No stranger to overeating.

This blog has been radio silent for a long time, and I’m sure most of you know why: I’m on a diet. While I hesitate to use that word because of all the loaded connotations and personal biases people have on it, a diet is exactly what it is: a regimented nutrition plan. We’re all on a diet. Mine’s just stricter than yours.

However, the biggest irony of not posting on a food blog is that for the past two months, I’ve cooked the most I’ve ever had in my entire life. Before my health and fitness journey, I really only cooked dinner, maybe two to three times a week. Now, I am cooking every meal every single day. You read right. Every meal is something I’ve concocted.

Mentally, I always thought I was eating really well since I knew and loved to cook (and bake), but the reality looking back: I loved to cook, but I was too lazy to do it in a more regular manner. Even as I watched Food Revolution, feeling smug in my superiority that I at least knew what I was eating, I wasn’t really eating all that well either. No, I didn’t eat at McDonald’s or deep fried everything. Vegetables were always my friend. I just wasn’t doing enough with the knowledge and skills that I had. On top of which, there was no such thing as portion control, boundaries, or limits for me. Eat until I burst, I tell you! (Again, I blame the immigrant mentality here of overabundant food consumption) And when you’re tired at the end of a work day, what’s a lazy frozen pizza here or there?

Like in the design profession, boundaries actually set you free. For me, the more structured—the more planned—my meals became, the more focus I had, the less chance or excuse to deviate, and the more creative I had to become to make everything delicious. And that’s what I’ve been doing—along with a training plan, of course—for the past two months and I wouldn’t have it any other way. What’s made it easier is that I actually hired someone to make this plan for me. This really helped because it became a no brainer to just follow along; meanwhile, while this was happening, I was reading all I can from all the nutrition and fitness experts I could find. My favourite is Dr. John Berardi, a true scientist and a fitness buff. Everything he espouses is backed up with heavy doses of research as well as common sense. No, it wasn’t him who I hired, though he does run a company called Precision Nutrition that essentially backs up everything he says with a regimented program and information.

Meanwhile, I am pointedly not mentioning the trainer I hired to make the nutrition plan for me. While it’s been working and I enjoy the workouts, further information points to the fact he’s a bit of a plagiarizer: specifically, it looks like he stole from Dr. Berardi and a couple of other fitness gurus, so I might as well just point to the source than him. In the end, I don’t regret hiring him because he took me to the path that seems to be working for me, and I plan to continue on my journey.

What’s the next step? Right now, I think I will use all the knowledge I’ve learned and create my own plan. However, I don’t recommend everyone do this out of the blue by themselves until they’ve proven they can even follow a plan. I’ve been doing this for two months, and so I think I can continue on my own. My suggestion is to find one with your own research online and follow it strictly for a month (of course, if you fall off the wagon, just get back on. stop making excuses), then if it all goes well, customize from there and continue reading as much as you can. There are a lot of conflicting evidence and articles out there so you just have to choose what feels right for you based on the information, then stick to it for a full month. Don’t keep switching things around every week: that’s the road to disaster.

While I’m not going to list my menu out for everyone, or do the calorie and macro breakdown, I do want to say: no, i’m not starving. Yes, I eat carbs, too. Oatmeal, yams, sweet potato, and brown rice in fact. Almost every meal has a veggie side. I only use PAM or olive oil sparingly, spices and herbs liberally.

Final lesson really in this entire exercise to really understand my own body. I respond to food differently from others, along with exercise. Also, deal with this like a scientist: do a 4 week experiment, and adjust depending on goals and responses. Weight fluctuates every day.

Now, because I’m only 4lbs away from my original goal (125lbs), I’m going to reframe my final goal: I want to eventually reach 18% body fat more than I want to reach my final goal weight (115lbs). I think I can actually reach the final goal weight if I really really tried before the end of the year, but the body fat % is another animal all together (and a better indicator than weight over how flabby you are, really). I think I can reach that body fat by next year. Now, you ask, okay, Lea, say you do the impossible and reach your goal weight with the goal body fat %, and you look like an athlete, what then? To continue motivating myself, I will just start giving myself athletic performance goals: # of pushups, # of pull-ups, strength goals via lifting, etc. In short: I do best when I have set goals and continue to challenge myself.

And frankly, why not me and why not now?

Onward!

Fig & Proscuitto Crostini by Brooke from Take it and Like It!

An SLR is a beautiful thing: it takes great photographs in the right hands and the right light. But, unfortunately, it’s not very conducive to socializing or eating. So, even though I brought the hulking camera to Valerie’s home to snap the Taste Tripping Potluck Party for Edmonton foodies and food bloggers, I only ended up with 3 great photos, and one of them is highlighted above. And yes, Brooke’s fig and proscuitto crostini is every bit as tasty as it looks!

Not unlike the last local foodie meetup, this was an evening of good food, good conversation, and good people; in no small part because of our amazing hosts Valerie and Vanja who are as warm as their kitchen. However, the twist for this meetup was that this was a “taste tripping” party to test out the much-ballyhooed Miracle Berry. The berry somehow alters your taste buds to turn sour to sweet, and many more surprises. However, the taste tripping wasn’t limited to chemical alterations: the potluck offerings were truly a lesson in diversity.

From Kevin’s Smoked Moose Tongue to Chris’s Puerco Pibil, and Allan’s standout Goose Confit Ravioli with Celery Leaves and a Rhubarb Vinaigrette, it truly was an atypical potluck.

My humble offering of Morrocan meatballs aka Keftas.

To avoid duplication (and partial laziness) I bow down to Chris’s listed breakdown of all provided dishes and of course, the hostess Valerie’s own writeup of the party should not be missed. She took the time to photograph each foodie with their potluck dish and outline each of its properties. I had a mini Vogue moment there which Valerie only encouraged, haha!

Again, it was lovely to meetup with passionate locals and to put faces to the words on the screen. Valerie graciously compiled all our potluck recipes into booklets to take home so I’m excited to try out some of the recipes put forth. Already looking forward to another local foodie meetup, as this has proven what a great community we have here!

Hook, Line and Simple recipe via Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry

More than one person chuckled when I informed them, as a major foodie, that I am going to embark on a journey to fitness. Impossible?

It is hard. It’s always been hard for me because my love affair with food started very young. The best memories I have revolve around dinners with friends and family, as it should: food, good food, generally bring people together. On top of which, my family in general was never super athletic growing up, and my own parents’ hang-ups with their own eating and fitness issues seem to try to sabotage any effort. It might be an immigrant thing: we’re always trying to overfeed people as a cultural norm. Most immigrants leave their country because there’s less to offer in their native land, and some of that has to do with the scarcity of healthy meals (of course, I am making a grand, sweeping statement; not every immigrant comes from an impoverished land and neither are impoverished countries lacking in cuisine—just saying that hardship leads to a culture where sharing food is sacred).

Though, like with some relationships, it can get a little too much. My vices include chocolate almonds and kettle popcorn. I wish I could eat everything with white rice. And remove skin from chicken? Unheard of!

So, in the end, as I want to be realistic with myself, I am not eliminating any of the above, per se. Through the LoseIt App, I’ll basically just make smarter choices with smaller portions. Plugging things in fits my mildly OCD tendencies and also just gives an overview of what I’m putting in my mouth. It will also keep me honest. I’m also going to try to increase protein intake and watch the carb intake. No crash low-carb BS, just say, 1/3 cup of rice (mixed white and brown) instead of 1 cup.

A fitter 125lb Lea circa 2007

As for fitness, simplicity is key. I’ve tried it all with varying results, but the point is that doing something that works but isn’t sustainable will only make me give up. So, my simple exercise regimen is thus: Monday, Wednesday, Friday are my elliptical days. 30 minutes of intervals. As I get stronger, I’ll up the RPM intensity, and mix up the interval program so my body won’t have time to get used to it. Then, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday are my circuit training/weight days. One of those days will be purely weights, the other will have interval jump rope thrown in between sets. My goal is to eventually do the entire weight workout using my 11.5lb hand weights. I was able to 3 years ago. Right now, I have to switch down to my 8lb weights for a few sets.

So why am I doing the above? Because I did it four years ago to drop the same gross weight I am now and sustained it for two years (tho during maintenance I just did 3 workouts/wk)... until I met my husband and gained the “Marriage 15.” But, my real goal weight is 115lbs, 10lbs less than the picture above. Now, that might seem low for some people but keep in mind that I am 5’0”. I would be happy at 125lbs for the rest of my life, but 115lbs is just that extra personal goal to get me in “bikini shape.” At least once in my life, right? Before age destroys my metabolism completely?

So, there you have it. My plan and my goals, which is pretty common for everyone. It’s simple, but not easy. The trick is sticking to it. I am determined.

BBASHA! (those who watch K-dramas know what I’m talking about…)

Fulfilling the stereotype, Texas really is full of barbecued meat. Taken at the The Salt Lick

Every year I go to SXSWi in Austin, I think about how similar the landscape, people and place is to Edmonton. It’s a university town, not unlike Edmonton. Austin is also decidedly left-wing in a right-wing state—remind you of another city? Austin also has a river that runs through it, no real high-rises, and is also the capital of the state of Texas, just like Edmonton is the capital of Alberta. And it seems all of Texas is in love with beef, just like Alberta.

So, going to Austin is like travelling to a hotter, greener alternate Edmonton universe.

Except it isn’t Edmonton, and where it differs, should be a lesson to our citizens to what makes a city unique and fun. Austin is filled to the brim with local food establishments, which Edmonton unfortunately cannot attest to. You will be hard-pressed to find a “chain” in downtown Austin. Their popular 6th Street, unlike Edmonton’s Whyte Avenue, looks to be filled with only local restaurants. Of course, Austin loves to emphasize how they are the “live music capital” of the country, which Edmonton can only wish or aspire to. Next, it’s a no-brainer to close off one of their busiest streets during SXSW each evening. Why can’t Whyte Ave be turned walkable in a regular way in the evening?

But enough about Austin vs Edmonton. How about the food scene? There were many places I could highlight during my regular visits to Austin, including Iron Works, the brand new Piranha Killer Sushi, or even the fun and numerous food trucks—which is so popular, there is a website tracking the numerous carts and their whereabouts—and in particular,TaKorea. However,  one of the most memorable establishments to eat is The Salt Lick, which technically isn’t even in Austin.

Beer you can only buy in Texas

The Salt Lick is in Driftwood, TX, a small bus ride—or van ride with my ExpressionEngine compardres, in my case—away. It’s so unapologetically Texan, with its southwest and rustic charm. It’s so popular, that the normal wait time is over an hour. Now, that might sound intimidating especially since you’ve taken the time to drive out there. But, wait—you’re allowed to BYOB! When you arrive, you actually wait in line and reserve your space in a completely separate and open building, and you’re encouraged to wait there or wander around the ranch-like settings. Once you get your waiting pager, just sit back with a beer with your crew and the hour just flies by.

If the guys ever quit EE development, they have a future in food modeling.

The menu is pretty straightforward: you order your meat by weight, then your sides. However, the more popular option, and one my crew went with, is the all-you-can-eat “Family Style” ($18.95) of non-stop meat and sides, where everyone just shares everything. Since my group were a bunch of big, strapping guys, it was a natural choice, and there were no complaints. One thing to watch out is that the BBQ sauce is not your typical one: don’t expect a dark brown sauce. Their sauce resembles the look and consistency of gravy, but with a surprisingly sweet vinegary taste.

We also ordered some peach cobbler, but it wasn’t as mind-blowing as the earlier meal, so you won’t miss much by passing.

In short: if you go to Texas and Austin, be prepared to eat meat. Sorry, vegetarians.

Curried beef brisket on rice

Since my family immigrated to Canada in 1989, we’ve been going to Double Greeting Wonton House. Situated in a “rough” part of town—beside a hotel with a sign that ominously says, “No knives allowed” and a block away from a peep show—it isn’t necessarily considered a “jewel” of Edmonton. However, to local and loyal patrons alike (of all socio-economic status), we can’t resist the taste of greasy, authentic Chinese food at a still-reasonable price. Though, I’ve been going to this establishment long enough to know that $20 used to feed a family of six; now, that feeds maybe 2 or 3 people these days. Still, that’s relatively inexpensive and the portions are always robust.

Over the years, the restaurant has changed little. The recipes seem to have been carved in stone. In two decades, I believe there has only been one aesthetic renovation; the head waitress that was there twenty years ago is still around, as if ageless. The service for years has been brusque and borderline dismissive, but more recently, and possibly coinciding with its rise in popularity among non-Asians, they’ve been a lot more congenial. The head waitress, whose name I still don’t know, is always friendly and ready for my husband and I with plates and forks (No, I hardly use chopsticks except when I eat Pho or Japanese, but even then, I’m still more comfortable with forks.)

Wor wonton on the left, Chicken Wings in Spicy Salt on the right

At any rate, with “wonton” in the restaurant name, you won’t be disappointed in ordering their Wor Wonton soup. It is my husband’s favourite and is everything in a bowl: a medley of vegetables, squid, bbq pork, chicken, and of course, wontons, swimming in a warm and savoury broth that’s immediately comforting as it is tasty. You can’t go wrong by choosing anything in the rice or noodle dish list; a few newcomers who strayed from that list might be invariably disappointed. But as long as you stick to noodles and rice, you’ll do well.

However, since I’ve been going to DG since time immemorial, I’ve been able to stray once in a while. Chicken wings, usually a pub fare, is actually a hit for Rob and me at DG. The spicy and salty seasoning is decidedly Chinese and cannot be found in a pub. There is a satisfying crunchy batter to its exterior, and the “salty but different salty” is enough to make it taste special.

Now, this restaurant won’t win any Michelin stars, but it’s a comforting and reliable spot if you’re craving authentic Chinese cuisine.

How would most people describe a good evening? I know mine usually involves good food with good people and good conversation. That’s exactly what the 3rd Edmonton Foodie Meetup was. It was my first foray, and apparently, it was the largest with 16 of us congregating at the Jasper Ave location of Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria . Now, normally, I dislike going to chain restaurants but the vibe from the helpful waiters and waitresses that evening made it really feel like a caring and intimate, dare I say, almost “indie” like experience. The cynical part of me is because management heard about the fact that we’re voracious food bloggers and to be treated like VIPs; the other thinks that the smiling service really was genuine and sweet.

It also helped that we scheduled our dinner during their “Wine Tasting Wednesdays” where the waiters went around offering free samples of red and white vintages—and apparently, they took our some of their reserve bottles for us to sip at. Now, maybe I was just in a foodie mood, but I actually ordered a full 5 oz glass of Sauvignon Blanc to go with my meal, which was a lovely proscuitto, mozzarella, tomato, arrugula, and basil sandwich, the bread made out of their pizza dough. The dough was a nice combination of warm and crispy on the outside, with a thin chewy inside. Yum.

Besides the great conversation and food, the highlight of the evening for me was when Valerie, aka A Canadian Foodie, whipped out these great homemade truffles:

I know, jealous yet?

Beavie, Valerie’s trusty beaver, loves bruschetta

The only snag of the eve, if it really was one, was that with having 16 people situated in a long table, it was hard to speak to the other half of the table. I look forward to the next meetup so I can finally speak to a few people I haven’t yet had a chance. Thanks to Sharon and Chris for organizing. Read Sharon’s recap for a list of all those who attended that have food blogs. Thanks to everyone who was on my end of the table; super fun to lament about the state of Alberta sushi (we’re land locked, alright?), Alberta beef (superior), cheap but tasty Indian eateries, and general tomfoolery.

As for Famoso, due to the lovely quality of the pizza crust, the fresh ingredients and the smiling service, I don’t hesitate recommending checking it out if you ever crave thin-crust and don’t mind chain restaurants. Though, if you’re looking for a real thin-crust and hand-made experience that’s definitely local, check out Tony’s Pizza Palace.

After a memorable meal at Bistro Jeanty, the Michelin star restaurant situated in the quaint foodie town of Yountville, California, and a viewing of Julie & Julia, I understandably went through a “French phase.”

To be honest, I still am, despite the protests of my expanding waistline. And to avoid having this blog lean too heavily on the Asian side of dishes, I want to offer the first bread recipe I’ve ever tackled with resounding success.

Brioche is a butter lover’s dream bread.  If Paula Deen were French, this would be her go-to loaf. It’s cake disguised as bread. Because of its taste and consistency, playing around with how you present and serve brioche can turn it into a savoury side or a decidedly dessert-y offering. Brioche is great for french toast, or simply slathered in butter and jam. If you want go all Filipino on it—ala Ensaymada—you could just butter it, sprinkle it with sugar and grated cheddar (edam and mozzarella also works) and you’re good to go.

At any rate, the recipe I went with to get rid of my bread-making virgnity (as well as break in my brand new KitchenAid mixer) is from the delightful Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris. Out of all my newer cookbooks, it’s had the most use, with its tasty and practical homestyle French recipes. I may detail some of the other recipes I’ve gone through with success from this book, but since it’s the weekend and people do their test baking then, I offer you brioche, adapted from Ina Garten’s cookbook.

Warning: This is a two-day recipe. So make the dough in the evening, resume baking in the morning.

Ingredients

1 package dried yeast
1/2 cup warm water (not boiling, i don’t measure the temperature I just make sure it’s hot to the touch)
3 tablespoons sugar
6 eggs at room temperature
4 1/4 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, cut up in chunks
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk, for the egg wash

Instructions

1. First, make sure your electric mixer’s bowl is not cold. Room temperature. Next, combine the water, yeast, and sugar in the mixer’s bowl, mix gently with a spoon, and let it sit for 5 minutes. The sugar and yeast should be dissolved.
2. Attach the bowl to the electric mixer with the paddle attachment and add the large eggs and beat on medium speed for a minute.
3. Turn the speed to low and gently add 2 cups of flour and the salt. Mix for 5 minutes. Add another 2 cups of flour and mix for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the butter one chunk at a time and mix for 2 minutes. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so the butter is well incorporated.
5. While the mixer is running add the final 1/4 cup of flour.
6. Switch to the dough hook and mix on low speed for 2 minutes.
7. Scrape the dough into a large buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
8. The next day, place the dough in a warm room (room temperature) for about an hour.
9. Place the dough on a clean, floured countertop and cut in half.
10. Pat each portion into their own 6x8 rectangle, then roll it up.
11. Place each dough portion, seam down, into their own greased bread loaf pan. Cover with a damp towel and set side in the warm room to rise until doubled in volume, about 2, 2 1/2 hours. It may take more. Key is: warm room.
12. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. When the loaves have risen enough, brush the top with the egg wash and bake for 45 minutes. Keep checking to see if the top has turned a nice brown. Keep checking. If you wonder if it’s done, take it out of the oven and tap the top. If it sounds hollow, it’s done!
13. Cool on a wire rack. Cut, then serve!

I wonder if there is any larger culinary debate than “the perfect chocolate chip cookie.” Metafilter had a huge ol’ post about it listing several different variations. On Twitter, Abi and Tracy swear by Jacques Torres’ “refrigerate up to 24-36 hours before baking” recipe. According to some articles I read, having the recipe wait overnight or more helps meld the ingredients together better. I really do plan on trying it because the legend around these cookies have reached epic proportions.

om nom nom. into my bellah!

But I’m an impatient mofo.

When I bake, it’s hardly ever planned. Cravings usually strike in the evening, right after dinner when things wind down and you just want to sit and veg a bit, and what better way to do so than with cookies warm from the oven?

However, when it’s the evening and unplanned, you’re feeling lazy. You just want to throw things together and get it done, right? So recipes that ask you for room temperature butter are nixed, as well as melted butter. Well, my friends, you’re in luck, because my favourite “go to” chocolate chip recipe is David Lebovitz’s. On top of being a mucho convenient recipe, he calls for toasted walnuts, which helps combine all things sacred to me: nuts, chocolate, butter, and sugar.

As a pastry chef living in Paris, David Lebovitz has a number of tasty delights to explore. But, there is nothing like his chocolate chip cookies, especially one that you can so easily whip up last minute with nary a wait time.

The recipe below makes about 16 medium-large cookies for me. The recipe is adapted from his Great Book of Chocolate and various online sources.

Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold (see, you can just take it straight from the fridge), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 or 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (the original asks for 1 1/2 cups but I think that’s just overkill)
1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped (now here’s my secret: toast these suckers until almost burnt. believe me, the smokey flavour seems to add something into the batter. every time I’ve made these with varying degrees of toasty-ness, the ones that get the most compliments were the ones I almost forgot were in the oven while I made the batter)

Instructions

1. Place the oven rack to the top third of the oven and preheat to 300F (150C). Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place the 1 cup of walnuts into a baking sheet and into the oven while you create the batter to toast.
3. Mix the white and brown sugar together, then add the chopped butter. Beat together until smooth. When it’s a smooth consistency, mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour and salt) together, then add to the batter. Mix until it’s all incorporated, but try not to overmix, or it overheats the batter (better to be slightly cool).
5. Check to see if the nuts are nicely toasted. If not, leave them in the oven until it’s nice and toasted and place the batter in the fridge while you wait. If they are, take them out of the oven and let cool.
6. Once toasted walnuts are cooled, mix it in the batter along with the chocolate chips.
7. Scoop the cookie dough and create balls. It is up to you what size you prefer, but make sure there is enough space between the balls.
8. Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes. (original asks for 18, but every oven is different). Check if they are a nice golden brown. If they are, take it out. If not, leave it in for a couple more minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

There really is nothing like food from home.

Growing up, the chef in the family was my dad, and despite his failings as a father (oh yeah, I went there), he always made sure we weren’t just well fed… we were well fed. During a lull in his career, he once even contemplated becoming a full-time chef which he rejected since he preferred cooking only for his family. I can understand that. I like my food that salty and that spicy and not bland, thank you, and when you cook for people that pay you to do so, they might complain about the levels of this and that, which I have no patience for. It tastes like that and you’ll like it. That is also how I’ll serve my future children. It will only be later on that they can be potentially ridiculed for what they bring for lunch.

Which reminds me of a story back in Junior High, one of those events that reminds you that racism and ignorance still exists even though it isn’t in the forefront of your mind. My best friend at the time and I were chatting away about our favourite Chinese dishes, when one girl—and I really don’t think she meant it with any malice—asked if we ever eat “any normal food.”

“What do you mean, normal food?” I asked. She shrugged, but the gesture seemed as if we should have already known the answer.

“You know, like pizza, hot dogs…” she went on. Her tone was dead serious. All my friend and I could do at the time was exchange glances and roll our eyes.

It was a revelation to me that house special chow mein is still exotic to some people.

But I digress.

We’re here to talk about sour Filipino soup. Specifically, the way my family always made it. All measurements are approximate, because since this is a family recipe, I’ve always eye-balled portions and never use any measuring spoons or cups.

Ingredients

1 package stewing beef chunks (you can also use pork or chicken or fish here—my sisters prefer pork ribs)
2-3 dried bay leaves
1 large diced medium tomato
1 large onion, halved and sectioned into 8ths
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tsp tabasco sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce (patis)
1 packet Mama Sita Sinigang Soup Base (no, we’re not making tamarind stock from scratch)
1 bunch spinach leaves (maybe more)
2 tsp white pepper
1 head of broccoli
1/2 cup cassava and/or taro root, peeled and cut into large cubes

Instructions

1. Add stewing beef (or other nice cut of beef) along with 2-3 dried bay leaves, and the diced tomatoes.
2. Add onions to the pot. Cover ingredients with water, just about a cm above the contents. Add sea salt.
3. Bring ingredients to a boil. Make sure to skim the muck that comes up top.
4. Simmer ingredients for about half an hour or so, until meat is more tender.
5. Add the entire packet of sinigang soup mix to simerring soup.
6. Add the patis (fish sauce), a couple dashes of tabasco sauce, and white pepper. Stir. If you are using cassava or taro root, add them here now, as well, as they take longer to soften than rest of the vegetables
7. Once meat is cooked and the right tenderness (test it with your fork), 5 minutes before you serve, add the rest of the vegetables.
8. Add more spinach or vegetables to suit. As spinach wilts, you can underestimate how much can fit. I usually add more than my initial batch. Sometimes I add extra water if it reduced too much as well as to balance the sourness.

Spicy? Check. Saucy? Check. Exotic? Check. Tasty? HELL YES. And this is why I love East Indian cuisine.

What’s crazy is that I wasn’t truly introduced to the country’s various culinary offerings until my co-worker from my old day job (hm, five or more years ago?) took me out to lunch at a converted Wendy’s location called Punjab Sweet House. One spoonful of their butter chicken and I was sold. I had to try more dishes!

Now, like any good foodie, the next step was to find out if I can make this all at home. After watching At the Table With… episode on Madhur Jaffrey, I set out on Amazon to find a well-reviewed book of hers. I ran into Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick & Easy Indian Cooking and I can’t recommend this book enough for the Indian cookery n00b.

Each recipe has its own story, explanations of exotic ingredient substitutions (she uses grainy mustard instead of marinating mustard seed in vinegar), as well as an index of all the general Indian spices you should have in your pantry. In Edmonton, it’s actually quite easy to find all the spices right in the Ethnic aisle of any generic Superstore, and the spices are really inexpensive. What Jaffrey also does with most (though, unfortunately not all) recipes is suggest side dishes to go with the meal. It helps make a dinner spread a little more involved instead of the regular one-course offerings.

One of my favourite dishes, which is on my dinner rotation regularly, is Jaffrey’s Pork Vindaloo.

It’s an extremely easy dish to make for all you carnivorous fans out there. The only real “exotic” ingredients that you will have to add to your pantry for this one are: cumin and tumeric. Everything else is pretty standard. We have tried this vindaloo with lamb as well, but we prefer the taste of this with pork.

It’s a saucy dish that must be paired with some good white rice. To be honest, I just throw in a salad as a lazy side because I feel guilty I’m just eating tasty, saucy meat with rice, and not a green vegetable in sight.

Recipe adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick & Easy Indian Cooking. Comments in italics.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp grainy mustard
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp cayenne pepper (add more if you like it spicier. Jaffrey says 4 tsp is what Goans prefer.)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion—cut into half rings
6 cloves garlic—crushed
1 1/4 lb boned shoulder of pork—cut into 1” cubes
1 can coconut milk—well stirred (original asks for 2/3 can, but where the heck are you going to use the other 1/3 later?)

Instructions

1. Create the spice mixture by combining all the ingredients from the grainy mustard down to the red wine vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Place oil in a large (I use a 12” pan) non-stick frying pan, and turn the burner onto high. Wait until oil is sufficiently hot (I splash a little water in to see if it sizzles), then toss in the sliced onions. Sautee until the onions are golden.
3. Once the onions are golden, toss in the garlic for another 30 seconds, and then place in the spice paste. Fry for about a minute (yes, just the spice paste and onions)
4. Add the meat. Stir and fry for 3 minutes.
5. Add can of coconut milk (The original recipe adds water, but since we’re using the whole can, I don’t see the need).
6. If sauce is not already to a boil, bring it to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and cover.
7. Simmer for at least an hour before serving. The sauce needs be reduced and it’s up to you how “watery” you want your sauce. I like it so it’s almost nothing and loses its bright yellow color and into a nice brown.