Another reason why I love the group I’m interning for – everyone there really appreciates food, both cooking and eating! We had our second successful pot luck lunch this Tuesday, and once again, my coworkers cooked an impressive array of dishes. There’s always something new to try since we are all so ethnically diverse.
We had two Indian dishes this time, both using freshly mashed potatoes but taking the key ingredient in completely different directions. The (Pav) Bhaji blended the potatoes with a variety of Indian spices and curry, forming a delicious dish perfect for dipping bread.
The potato cutlets were mashed potatoes mixed with onions and Indian spices, formed into cutlets, lightly dipped in beaten egg, and fried. These potato cutlets were dipped into a sweet and hot ketchup for additional flavor. I’ve never attempted Indian cooking myself, but one of these days I will experiment with all these exotic spices.
My personal favorite (it was a tough decision, but the meat lover in me won) was the pork with mustard greens. The pressure-cooked, flavorful tender meat needed no coaxing to separate from the attached bone, and the cooked greens complemented the meat well. My parents usually use the dried mustard greens in soup, so it was nice to try a non-soup version.
The pork went well with the rice, and this was no ordinary white rice. This was white rice steamed with minced fish cake, green beans, carrots, shitake mushroom, and dried shrimp, and seasoned with soy sauce and salt. Oy vey! Upon first inspection, I thought it was fried rice, but this is a much healthier version since everything is cooked with the rice in the rice cooker.
{ 0 comments }
I've been told that a certain smile breaks across my face whenever the subject of food is brought up, a smile that radiates the purest forms of delight and happiness. Food transcends beyond the smell and taste of what's presented in front of me; it's an experience to be enjoyed, indulged, shared with those I love. Working and living in NYC continually opens culinary doors, from hole-in-the-walls to upscale (even stuffy) dining. I never take any morsel of food for granted, and I'm often THAT girl at the table found licking her plate at the end of the meal.
