BOIL OR BAKE SOME POTATOES UNTIL THEY'RE COOKED THROUGH, BUT
FIRM - NOT TOO SOFT.
WHILE THE POTATOES ARE COOKING, SAUTE A CHOPPED, LARGE ONION, SOME GARLIC AND GINGER (
I LOVE GINGER PEOPLE MINCED GINGER - SO EASY!) IN OLIVE OIL. WHEN ONIONS ARE COOKED THROUGH AND SLIGHTLY BROWNED, ADD SALT, PEPPER AND HOT PEPPER SAUCE TO TASTE. THEN ADD A FEW TSP. OF CURRY POWDER. IN INDIAN COOKING, THIS SORT OF MIXTURE (ONIONS, GINGER, GARLIC & SPICES, ETC.) IS KNOWN AS A
MASALA.
COOL THE POTATOES OFF IN COLD WATER. DEPENDING ON THEIR SHAPES, EITHER CUT THEM IN HALF OR CUT OFF THE TOP EDGE. THEN SCOOP OUT THE INSIDES (USE AN
OXO MELON BALLER - IT'S A GREAT KITCHEN TOOL!), KEEPING A 1/4" OR SO MARGIN AROUND THE EDGES OF THE SHELL.
MASH THE POTATO INSIDES. MIX TOGETHER THE MASALA, MASHED POTATO AND SOME COTTAGE CHEESE. FILL THE POTATO SHELLS WITH THIS MIXTURE.
PUT A THIN SLAB OF PEPPER JACK CHEESE ON TOP OF EACH STUFFED POTATO.
BAKE AT 350 F FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, OR UNTIL CHEESE IS MELTED, AND POTATOES ARE HEATED THROUGH.
PUT UNDER BROILER FOR A FEW MINUTES TO BROWN THE TOPS. YUMMY!
IF YOU USE FINGERLING POTATOES, THESE MAKE A GREAT HORS D'OEUVRES! USE LARGER POTATOES FOR A MAIN DISH.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE CURRY POWDER BLEND, OF LATE.
BY THE WAY, IF YOU GO TO SEE THE PIPILOTTI RIST EXHIBITION MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS POST, MAKE SURE YOU SIT IN A COMFORTABLE POSITION WHILE ENJOYING THE SHOW. I WAS A FOOL! AFTER SLUMPING IN THE SLIPPERY TRAIN SEATS, THEN SITTING ON THE FLOOR, SLUMPING AGAINST THE BIG ROUND COUCH AT THE SHOW, AND RIDING (SLUMPED! DUH!) THE SAME SLIPPERY TRAIN SEATS BACK HOME, MY LOWER BACK WAS A HORRID MESS. THAT'S WHY I HAVEN'T POSTED IN A WHILE - I WAS HOBBLING AROUND FOR DAYS, THEN TRYING TO CATCH UP ON ALL I'D LEFT UNDONE WHILST HOBBLING. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BACK! :-)
WHAT BETTER WAY TO WELCOME THE NEW YEAR THAN WITH A NEW BABY? I MET LITTLE ELAN FOR THE FIRST TIME WHEN SHE VISITED ANANDA & NATHAN'S HOUSE ON DECEMBER 15 - SHE ALREADY LOOKS SO MUCH MORE GROWN UP THAN THIS. YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO VISIT ELAN'S BLOG FOR THE LATEST PICTURES.
WHAT TO DO ON SUCH A SNOWY WEEKEND?
COOK LOVELY POTATOES, OF COURSE! I MADE THE CURRY STUFFED ONES AGAIN, FOR A PARTY ON SATURDAY EVENING.
BETTIE AND I BOTH LOVE THE CHRISTMAS TREE. I'VE BEEN COLLECTING ORNAMENTS FOR YEARS. SO MANY OF THEM HOLD MEMORIES OR SPECIAL MEANING. IT MAKES DECORATING THE TREE A TENDER EXPERIENCE.
THESE THREE WINDOWS ARE STACKED NEXT TO MY FRONT DOOR. I'VE BEEN BUSY FILLING THEM WITH PAPER SNOWFLAKES. I LOVE THE SWEET SIMPLICITY OF FOLDING AND SNIPPING THE SCRAP PAPER, AND THE SURPRISE OF THE PATTERN AS I UNFOLD THE DELICATE, LACEY PAPER. I CAN'T FILL THE SPACE ON THE BOTTOM WINDOW - THAT'S WHERE BETTIE SITS TO LOOK OUT UPON THE FROSTY WINTER WORLD.
THANKS TO CAMILLA ENGMAN FOR POSTING A PAPER SNOWFLAKE TUTORIAL AT STUDIO VIOLET. I HAD A LOVELY TIME MAKING SOME LAST NIGHT. IF YOU HAVEN'T MADE ANY SINCE CHILDHOOD, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN NEW YORK . . .
I'M STARTING TO GET IN THE CHRISTMAS MOOD . . .
BOIL OR BAKE SOME POTATOES UNTIL THEY'RE COOKED THROUGH, BUT FIRM - NOT TOO SOFT.
PUT A THIN SLAB OF PEPPER JACK CHEESE ON TOP OF EACH STUFFED POTATO.
PUT UNDER BROILER FOR A FEW MINUTES TO BROWN THE TOPS. YUMMY!
THIS IS MY FAVORITE CURRY POWDER BLEND, OF LATE.
FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING WE HOPPED ON THE TRAIN TO MANHATTAN - BACK TO MOMA FOR THIS REMARKABLE SHOW. CLICK HERE TO SEE A SHORT VIDEO OF THE ARTIST TALKING ABOUT HER WORK. TRIPPY!
