gourmet babble

I'm sitting here, just watching the beginning of Bride and Prejudice, having just had a phenomenal meal from the new menu at Topolobampo, and suddenly it hits me: in over two months (and perhaps a lot longer), I have not had any food from of one my two staple cuisines: Indian. The music and the dance sets the tone as in so many of the great Indian restaurants I have been in, from authoritative staples like Providence's Kabob and Curry (Sanjiv, you are still the best!), to dives like that one place in Tempe (was that Dehli Palace?), to neighborhood legends like Forest Hills' Maurya of Queens, to vegetarian powerhouses like New York City's Vatan or Chicago's Hema's Kitchen, to high-end elegant restaurants like NYC's Darbar. Yes, it is time to cross the frontier and learn how to make my absolute favorite dish: call it Shahi Panir or Paneer Mumtaz, but tomato, cream, vegetables, nuts, and homemade cheese shall one day blend in my kitchen to make culinary magnificence — one of my true staples of life.

Sodium-free, of course, or as close to it as I can get. After all, what's life without a little challenge?