Today I was going through my old camera’s memory disk and found a few gems.  I thought I’d share a couple photos of some of the recipes  that for one reason or another never made it on the blog.

Apparently I’m getting quite forgetful–or, I’m just incredibly lazy–because there were quite a few that I remember tasting really good that I never posted; and now it’s been so long, I can’t find my recipe notes!  Hopefully these recipes will make their appearance (recipe and all!) soon!

Curd Rice, the perfect Indian side-dish!

Peppers stuffed with Indian flavored Cous Cous

Navratan Korma Pies

Cranberry Pear Preserves with Indian Spices

Homemade Herbed Chicken Broth

Among all the “lost” recipes, there is one that has completely vanished.  I can’t even find a photo!

Last fall, I ordered a whole strawberry grouper from my local supermarket.  This was a huge deal for me.  You see, my family loves to fish.  My parents have a cabin (lake house) and my dad would force my siblings and I to accompany him on the boat for HOURS on end.  It was pure torture–especially for a girl who hates fishing.

I would bring a bunch of cds (all Backstreet Boys, if you must know) and sit there with my headphones on and my pole–with a pretty pink sparkly plastic “worm” and no real bait on the hook–in my hand.  I’ll never understand why or how, but for some reason I would always catch fish.  Always.

Of course, if I caught the fish, my rule was that someone had to take it off the hook for me (I wasn’t going to touch it!) and it had to get thrown back.  If anyone wanted to keep a fish I caught, the waterworks would start.  Yes.  I was a dramatic child.  

Then one day, we were up at my parent’s cabin and I happened to walk out the door just as my dad was cutting into a fish to filet it.  That was it.  I felt so sick and so sad that I didn’t eat fish again for well over 10 years.  True story.

Eventually I slowly began to add fish to my diet, but I still couldn’t bring myself to look at the fish whole.  As soon as I saw the face, I was done.  I couldn’t eat it.

But last year I decided I needed to face this fear.  If I really want to become a good cook and possibly try out for Master Chef, I’ve got to get over my whole-fish-phobia.  So, I ordered the grouper and brought it home.  I made sure Piyush was in the kitchen to assist me because I knew I’d need some back-up and I had absolutely no idea what to do with a whole fish.

He showed me how to scale it.  Luckily, it was already cleaned.  Then I mixed up a green masala paste, cut some slits in the skin and smothered the poor little fish with the delicious spice and herb mixture.  I topped the fish with thin slices of lime and wrapped the whole thing in a couple banana leaves tied shut with twine.

We threw the fish in the oven and let it steam in the leaves for 15 minutes–I don’t remember exactly–and then pulled it out and unwrapped it.  I wish I knew what I did with those photos.  The fish looked pretty and smelled amazing.

Unfortunately, the amazing smell of the masala paste doesn’t last for long.  Our house ended up smelling like fish for almost 2 weeks after!  Yuck!