My cooking frenzy is off to a good start this Sunday. So far, I've managed two firsts: stew (inspired by a friend's comment on Facebook) and chicken fricassee. Like I said, I've never made either before. I don't know about the stew yet - apparently it's supposed to cook in the slow cooker for eight hours - but the fricassee turned out really well. I mean, the stuff is falling off the bone. I think this is the first time I've ever cooked bone-in chicken on my own that wasn't a roast chicken.
I'm a food snob. Usually if it's not super-spicy to the point where my lips burn for several minutes after the meal or if the dish doesn't have really bold flavors, I don't bother with it. Any form of subtlety tends to be lost on me. It doesn't help that traditional food really isn't my forte. Much like rice krispies treats, which to most are the easiest thing in the world but somehow I manage to burn every time, when I make something that has roots west of India or north of Mexico, it turns out...funky.
Maybe my taste buds have been burned off with all that Indian food. But, since Ragsy's getting to the point where we really can't feed him quesadillas for even half his dinners with us and I keep forgetting to take the spice out of our standard Indian fare, I thought that combining something a little more traditional with our usual would be a good idea. And so far, I've been really pleased. And I'm realizing that I left a lot behind when I cut out the more traditional fare.
So, this week's menu is a choice between beef stew, chicken fricassee, aloo matar (spicy tomato & potato curry) and rava uppuma (a spicy South Indian semolina dish loaded with vegetables and three kids of chili). If I get really brave, I might even try a casserole again.
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