Chicken Curry and Naan

For writing group tonight, we workshopped Nathan's latest book. And what better way to celebrate than with delicious food? We made a fabulous spread centering around chicken curry and naan bread (with a potato side dish, mango lassi for drinks, and two kinds of rice).

The remains of the naan bread.

Writing group: 1, Curry: 0. So delicious.

And now, for the recipes:

Indian Chicken Curry*

Ingredients

- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)

- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery

- 2 tablespoons butter

- 3 tablespoons flour

- 1 teaspoon curry powder

- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

- 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken

- 1/2 cup tomato juice

- 2 cups cooked rice

Directions

In medium saucepan cook onion and celery in hot butter until tender. Stir in flour and curry powder. Add chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in cooked chicken and tomato juice; heath through. If desired, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over hot rice. Makes 4 servings.

*I got this recipe from a friend, so I'm not sure where it originated. If you know, tell me in the comments!

Naan*

Ingredients

- 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (I used a bit more than 1/2 Tbs)

- 1 cup warm water

- 1/4 cup white sugar

- 3 tablespoons milk

- 1 egg, beaten

- 2 teaspoons salt

- 4 1/2 cups bread flour

- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

- 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough.  (If you add too much flour, it makes it hard to roll out later.  Plan on it still being a little bit sticky.) Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

Punch down dough, and knead in garlic  (I skip the garlic). Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.

At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. (I use a lot of cooking spray to make sure it doesn't stick on anything.) Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. (If you don't want really buttery naan, just don't brush with butter... I promise they are good either way and I acutally preferred them when I didn't brush with butter, just used a bit of cooking spray as needed.)  Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

*recipe from here.

Baptism (and some other stuff)

Today my nephew was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (I actually had another nephew baptized yesterday too, but I wasn't able to attend that one, unfortunately.)

Nathan gave the talk, and I got to play the piano. I approve of this division of labor, since Nathan is much better at giving simultaneously funny, interesting, and spiritual talks than I am. My niece gave the other talk, grandmas from both sides gave the prayers, and all the kids from my brother's family did a special musical number. It was a beautiful meeting and a wonderful experience overall, and I feel blessed to have been asked to contribute my talents to help invite the Spirit.

Afterwards I was able to spend most of the remaining day with my parents, whom I have not seen in so long - since Christmas, in fact. :P And I'll see my mom again in a few weeks when she comes to help with the new baby upstairs. It's fun to be able to see them often, even though they don't live in the same state. (And I know it's kind of a fluke that they are visiting 3 times in 4 months; that's not really typical.)

In other news, I have some fun recipes that I'll be posting in the next week or so, and I also have a substantial backlog of books that I'm hoping to get to this week. (My brother gave me four that he got from the library, so I'd better crank through them this week before they're due back. I also have Partials to read by Dan Wells, and that's just the beginning.) So I'll probably be doing some book reviews coming up too. I'm slowly working my way through Dragon Quest V: The Hand of the Heavenly Bride, but I'm only 16 hours in so I might have a ways to go on that one before you get a review. But so far, I really like it. Lastly, I'm rapidly approaching my 100th post (it should be on Thursday, if I remember correctly) so don't forget to check back then for something awesome (that has not yet been determined).

I hope you are all having an excellent weekend!

Rustic Crusty Bread

I was inspired by Mel's Kitchen Cafe (once again) and decided to make this recipe for Rustic Crusty Bread. Even the name sounds delicious. You can't go wrong here...

In an effort to be thorough, I baked half of this the same day I made it (which was Sunday), and half on Thursday night after it had been stored in the fridge for 4 days - that way I could tell if it really tastes phenomenal both ways. :)

So how did it fare? The first loaf was phenomenal fresh out of the oven, and it was still good even when I finished the last of it 4 days later. I suspect it will start to taste a little dry after that point, but since you can make these loaves as big or small as you want, you can adjust the size so that you make about as much as you'll eat in 3 days and save the rest of the dough (or bake it all into smaller loaves and freeze all but one).

The second loaf probably could have risen longer than an hour and a half. Maybe my kitchen is on the cold side, but that dough was still really cold when I popped it in the oven. As a result, I don't think it rose as much as it could have, so it was a little denser (and it also got lopsided in the oven, but that's beside the point). It also was still doughy in the middle after baking for 26 minutes (a fact I lamentably did not discover until it was too late). So I personally would recommend baking all the dough right away and freezing the loaves you aren't going to eat immediately. If you do decide to refrigerate the dough, find a warmer spot for it to rise right before baking - maybe put it in a warm oven instead of on the counter (or don't try it in winter with a cold kitchen).

I think next time I will try making smaller, 1-2 serving type baguettes because those would be awesome with potato soup or something similar.

Anyway, here's the recipe in case you don't want to click the link above. (But you should. Because she posted pictures for each step, which I'm not copying over, and also instructions on what to do if you don't have a baking stone.)

Rustic Crusty Bread

*Makes 2-4 loaves of bread

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast (I used about 2 Tbs active dry yeast and let it proof about 5 min)

1 tablespoon salt

6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting dough

3 cups lukewarm water

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees). Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover lightly with a kitchen towel but don’t seal the bowl airtight. Let the dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).

Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered in an airtight container, for as long as two weeks. When ready to bake, cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife (I have only ever made two loaves out of the batch of dough so I just divide the dough in half to form my first loaf). Turn the dough in your hands to lightly stretch the surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put the dough on a piece of parchment paper set on a pizza peel or a rimmed baking sheet turned upside down. Let the dough rest for 40 minutes for room temperature dough; if you have used the dough out of the refrigerator, let it rest for 1 1/2 hours. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it.

Place a broiler pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Place a baking stone on the middle rack and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat the stone at that temperature for 20 minutes before baking.

After the dough has rested and is ready to bake, dust the dough lightly with flour, slash the top with serrated or very sharp knife three times. Slide the dough (with the parchment paper) onto the baking stone. Pour one cup of hot water into the broiler pan and shut the oven quickly to trap the steam. Bake the bread until well browned, about 24-28 minutes. Cool completely.

Book Review: Midnight in Austenland

I loved Shannon Hale's Austenland when I first read it, so when I heard the sequel (well, sort of sequel - you can read them on their own or together) was coming out, I was pretty excited. Then I saw Midnight in Austenland was only $3.99 on Amazon for the kindle edition, and that was it. (It's still $3.99, incidentally, but I don't know for how much longer. So jump on that if you have an e-reader.)

The basic premise of both Austenland and Midnight in Austenland is that a woman who is not currently romantically involved with anyone winds up, through various circumstances, going on vacation to England to a getaway that promises an authentic Jane Austen experience (i.e. they pretend to live in the Regency era). The experience is complete with actors and love interests and even a proposal of marriage. As a Jane Austen fan, I found the concept to be quite intriguing and fun. 

Midnight in Austenland in particular focuses on Charlotte, a recently divorced woman trying to find a way to live again that isn't painful emotionally. A "let's pretend" vacation seems like exactly what she needs to start healing from her divorce and all the baggage that entailed. At first Charlotte comes across (to me) as somewhat unsympathetic. She is clever, yes, but an emotional ice cube and rather prickly. Still, there is an excellent reason for it, and as a reader I came to find her more and more sympathetic as the book progressed. The pacing was fast enough that I never found her stand-offish-ness too bothersome. By the end of the book I felt like she had grown tremendously, and the payout was well worth putting up with her emotionally numb character in the beginning.

I enjoyed some of the plot twists as well, particularly the love interest development. (Of course I did. That's one of the best parts of a Jane Austen-esque story.) I thought it was very well done. It was interesting to learn a little more about the history behind the woman running the Austen retreat as well, and great to see some of the returning side characters fleshed out a little more. 

As a whole, I found this book to be a fun, fast, light read. It's on the fluffy side, but well worth the time. I do think Austenland is my favorite of the two, but I still enjoyed this one tremendously.

Key Lime Pie

For writing group meeting, I like to offer some sort of treat afterwards for those who could come in person. This last time it was key lime pie. And oooh, it was tasty...

Key Lime Pie*

Crust:
- 2  graham cracker crumbs (not quite two packs)**
- 3 Tbs dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I think you could safely up this to 1 1/2 tsp)
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 6 Tbs salted butter, melted

Filling:
- 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
- Finely grated rind of 1 lime
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 c freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 5 limes)
- Whipped cream (optional)

1. Combine crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in melted butter. Press mixture into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Crust will be thick. Refrigerate for at least 15 min. (I just left mine in until I had the filling done.)

2. Preheat oven to 350 F.

3. Combine egg yolks and lime rind in a mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer on high speed 8 min.*** The eggs should be pale yellow and fluffy at this point.

4. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk and beat 7 min, or until fluffy.

5. Add lime juice, beating well, about 2 minutes.

6. Pour filling into chilled pie shell. Bake about 12 min, until filling is set. Refrigerate 3 hours. Top with whipped cream, if using, before serving. (I skipped the whipped cream.) Serves 8ish.

*Recipe slightly modified from here.

** Pro tip: I used my food processor to make graham cracker crumbs. I'm not sure that it's actually faster than using a Ziploc bag and a rolling pin, but it was definitely less effort. Plus I have to use that thing every chance I can because it's mostly only good for grinding up dry things like Oreos and graham crackers.

*** If you have a stand mixer like a KitchenAid, use it. I don't think it would have worked in my Bosch; there wasn't enough filling for the bowl size, but it was really boring to hold a hand mixer for 17 minutes. Worth it, but boring.

If you like lime, this pie is phenomenal. The cinnamon/nutmeg in the crust really adds a lot and kicks things up a notch. Plus it's pretty easy to make. So what are you waiting for? Go make it right now!

Ten Things to Smile About

February flew by... hard to believe it's nearly over already. But it's been a pretty awesome month, so I guess I can forgive it just this once.
1. I threw an awesome steampunk birthday party for my great friend Amy.2. I got over 100 hits on a single blog post (my review of Monsters and Mormons) - this may not be much to some of you big timers, but it's a new record for me!3. I met some really awesome people and saw a lot of old friends at Life, the Universe, and Everything, the local writing con.4. My brother in law got his mission call to Ukraine.5. I got to spend some quality time with my in laws and go through the temple with previously referred to brother in law.6. I tried several new recipes  (including TWO new dinner ideas, three dessert recipes, and a bread recipe).7. I finally used some of my birthday gift cards and got some fun new kitchen stuff and a new sweater shirt.8. I splurge on a water flosser that will blast away all my cavities (I hope).9. I went on several fun dates with my husband.10. I got a sweet bonus AND a raise at work (I knew they were both coming, but it's still exciting).

Monster Truck Madness!

Have you ever been to a monster truck rally?

Well, let me tell you. They're essentially 3 parts ridiculous, 1 part dirt, and a a healthy dose of awesome too. I got free tickets at work to go to one. I have no idea why I was chosen as the recipient of these lovely tickets, but now I am a more well rounded individual AND we got a sweet date for the low, low cost of parking and gas.

First things first: I never would have survived this thing without the earplugs they gave out to everyone. Definitely imperative. Second: did you know Nu Skin has its own suite at Energy Solutions Arena? The box seats were absolutely fantastic.

There were five events, plus two tricks by stunt people, lasting about two hours in total. (I thought it would get boring, but I was actually pretty entertained the whole time.)

Look, you can see an earplug peeking out of my ear.

The goal of the first event is to run the monster truck up on ramps made out of dirt and old cars, and get the truck as vertical as possible. Bonus points for landing on less than 4 wheels and for bouncing, careening, etc. Basically it was like watching a car trying to pop a wheelie, except they were doing it in trucks about... 12 feet tall at least. This was my second favorite event.

Exhibit A.

Exhibit B. We took a lot more pictures than this, but I think this gives you a pretty good idea of how it went.

The second event was real SUVs and trucks driving on a dirt track in a figure 8; fastest time wins. I don't think we have pics of this one, since it didn't involve massive trucks bouncing around.

The first stunt person did his trick next: getting in a box filled with TNT and then having it go off. No pics of this either, but just imagine a big bang and flashing light and you get the idea.

The third event was monster truck drag racing.

Oh look, a husband! And two monster trucks finishing their very short drag race behind him.

You can see one of the trucks getting lined up at the starting line. The other one is in the lower left corner by that guy's head.

The second stunt person (it was actually a husband and wife team) was a human cannonball, which was pretty cool too. No pics of this either, given the brevity of the stunt.

The fourth event was the final round of the second event. (No pics again. Are you shocked? It just wasn't as photogenic.)

The fifth event was one minute stunt demos for each of the monster trucks. This was definitely the funnest one to watch.

By this point there was a LOT of dirt kicked up. Some of those trucks caught some serious air though.

Nobody flipped completely over, but they did get a little close once or twice.

Overall, it was pretty fun and I'm glad we went. Not my typical kind of event, but you know, it's good to get out of the box now and then.