Challah and Milk Bread

Challah bread... Next time i want to add twice the honey.... Also make the recipe into two so strands are not too thick, and tent with foil to keep from Browning too much.

Recipe from: http://toriavey.com/how-to/2010/08/challah-bread-part-1-the-blessing-and-the-dough/

Milk Bread Buns... recipe from: http://www.instructables.com/id/Asian-Sweet-Bread-Hong-Kong-Pai-Bao-Hokkaido-Mil/

I didn't like ot very much... nit soft ad sweet like I had hoped.

Kadahi Chili Spice Chicken

Rub diced chicken breast pieces with cumin, coriander, cayenne, garam masala, garlic and ginger powders and set aside.

Heat oil and add whole cumin, coriander, peppercorn and dry red chilies. When seeds splutter add diced onion and mined garlic. Cook until browned. Add tomato paste, and cumin, coriander, cayenne, garlic, ginger and garam masala powders and stir fry until spice saice thickens and separates from oil. Add chicken, green chilies and salt, and stir on high heat until it looks like picture. Add fresh cilantro and serve.

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

Mix cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic, garam masala, black pepper and cayenne powders (about half teaspoons each). Cut chicken breast (2 pieces) into bite size pieces and add salt and spice mix. Heat 3-4 tbsp of oil in a pan and cook chicken until done and set aside.

In the same oil, add half of one onion diced, 2 tsp minced garlic, 3 curry leaves, and 2 green chilies chopped or slivered. Add 3 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cardamom pods, 4 black peppercorns and stir until onion is browned. Add tomato paste (6oz can), 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 0.5 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cayenne, 1 tsp paprika, pinch of fenugreek powder and salt and keep stirring on low heat for sauce to thicken. Add a cup of heavy cream slowly while stirring. Add the cooked chicken and fresh cilantro. Sprinkle 0.5 tsp garam masala and 1 tsp ghee. Cook on low heat few more minutes.

mother of all thai curries

We've been trying to recreate the Penang curry recipe from Taste of Thai, Fayetteville for years. We've gotten good curries but none of them exactly like the one. Today was attempt number 555 and although it is not the same as their's, this is the best Thai curry I've made or had.

Here's the recipe: Put pan on stove and add peanut oil, just enough to cover the bottom. Dice Thai ginger and put in pan along with kaffir lime leaves, basil leaves, and Thai chillies. Let the flavors infuse into the oil. Add Mae Ploy pastes: red curry, penang curry and yellow curry- equal amounts of each and stir. Take a can of coconut milk and add about quarter cup of the coconut milk and stir. Add salt and brown sugar. Add Jiff creamy peanut butter and rest of the coconut milk and stir. Add a dash of fish sauce. Add crushed red pepper to increase heat.

Separately, add salt and cayenne to shrimp. Take little oil in a pan and fry the shrimp until cooked. Then add shrimp to the curry. Let sit on low heat for about 5 minutes.

Enjoy the amazing shrimp curry.

Some of the ingredients I used....

Butternut Squash Soup

Peel and cut butternut squash into one inch cubes- about 2 lbs. Take 32 oz chicken stock in saucepan. Add cubed butternut squash, 1.5 diced onions, 0.5 teaspoon nutmeg powder, 0.5 teaspoon paprika, sprinkle of cinnamon, sprinkle of cayenne, salt to taste, and simmer until squash is temder... about 45 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoon butter and handful of cilantro (optional). Blend... I used an immersion blender.

Serve!

If you like it creamy, add 1/8 cup milk or cream in each serving. Use a dollop of sour cream if you like.