--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Sal, > > I think you are talking about Puris right? I don't mess with deep > fried stuff much myself. I am usually only cooking for one or two so > it is too much trouble. I make flat breads on a nice thick pizza > stone, that makes a huge difference for all breads including pizzas. > I recently went to NYC to see how they make pizzas in the last few > remaining coal ovens, Grimaldi's in Brooklyn is one. Coal cooks at > 800 degrees compared to about 600 for a wood oven. They get a char on > the bread and I was chasing that flavor in my own oven. I figured out > how to do it in my gas oven. I put the pizza stone on the bottom of > the oven and crank it up to broil to pre-heat for almost an hour, > Then I cook the thinly rolled pizza for about 5 minutes. After that I > put it under the broiler to broil the top for another 3 minutes. I > swear it is as good as any pizza in NYC's coal ovens! > > I spend some time here in DC talking to traditional cooks about how > they make their foods. I find that it is the best way to start a > conversation with people from other cultures. Lately I am chasing > traditional Ethiopian Injera bread made from Tev, millet flour.
Ah, now you're talking about my favourite cuisine. I had heard of Ethiopian cuisine for over 20 years and never bothered to try it. Well, I was dragged to one about 5 years ago and it instantly became my favourite. Injera is incredible and although the restaurant I go to offers meat dishes it just isn't necessary with all the wonderful vegetarian dishes available in this cuisine. Making injera: yes, I've tried on two or three occasions to make it myself. I bought a whole bunch of tef on-line and let me tell you: it was incredibly difficult to make...not the mixing and fermenting part (which took about 2 or 3 days) but the actual making of the crepe-like injera. And I thought making dosa was hard...it's a cinch compared to injera. Have you tried it yet? If so, what were your experiences? Also, what ratio did you do the millet to tef...and did you mix the millet in with the tef before the fermenting (I assume you did)? I've become quite friendly with the owner of the Ethiopian who owns the restaurant I frequent. He has an almost religious dedication to tef, which he claims is the most complete grain on the planet (hey, all those gold-winning Ethiopian long-distance runners all grew up on it, so there's gotta be something to it!). All I know is, I can have a stomach ache before eating Ethiopean and, after, it will be gone. Most > Ethiopians here don't even bother to make it, they just buy it. I > have to talk to the grandmothers to get the good tips! > > Food obsessions is the luxury of having no kids. I'm sure when yours > get a little older you will be back at the rolling pin! > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Sal Sunshine <salsunshine@> > wrote: > > > > Curtis, > > > > Yeah, great place. I first started going there with a couple of > > friends when the food at CNL was crummy (pretty often) and that was a > > wonderful change...and it was also, of course, OTP, making it even more > > enjoyable. :) Those were the days. > > > > That's great that you got to know the family and learned some cooking > > techniques. At one point I was pretty good at making that puffy type > > of Indian bread (can't think of the name right now) but quit because I > > figured kids and hot oil didn't mix too well. Now we get take- out but > > at some point I hope to get back to making it myself, as I love Indian > > cooking too. > > Sal > > > > On Oct 26, 2006, at 10:47 PM, curtisdeltablues wrote: > > > > > Sal, > > > > > > That's great that you remember Parus. It was run by a South Indian > > > woman and her two daughters. Very homey and simple. She taught me > > > how to toast the coriander seeds and coconut for Sambar, and how to > > > let the Idli batter ferment properly to get that great sourness. I > > > can equal her Idlis and Sambar from her help, but not her Dosas. I > > > think you really need a griddle to make them right. She was really > > > sweet to me and spent a lot of time teaching me her cooking methods. > > > I was much more into getting the details down then her two daughters! > > > Since it was an easy walk from the center it must have been a > > > movement mecca for all the years it was in business. I went there > > > first in 1983 when I first met you at the CNL. I know one daughter > > > got married and had a baby after college, and the other was in college > > > the last time I talked with her. I'm guessing it closed in the mid > > > 90's. Since South Indian style is my favorite by a long shot, I am > > > always trying any place that serves South Indian food, but none are as > > > charming and delicious as that place. It attracted a great mix of > > > people, a funky crowd. I made some Besan Dhoklas and coconut chutney > > > tonight, so it really made me think of Parus and her kindness. > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Sal Sunshine <salsunshine@> > > > wrote: > > >> > > >> On Oct 26, 2006, at 9:21 PM, curtisdeltablues wrote: > > >> > > >>> Was the South Indian restaurant Parus on T street opened when you > > > were > > >>> there? She taught me to make Idli and dosa and Sambar. It is gone > > >>> now, but I loved that place. > > >> > > >> Curtis, > > >> I'm pretty sure that was the place I was trying to think of, where I > > >> used to go with a couple of friends. Was it a small place, just > a few > > >> tables, self-serve, on some little side-street off Dupont Circle? If > > >> so, I loved that place too. > > >> > > >> When did it close? > > >> > > >> Sal > > > To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
