Nov 08 2008
Food for the body as well as the heart
When talking about books, one can never forget the cookbooks!
I didn’t grow up learning how to cook very much, so a few years ago when I moved into my own place, I experimented every Sunday morning with at least two recipes. And then I’d have lunches and suppers for several days.
I learned to make beef stroganoff and chicken cacciatore, I made ethnic recipes, I made stews and casseroles and all sorts of things. But the one thing I wanted more than anything was to find a recipe for Butter Chicken. I love Indian food in general, but that dish is my absolute favourite. I looked everywhere. When I started looking, it wasn’t as well known and popular a recipe as it is now, so it was hard to find.
But finally I found the wonderful little book in the photo - Classic Balti - in a discount book store. It’s a thin book, but it’s got a lot of good recipes in it. AND IT HAD BUTTER CHICKEN.
A “balti” is that cast iron dish shown on the cover of the book, and all the recipes in this cookbook are intended to be made in one of those. But I have a big wok that I use instead, and it works just fine. I make a big vat of Butter Chicken, and freeze it in single-serving containers. And of course I’ve gotten lots of other wonderful Indian recipes from the book as well.
My cookbooks are among my major treasures. I try to be frugal and not go overboard with them, but I still have almost two shelves full. Making something new and nummy just does the heart good, as well as the body.
