Archive for September, 2007
birthday tagine
Birthday dinners are great. Food, wine and atmosphere become magical during birthday dinners.
We went to Tagine on a quiet Tuesday evening. J and I were the only two people there. In addition to table seating, in the corner of the restaurant were pillows on the floor circling a low dark wood table. “Sit anywhere” the woman said. Of course, the decorated pillows were our choice.
The menu offers a lot more than tagine dishes, but we couldn’t resist trying their namesake. They were served in the traditional tagine dishes.
J ordered the Oasis Tagine, “half chicken roasted and cooked in ginger saffron sauce, garnished with lemon confit & olives and served with French fries. ” The fries reminded me of Spain, where every dish, even at the fancy restaurants, are served with salty delicious fries (they are useful to soak up the juices). My tagine was called Sultan’s. It comprised of a huge lamb bone, with the lamb meat just barely hanging on. It was served with onions & Moroccan spices, fresh green peas & artichokes. Everything was amazing.
It was all topped off with a bottle of Rioja Reserva 2002 Marques de Riscal. Thanks for a lovely birthday.
…C
Horses in the City
The WSJ recently featured a fascinating story about inner-city horse stables and horsemen in Philly. Horses are, ”kept in yards and odd corners of the city.” Some of the horsemen, “have learned to do their own veterinary work and re-shoeing.” The horses have served as a tool to serve the local community, “..several dozen horsemen and children planned to march their animals during a neighborhood cookout, to demonstrate opposition to violence, with an antigun message printed on their T-shirts.” A non-profit group, The Strawberry Mansion Equestrian Center, teaches children to ride and compete in horse shows.
You can view the whole artice Here.
Or, even cooler, check out the video: Here
“While most horsemen on Fletcher Street like to simply ride in the park, Mr. Lynch, who grew up in a house directly behind the stable, tries to get kids interested in competing professionally. Mr. Lynch instructs students in riding courses around barrels, chairs, and poles. Here, he keeps score as his students get ready for the next event.”
….C
Music for Rajma Masala
A hint of fall weather has come to Chicago. We had just returned from an evening run, and we were hungry.
J and I scrounged around his cupboard and found a box of ready-to-eat Indian food. The yellow box of Rajma Masala stated that these, “authentic Indian Gourmet Dishes have been created by the Master Chefs of India’s most prestigious hotels, ITC, building up on rare, traditional recipes. Kitchens of India brings them to your table in convenient, ‘keep-fresh’ packs. These dishes are ready-to-eat and microwavable.”
It was almost perfect. When I looked closer, I saw the yellow box advertised that a CD was enclosed of classical Indian music. What a great promotion! We turned on the rice cooker, and popped in the CD.
It was perfect. Indian music to accompany our late night impromptu Indian dinner. J’s roommate T came home in the middle of this magical moment. He was also swept up by the atmosphere, and sat down to join us. Rajma Masala is easy to share.
….C
