Mutton & Malbec

What do dark chocolate, wine, and mutton all have in common?

Answer: An acquired taste...and this recipe.

As a child I hated all of the above, but good thing both my palate and I grew up. My obsession for milk chocolate and grape juice gave way to their mature counterparts. As for the lamb, well, my mom cooked it a lot, and somewhere between refusing to eat Baa Baa Black Sheep and the subsequent hunger pants, I came to love it.

This recipe is a mixture of my personal culinary holy trinity. Lamb slow cooked with Indian spices, red wine, and a handful of good chocolate. The resulting stew is 100 dimensions of heavenly taste.
Don't trust me though, try it for yourself!

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Palak Paneer Artichoke Dip

"Can I get the chicken makhani without the chicken?". That's what I want to say when I have to order Indian food...

I rarely go to Indian restaurants to eat, but when I do I have this problem where I eat all the gravy and leave the meat behind. The problem may also lie in the fact that most Indian restaurants just toss some tasteless grilled/boiled chicken or rubbery paneer into the gravy right before serving it. So, I thought it would be a great idea to take my favorite and most flavorful part of curry, the gravy, and create a dip!

This "Palak Paneer Artichoke" dip trades out the Parmesan in a traditional spinach-artichoke dip for fresh paneer. Best served with toasted naan or crackers.

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Simply Smashed Potatoes

Normal families make enough of a fuss over making the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Well imagine making two Thanksgiving meals in the same day and you got yourself an Indian Thanksgiving. Along with the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie you add a rice dish, chicken, some vegetable curries, and a few Indian desserts and sweets. On top of that you invite every Indian family you know because whats the point in making a Thanksgiving spread that puts a Grand China buffet to shame without sharing?
...well at least that's how Thanksgiving went in my house growing up.

These "Simply Smashed Potatoes" are the perfect union of the two sides of my family's Thanksgiving: Aloo methi meets adult mashed potatoes, A.K.A Roasted red potatoes, smashed and topped with dried fenugreek leaves, lemon zest, and a dash of truffle oil.

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