Chicken Vindaloo Curry

Chicken Vindaloo is a popular Indian dish in Goa. It's spicy so I serve it with basmati rice, natural yogurt and roti.



Ingredients
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cardamom seeds
3 in stick cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp whole black mustard seeds
1 tsp whole fenugreek seeds
5 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp light brown sugar
10 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 large yellow onions, peeled and cut into half-
rings
6 Tbsp water
1 in cube of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
8-10 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp ground coriander seeds
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 oz tomato sauce
1/2 lb new potatoes, peeled and quartered

Directions
1. Grind cumin seeds, black pepper, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, black mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds together in a spice grinder. In a small bowl, combine ground spices, vinegar, salt, cayenne pepper and brown sugar. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Fry onions, stirring frequently, until they are a rich, dark brown. Remove onions with a slotted spoon and put them in a blender. Turn off the heat, but do not discard the oil.
3. Add 3 Tbsp water (or more if necessary) to the onions and blend until you have a smooth paste. Add this onion paste to the spices in the bowl. This mixture is the vindaloo paste.
4. Put the ginger and garlic in a blender. Add 3 Tbsp water and blend until you have a smooth paste.
5. Heat the remaining oil in the saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the ginger-garlic paste. Stir until the paste browns slightly. Add the coriander and turmeric. Stir a few seconds.
6. Add the chicken, a little at a time, and brown lightly.
7. Add the vindaloo paste, tomato sauce and potatoes to the chicken in the saucepan. Stir and bring to a slight boil.
8. Cover the saucepan, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about an hour, or until potatoes are tender.

Tips
I sometimes use this if I am in a pinch for time, instead of measuring out each spice.



If you need to know how to make roti here is a good link, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD4o_Lmy6bU.

Enjoy.

Lazy Day

Our lazy day began with sleeping in, asking our Butler to start up our fireplace (because he kept asking what he could do for us and this was the only thing we came up with), and eating breakfast in the Evason Ana Mandara main dining room. We had Pho, lemon crepes and fresh fruit.

Pho (pronounced Fuh) is a Vietnamese staple for all their meals.

It's served hot. Great on cold days. And, an even better alternative to chicken soup when you're sick. If you're feeling a little bit brave and have a day to kill, try this great Pho receipt. It's a combination of a cooking classes recipe (Eric and I took together) and Martha Stewart's recipe.

Ingredients
Serves 4

For the stock
8 whole star anise
1 whole cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
1 piece (4 inches) peeled fresh ginger
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and cut in quarters
4 pounds oxtail, or Knuckle bones, beef marrow or beef shank, rinsed thoroughly
6 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, cut into 2-inch pieces, plus 4 thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 teaspoons of sugar
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
salt (to taste)

For the soup
1 teaspoon coarse salt
8 ounces eye of round or sirloin of beef, sliced thin
8 ounces thin dried rices stick noodles
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
fish sauce (to taste)

For the garnish
3/4 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup saw leaf
10 springs Asian basil
6 Thai bird chilies, or 1 serrano chili or 1 jalapeno chili
2 lime, quartered

Directions
1. Make stock: Heat star anise, cinnamon, and cloves in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a 6-quart stockpot.

2. Preheat broiler. Broil ginger and onions, flipping once, until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to pot. Add oxtail, 2-inch scallion pieces, peppercorns, and sugar. Add 5 quarts water; bring to a boil. Skim foam. Add salt. Reduce heat. Simmer, for at least hours.

3. Pour stock through a large sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Let cool 20 minutes. Refrigerate, covered, 6 hours or overnight.

4. Make soup: Chill beef in freezer until firm, about 2 hours. Cover noodles with cold water. Let stand until noodles are softened, about 30 minutes; drain.

5. Cut beef in half. Place each half flat side down, and cut beef against the grain as thinly as possible. Allow beef to warm to room temperature.

6. Skim fat from stock; discard. Transfer stock to a pot; add shallots and fish sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until shallots are soft, about 15 minutes.

7. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook until just tender, about 10 seconds; drain.

8. Divide noodles, beef, and sprouts among 4 bowls. Add simmering stock (it will cook beef gently). Garnishes with herbs and chilies. Serve.

Or, go to any local Vietnamese restaurant and order a bowl instead. I can guarantee they will have Pho on the menu and it will be cheaper than making it yourself. And probably just as good. But watch out for the cups of MSG some of the restaurants dump in. Eric constantly warns me of this. He has a supersensitive head and can detect MSG in his food within minutes after imbibing it because he gets a headache.

On a side note: to all those who want to start to cook Vietnamese, this is the cookbook I recommend.


Eric and his Dad, David, golfed eighteen rounds at the Dalat Palace Golf Club which was established in 1922. They got the royal treatment, each having his own caddy to carry clubs. Eric asked to have the same caddy he had the last time he was golfing in Dalat. Her name was Anh. She was quite a memorable characters. They had a great time.

The Dalat Palace Golf Course. Beautiful.

Meanwhile, my mother in-law, Jane and I went to the Six Sense Spa for a massage. And it was heavenly. All six of my senses were officially relaxed! Later in the afternoon we went out on the town, checked out shops and ate at a local cafe. We came home to snuggle by the fire with some hot drinks. This was a good day.

My other love affair

I am totally into baking from scratch but if you are not, sometimes I'm not; this is the recipe for you. Thanks to the geniuses at Bakerella.

All you need: One Betty Crocker Brownie Mix and one Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie mix. I'm sure these would work with scratch recipes too, but Betty has made it so easy. She's so nice.

Here's what the packages look like.

Follow the directions on the box for making the brownies and pour into a greased 13 X 9 pan. Make the cookie mix as directed on the pouch and drop by rounded tablespoons into the brownie batter. You'll want to press the dough down lightly.

Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven. When they're done, take them out and let them cool completely. For about an hour. Then, you can frost them with chocolate frosting or for a yummier version Whip up some chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 Tbsp butter

• In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage.
• Pour over the chocolate morsels.
• Let stand about 20 seconds and stir until smooth.
• Pour over brownies and let set before cutting.

And Voila, chocolate chip cookie dough brownies! Thanks Betty!

Thanksgiving keeps giving

Like millions of traditional American families, my husband Eric started his thanksgiving day at the crack of dawn playing football. Enjoy a little movie magic that captures all the 'turkey bowl' drama http://vimeo.com/2373865 . Special thanks to our favorite cameraman, director and editor the one and only Jared Foster.

Meanwhile at the Phillips compound, we started working on a little magic of our own, the biggest feast of the year. The Phillips hosted 36 family members and guests, not counting the kids. Fourteen lemon meringue, pecan, and pumpkin pies lovingly made by the hands of Jane Phillips and her father Ken Taylor (FYI: a legend in the kitchen). Kelsey, Camille and I helped with a few pie shells. Naturally there were several robust turkeys. Homemade stuffing, cranberry sauce, and artichoke dip, also made by Ken Taylor. And arriving families brought everything in between.


Lt to Rt: Jane, David, Marjan, and Todd.

I made my favorite thanksgiving dish, The Famous Pam's Yams. Who's Pam? Pam is my mom. For those who plan to pass on the yams this year, I challenge you to make my moms version of yams. I am willing to bet serious money and grantee that you will now love yams. Yes love is a strong word to use in the same sentence as yams. But trust me, we don't call them 'The Famous Pam's Yams' just to be over dramatic. All whom dared to partake has echoed that title. And so in the tradition of giving I am willing to share this coveted recipe. Enjoy.

Yam Filling

1/3 c. butter (room temp.)
3 c. mashed yams (5-6 yams, peel, chop and boil)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk

Topping

1/3 c. butter ( room temp.)
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1 c. walnuts (chopped)

Don't cover. Bake for 1 hour at 350. If you are a Phillips, Taylor or a Piller you will need to add a little more sugar, butter and vanilla to yam filling and make double the topping.

From Lt to Rt: Eric, a boyfriend, Karen, Kenna, Kelly, Matthew, and Mike. MIA: the Reeds and the Cooks. We missed them and please pray for baby Bree.

Lt to Rt: Mimi holding Liberty, --------, GG Phillips, Tracey Bookes, Pam, Connor, Aunt Janet and Grandma Taylor.

One table of twelve, and three tables of eight held all of us.


Shoots from my seat. Lt to Rt: Spencer, Evelyn holding Izzy, Jessie and Eric. In the back ground, Todd, Jay, Grandpa Taylor, Kelsey.

Connor hiding in the pillows.

Phillips Family Lt to Rt top row: Todd, Wendi, Eric, Connor and Kelsey. Lt to Rt bottom row: Camille holding Brinly, David holding Joceyln and Pearce, and Jane. Sorry, no Piller Family picture. My brother, Grant and his wife, Amy couldn't make it to AZ. Next time.

Our Family. Eric, Wendi, Connor and Pearce.

My kids are pinball addicts. The only thing Pearce and Connor fight over..... turns to play.

Connor scored a record 108,890 points.

You did it Connor. You are now a pinball master.

It was a beautiful day with partly sunny, rainy skies. Picture taken at the basement level back door. In Chandler Arizona.

Taken on main level back balcony.

Taken on upper level back balcony view, over looking The Ocotillo Golf Course. Arizona is beautiful at this time of year.

Thank you to all for the good time, the good food and the good company! We are truly blessed.