What was your favorite dish/cuisine that you prepared for them that was new for you, rather than a tried and true favorite?
I love this story! First off, help in the kitchen is almost always appreciated. We who do it often and love it nevertheless can agree that for a single person to do it all, it can be extremely time consuming.
The idea of an ongoing project is so fun. And I bet it’s a great antidote to get people out of a cooking rut. Things with slow timing are so smart. I get super nervous around Thanksgiving when I am trying to effectively get 10 dishes or so ready all around the same time. So I hear you.
A long time ago, pre kids, my husband ordered a dish on a beach in Thailand, and it was about 70% chilies and 30% other assorted things. He cried through the whole meal. I still tease him about it, and the fact that he kept saying how he was enjoying it.
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OMG so funny. She must feel very comfortable around you.
I’ve only ever bought the store bought Thai curry pastes. Never the Indian sauces. Do you think those are pretty good? Or are they just a bandaid when you need something quick? I have some of those in my pantry, things like Rice a Roni. In a pinch it will do, but I’d rather have something else…
@Sasha, I know you weren’t asking me, but I’ve found the Patek curry pastes and simmer sauces to be quite good. Also Sharwood’s has some good simmer sauces too. Love the Maya Kaimal sauces they sell in the deli section of Costco.
All should be easy to find where you are.
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What was that good beginning Indian cookbook?
This is the one I gift all the time - https://www.amazon.com/Madhur-Jaffreys-Quick-Indian-Cooking/dp/0811859010
She uses a pressure cooker for the gravy dishes, but they cook fine without if you don’t have one (just longer).
She also has a new instant pot book that’s better than the previous ones available, but not one I feel the need to own as she uses a PC where necessary in her other books anyway.
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I use Patak’s pastes as well, when I’m cooking something quick and don’t want to bother with a whole range of spices. I currently only have their “tikka marinade” in the cupboard which is a fairly versatile product that I can add spices to. From time to time, I’ve bought others from the range which are all pretty much in keeping with the Anglicised “levels of heat” sauces that are familiar to any Briton visiting their local curry house. I don’t use cook-in sauces.
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Ok. I was “gifted” a Madhur Jaffrey - but just the Indian Cooking one (not easy or beginner) by the library because they had a copy with a defective scan code. I’ve done a few things out of there. As someone who never cooked Indian food, or even ate much of it, in the first part of my life, I would not call it an easy cuisine. Personally. I do enjoy the flavors though. Less South Indian. Not a big fan of the big crepe rollups.
I may play around with them a bit. And I’m fine with Anglicized levels of heat. That sounds just right.
Native of Barcelona …
Spanish Regional, Italian Regional, Provençal Southern French, Greek, and Moroccan are our favorite at home cuisines as well as restaurant cuisines …
We adore Nigriri and Sashimi however, not at home.
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I agree! Any kind of sushi at home seems overwhelming, although I have seen people do it. I don’t feel confident I can get sufficiently high quality fish at the store. And many years ago, we bought a sushi rolling mat, but I think our single attempt to use it was a huge failure. I may need to try again one of these days.
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We eat out nigriri & sashimi (not sushi) at least once a week … ( Down the Street ) …
It is quite a complicated task and we had been to Japan in 2017. And to be honest, I would not tackle it … It also requires some “coaching” from a Japanese Chef, to really learn how to prepare the fish and shellfish.
I do prepare tempura veggies and prawns once in awhile and salmon teriyaki …
Have a nice evening. It is late here, 12.15am after mid-night. Ciao.
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7 years, apparently, to train to make sushi. The first 3 years only on rice. They are very serious about their cuisine. There is a fun and interesting book you might enjoy about Japanese cuisine and culture. It is called Super Sushi Ramen Express by Michael Booth.
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I said, it really requires alot of training by authentic Japanese Chefs.
It is quite complicated.
My books need a flat (apartment) of their own !!! Thank you but I have so many books and Pdfs, I have no room in my office or my flat for 1 more magazine or book !!!
That’s the beauty of libraries! You don’t need to make a permanent space. Have a good night.
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If it’s the one I’m thinking - her first one, from the BBC series - that’s a very authentic book, and no, not for someone unfamiliar with cooking indian food.
But an excellent book.
Hey, I taught myself to make a really sloppy handroll in less than an hour!
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You go! But I doubt they’ll hire you overseas 
