..related to cardamom……the Thais use it fresh, Indonesians use it dried and powdered, like this…”
Thank you so much, Pel, for sharing your homemade delights with me
~~~~
Last but certainly not least — I have three more friends to thank.
Firstly, talented Eskay of A Bon Vivant’s Chow Chronicles so very kindly sent me this “Nice Matters” award way back in February. I hope you don’t mind the late acknowledgement, Eskay, and know that it means alot to me, to have this passed on from you!
Then today came another surprise — “You Make My Day” award from Jigyasa and Pratibha, two more talented ladies I feel honored to call friends. I am sure you know them as the co-authors of Cooking At Home with Pedatha. It just so happens I made one of Pedatha’s recipes tonight — the third time I have cooked this dish, actually — and here it is, pictured in all its glorious simplicity. I was never a fan of black-eyed peas ’till I tried this recipe, and I hope Jigyasa and Pratibha won’t mind if I pass along the general idea:
Cut and cook fresh brinjal with turmeric and salt in very little water. Mash lightly. Cook some black-eyed peas until just tender but not mushy. About 2-1 ratio, brinjal to peas.
Do the tadka with urad dal, mustard seed, dried red chillies, curry leaves and a bit of hing in very little oil. Add fresh grated ginger, slit green chillies and salt. Stir in the mashed brinjal and the peas. Simmer 10 minutes or so.
Garnish with chopped cilantro, and then I dare you to wait ’till the rice is cooked before you try
Brinjal Pasty Vegetable (brinjal with black-eyed peas) from Cooking At Home With Pedatha. Do try this, dear Bee! — since you discovered Pedatha’s vaangi bhath, you may find you really love brinjal after all
