Alternative Vegan

I give a VERY short primer on blooming spices in fat.

There's been a lot of questions about curry leaves coming up as of late. I figured now is as good a time as any to answer them.The audio in ogg or mp3 can be found here or in iTunes.

As promised, here's the written instructions for the basic daal tarka: http://goonswithspoons.com/Daal_TarkaThe thing about daal is that there are so many different types out there that it's impossible to pin it down to one technique or recipe. I tried to give  general overview here about the regionality of daal, and how it generally works for most people. I ended up rambling a lot.

In response to Margie, I've made a new episode, discussing fat free cooking. It's been difficult but I'm glad I tried it.

It's FINALLY hit above the freezing temperature here in New York, so I'm not as bummed out about cooking as I've been; the really cold weather makes it difficult to get up the motivation to do very much at all. To celebrate, I've put up a new podcast episode! Feel free to give it a listen.

Hi all! Today we're going into the foods you can make at Thanksgiving, whether you take it with you, make it for your own home, or suggest it to others.Mashed Potatoes5 lbs potatoes, boiled until tender2 cups coconut milk (full fat)Salt & Pepper to tasteBoil the potatoes until tender. Mash them up slightly, until it's where you want it. Add the coconut milk, a little at a time, until it's as much as you like. Taste for seasoning. Season as desired.Butternut SquashCut the butternut squash in half, lengthwise. Place it on a parchment, foil, wax paper, or silicon baking mat lined baking sheet. Set the oven to 350F. Bake for 45 minutes - 2 hours (depending on how long it takes you to remember that you have butternut squash in there. You don't need to preheat the oven.Brussels Sprouts1 lb Brussels sprouts3 TB vegetable oil3 tsp seasonings of your choice: sage, rosemary, cumin, coriander, fennel seed, garam masala, caraway seed (crushed), thyme (mix the seasonings in whatever combination you want)1 1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp black pepperRemove the stem ends of the sprouts. Toss in oil, and sprinkle on the seasonings. Toss to combine. Bake on a parchment lined sheet for 45 minutes.

Today in the podcast, I talk about how to store kale.

Today, we tackle the question of how to get a breading onto a thing without using eggs. Hopefully this helps some of you out.

Very short one today, because about 1/2 way into the recording, my head started pounding in screaming pain. Apologies. Going to go lie down. I didn't want to deny you the dubious joy of listening to me ramble.

Today, I'm not feeling well at all, so I ramble on about food to make when you're feeling sickly.Cabbage Soup1 1/2 lbs cabbage, chopped1 TB canola oil1 tsp cumin seed1 tsp sesame seed1 large onion, diced1 green chilie pepper, chopped (with or without seeds)1/2 tsp turmeric powder2 litres water, boiling3 TB grated gingerIn a deep pot, add the oil, and heat it over high heat. Add the cumin seeds and sesame seeds. When they pop, add the chilie pepper and onion. Stir well until the onions are softened. Add turmeric powder, and stir through. Add the cabbage, and stir-fry for around 10 seconds or so. Add the water, and bring to a boil. Add the ginger. Continue to boil until the cabbage is the desired tenderness.Variations- To thicken, blend in a blender: 1 cup of cooked rice, and 1 cup of the broth from the soup (if cabbage comes along for the ride with the broth, it's OK). Add 2 - 3 cups of cooked rice to the pot, and bring to the boil.- 3 - 5 cloves of chopped garlic, added in with the onions would not go amiss!- If you have the energy to do so, some frozen peas are a lovely addition (add in the last minute of cooking)