Everyone did something different while Irene passed through the Tri-State area. No matter what was there is one thing we all did the same. Eat. Some of us cracked open our overstock of Spaghetti O’s and others held paella parties. Which ever end of the spectrum you fall we’d love to hear your hurricane dinner choice.

In my neck of the woods I woke up Sunday morning, what was reported to be the worst day of the storm, to a calm, dry and bright Brooklyn. Seemingly we dodged the bullet but the problem, quickly realized, was that the stores remained closed as instructed by Mayor Bloomberg. Staying indoors while the wind and rain whipped through the boroughs was what we prepared for. Instead we remained home bound with nowhere to go regardless of the weather outside motivating the opposite.

To make the most of this strange day we cracked open the pantry and cooked the hours away. We kicked off the morning with smoked Polish bacon BLT’s. I threw a sunny side up on mine just for good measure. We followed that with a dark pot of coffee and some fruit. About mid-day we had defrosted a nice piece of short rib from a past REEL TASTY. I seared it off on the grill and we mixed the steak with some goat cheese, beets and greens. While munching we made a quick ricotta cake for dessert thanks to Food Network and some leftover cheese. With time to kill while it cooled we pulled together the makings of one last culinary project, my mother-in-laws chicken curry.

Normally we would have let this bubble off on the stove for a few hours but we couldn’t help ourselves from breaking into it early as the spices rang our olfactory alarm clock.  The above picture represents the comfort and fun that a day trapped inside can produce. I hope you all had as quiet and delicious of a day as I did. For those who didn’t we hope for a speedy recovery back to normal. Once settled please go treat yourself to something delicious.

A long overdue addition to my grill was purchased and tested today. The catalyst was an upcoming REEL TASTY menu item and the rising mercury June will provide. The REEL TASTY kitchen gets hot quick and keeping the oven off as much as possible greatly helps the crew. Tonight I installed and tested the new rotisserie with two chipotle rubbed birds. An hour and a half on medium and these birds were deliciously crispy and ready to eat. Test one, successful.

There has been something bothering me for a long time now. Months to be exact. I have been around the world eating. I have ate in the dirtiest, weirdest, darkest, hottest, slowest, fastest, spiciest, freshest, coldest, strangest places I could find. I have ate on the street everywhere. Everywhere except, India. India frightened me. To be more accurate my friends, the locals and the restaurant proprietors all warned me of the horrible sickness I would suffer with just a nibble of the street food I so desperately craved.

I left India having NOT touched one morsel from a cart, stall or street peddler. The defeat sat dormant in me for a month after returning home. I thought I had forgotten about my disappointment when one day that defeat roared back to life. I felt it suddenly coursing through my body the same way I was told the gastro-intestinal hell raising bacteria would if I did not heed the words of the, presumably, smarter.  It grew stronger, itchier and madder each day. It attacked my brain, my nervous system and my appetite, flooding my body with tasty thoughts of goodness reaped only from a hot street cart down a dusty ally.

I couldn’t take it any more. I had to do something. I was not heading back to India anytime soon so, I did the next best thing for a shot of redemption. The above video was my shot to stifle and kill this now uncontrollable feeling inside me that I MISSED something wonderful.

The recipes are below this How-To-Video.

Roasted East Indian Chicken

ingredients
chicken parts(4 legs, 4 thights, 1 breast quartered)
paprika x2
garam masala x3
tumeric x1
cardimum x1
chili powder x2
cumin x1
salt+pepper x1
olive oil
1 can of chick peas
9-cippolini onions

directions
1. place chicken parts in bowl or bag
2. add olive oil and mix
3. add all spices to a bowl and mix so they are combined
4. add spices to chicken and mix until chicken is completely coated
5. heat oven to 375 degrees
6. place chicken in baking pan with chick peas and onions
7. cook for 1 1/2 hours. Turn chicken once halfway through cooking
8. transfer to a large platter and serve

Saffron Basmati Rice with coconut milk

ingredients
1 cup basmati rice
1 1/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
pinch of saffron threads

directions
1. bring coconut milk and water to a rolling boil
2. add saffron and stir
3. add rice and stir
4. reduce heat to simmer and cover for 20 minutes

I had a great day in Tauranga New Zealand. We had a lot of fun on the beach doing handstands and gymnastics. I eventually had to go back to the ship for a couple of hours to work. Yeah, that work thing gets in my way of living it up sometimes. However, I did get a break to go have some dinner. I ventured off to find a Thai restaurant and bumped into some of my colleagues that were having drinks at a Moroccan restaurant called Zeytin at the Mount. They said they liked it so I joined them. I had a couple local beers to join my Moroccan Tagine. It was very tasty. All the spice of Morocco with boneless chicken, sweet dates, and rice. I am not normally a big rice dish kinda guy but every once in a while it hits the spot.

118 Maunganui Road
Mount Maunganui 3116, Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand
(07) 574 3040

A few weeks ago a friend of mine and I went for a bike ride in Brooklyn. We had both been talking about organic foods for a while and she wanted to show me this place called Egg in Williamsburg. However, by the time we got there they were closed for lunch and we had to try again another day. Well today was that day. I ordered the fried chicken dark meat (thigh and leg). These chickens that they use are totally organic. No antibiotic, no steroids, and fed correctly for growth. The drumstick was small but that is how it should be if grown correctly. I was stuffed after the meal and it was not big at all. The dish also came with a spicy lima bean salad and a biscuit. Both were really good. I felt satisfied after the meal. They had a lot on the menu for lunch and it was packed for a Monday afternoon. I’ll have to go back another time and try their burger or chicken sandwich.

Oh, and it’s always fun when there are crayons on the table.

For a few more pic’s check out Flickr