Monday, October 07, 2019

Maity does Linguine Aglio Et Olio

My take on the classic pasta with olive oil and garlic.

Ingredients:
- Linguine (1 packet, 800 gms)
- Extra virgin olive oil 
- Shrimp/chicken - 100 gms (1/8 ratio)
- Garlic (1 clove, extra finely sliced) - you can use more if you like the garlic flavor
- Shallots (2, extra thinly sliced)
- Salt and pepper
- Chili flakes
- Paprika
- Parsley (4 tablespoons, extra finely chopped)
- Carrots (2, julienne)
- Parmesan or Grand Padano (a couple of tablespoons) 
- Juice from 2 lemons

Preparation:
While the pasta is cooking in a pot of water (you want it al dente or less at this point), put a lot of olive oil in a pan and heat it on low heat and drop in the shallots and garlic and slow cook till they are translucent with some whole pepper or pepper flakes and salt (I prefer a sea salt or rock salt) - make sure the garlic does not burn.  In the meantime, in another pot, cook the shrimp or chicken in the rest of the olive oil, season with salt and pepper - cook on low heat and don't overcook.  

Once the pasta is done, drain 3/4 of the water and drop the rest into the shallot/garlic oil along with half the parsley and the lemon juice, and the shrimp, and mix nicely.  In the pasta pot, drop in some olive oil and drop in the carrots and the rest of the parsley and toss it around.  The carrots provide a little bit of sweetness to work with the sourness of the lime juice.

Serve:
Serve up the pasta with with the carrots as the topping along with the cheese flakes and some fresh pepper.  Bon ap!


Thursday, August 22, 2019

Potatoes in Coconut Curry

A recent experiment with what was left in the fridge yielded an interesting and delicious curry :)

Ingredients
- Potatoes (500 gms)
- Mustard seeds (1 tsp)
- Bay leaves (2)
- Peppercorn (6)
- Cumin ground (1 tbs)
- Coriander ground (1 tbs)
- Chilli powder/paprika ground (1 tbs)
- Turmeric ground (1 tsp)
- Ginger (1 inch cube) - julienne 
- Onions  (1 medium or 2 shallots) - thinly sliced or chopped
- Coconut milk (250 ml) or cooking coconut milk (100 ml)
- Coconut (1/4 cup; grated)
- Dried red chilly (2 whole) - optional
- Oil - whatever kind you prefer (2 tbs)
- Clinantro - chopped (2 tbs)

Directions
Wash and cut the raw potatoes into 2/3 cm cubes or whatever shape and size you prefer in a spoonful.  

In a wok/frying pan or whatever cooking equipment you have, heat the oil.  Then drop in the mustard seeds, bay leaves, and pepper corn, and the dried red chilly.  Fry on medium/high heat for 2 minutes or till the bay leaves brown up.  

Now, throw in the the onions and ginger indulge in the aroma - your mouth should start watering at the magic that is to come :)  Fry for 2 minutes on high or till the onions brown and the oil separates (I have no idea what this means but I've seen this description in almost every Indian recipe).  

Next, toss in the potatoes - keep the heat on high or medium.  Drop in the spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, chilly powder) and cook it.  Toss the wok around, pretend like you know what you're doing.  Fry till the edges of the potatoes turn a little brown.  Takes about 5 minutes.

Finally, turn the heat down and pour in the coconut milk and sprinkle the grated coconut on top.  Cover and leave on simmer till the potatoes cook through.  Takes about 10 minutes or so, depending on the kind of potato and how you've cut it.

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve with rice or roti :)

Hope you like it!

Tuesday, February 05, 2019

Favorite Science Fiction Series

Companion post to the "Favorite Fantasy Series", and again in no particular order of preference.   Leaving out well known classics such as "1984", "War of the Worlds", "Brave New World", etc.

"Foundation" - Isaac Asimov* 
"The Handmaid's Tale" - Margaret Atwood
"Salughterhouse 5" - Kurt Vonnegut
"Dune" - Frank Herbert
"Remembrance of Earth's Past" - Cixin Liu
"Exhalation" - Ted Chiang
"Science in the Capitol Trilogy" - Kim Stanley Robinson
"Snowcrash" - Neal Stephenson
"Rendezvous with Rama" - Arthur C. Clarke
"Ender's Game" - Orson Scott Card
"The Red Rising Trilogy" - Pierce Brown**
"Ancillary Justice" - Ann Lecke
"Collected Short Stories" - Philip K. Dick***
"Starship Troopers" - Robert H. Heinlein
"H2G2" - Douglas Adams
"Left Hand of Darkness" - Ursula K. LeGuin
"The Lathe of Heaven"Ursula K. LeGuin

*a bit sexist and racist as I read it as an adult, but seminal
** a little pop, but great ideas
*** everything :)

Monday, February 04, 2019

My Favorite Fantasy Series/Books

In no particular order of preference, but leaving out well known classics such as "Lord of the Rings", "Chronicles of Narnia", "Once and Future King", etc. I have only included books/series I have read.

"The Powder Mage Trilogy" - Brian McClellan
"The Magicians" - Lev Grossman
"The Stormlight Archives" - Brandon Sanderson*
"Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne" - Brian Staveley
"The Shadow Campaigns" - Django Wexler*
"The First Law" - Joe Abercrombie
"Farseer Trilogy" - Robin Hobb
"Lightbringer" - Brent Weeks
"Mistborn" - Brandon Sanderson
"The Raven's Shadow" - Anthony Ryan**
"His Dark Materials" - Philip Pullman
"Kingkiller Chronicles" - Partick Rothfuss*
"A Song of Ice and Fire" - George R. R. Martin*
"Wheel of Time" - Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson)
"Lord Darcy" - Randall Garrett
"Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" - Sussana Clarke
"Broken Earth Trilogy" - N.K. Jemesin

* on-going
** the first book only