Happy Friday!
Whew, what a week! This week has been quite the awesome whirlwind, if I do say so. It all started first thing Monday morning. I think the food gods must have been smiling down on me on Monday, because three great things happened all at once. First, I was able to secure (through a very helpful hand at my culinary alma mater, ICE) a ticket to this year’s IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) 2012 Conference. This year’s conference theme is The Fashion of Food: Where Food, Fashion and Media Connect. And let’s face it, I’m going for the food and the media, but I’ll stay for the fashion! Tickets run upwards of $300 for day so I feel super lucky to have gotten my hands on one. And there’s a Food Book and Blog Festival the day I’m going. What could be better?
The second great thing to happen is under wraps, but let’s just say I was offered the opportunity to visit a very exciting and mainstream center of food media, and I can’t wait! There may be more to come on that.
And then, as many blog readers know, a long time dream of mine came true when a friend of mine at the Huffington Post contacted me Monday morning to ask if I would like my post “Ten Things I Learned Working in a Restaurant Kitchen” featured on the HuffPost Food page. I think my reaction went something like screaming, sitting in shock in my pajamas staring at my laptop screen, and then calling my mom as fast as I could. Needless to say, I really appreciate the strong and positive response this post has gotten from food and non-food industry folks alike, and it has been a real thrill and honor to have it up on the Huffington Post. Thanks guys!
Photo by Flickr user: pvsbond
Given this blast of good fortune, and the fact that for the first time in over a year, my life is not being micro-managed and planned down to the minute, this week I also made a very spontaneous decision (read: in twenty minutes) and booked a trip to California for, oh, two months from now. I’ll be dragging my roommate and my boyfriend along with me to visit a life-long friend that moved out there a few years ago. It still hasn’t sunk in that I’ll be visiting the West Coast in just a few weeks time for the first time in my life, but I couldn’t be more excited. I’m looking forward to eating, photographing, and blogging my way through L.A., wine country, and who knows where else, and sharing it all with readers. Stay tuned for that story in early June!
Photo by JD Eiseman
Even with all this exciting stuff going on, let’s face it – a girl’s gotta eat! I haven’t been out of a restaurant kitchen for a week yet, and already I’m dying to get my hands dirty again with a few solid hours of cooking. One inspiring recipe I came across this week that just encouraged this further was for Akoori, or Indian Scrambled Eggs.
There’s an adorable, kitchy little Indian take-out place down in the Village by my office called Masala Times (very bollywood, very spicy). I first discovered Masala Times on a food tour of the Central Village last fall, and now I frequent it whenever I have a craving for quick, satisfying Indian food. Their Unda Bhurji Pav is my favorite dish by far – a thick, chewy wheat wrap (known as a Roti), stuffed with soft, buttery, curried scrambled eggs, sautéed onions and green peppers – sort of like the Akoori in the recipe above.
As soon as I saw the recipe, the craving struck and instead of dashing down the street to Masala Times, I decided to whip this up at home instead. The verdict? As Cara said with a smile, “It tastes professional!” This recipe is a real winner, and will get you a fluffy, flavorful, slightly spicy scrambled egg that tastes just like traditional Indian street food. This is as perfect for breakfast or brunch as it is for dinner, thanks to the savory, rich flavors. Plus, it’s ready in a flash – fifteen minutes!
I made this just for myself, but the recipe can easily be adapted for a family meal (the recipe below is for two). Use two to three eggs per person, or as I did, two whole eggs and three egg whites. This goes great with some warm Roti or even crisped up whole wheat tortillas. Don’t forget the Mango Lassi!’
Unda Bhurji (Spiced Indian Scrambled Eggs) – Serves 2
Adapted from Food Republic
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of Sesame oil or Ghee
- 1/2 of one large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 small Serrano chile, diced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of red curry paste
- 1 medium tomato, roughly chopped
- 5 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Since today is cold, damp and dreary, I’m going to try the recipe. It sounds like it will warm me up.
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