Chicken Vindaloo

Omg, ok. So I'm a law student right? I spend a LOT of time on campus with friends discussing the latest concepts and just keeping each other afloat. I've really become quite accustomed to my little study group and I find myself constantly comparing our personalities to those of my favorite TV/Reality Shows. I've been everyone from Lauren Conrad, to Phoebe Buffay, to Ted Moseby. Really, I do it because I foster a (not so secret) desire to be famous.

Anyways, so one rainy San Francisco Sunday, not more than a few weeks ago, I met with a few friends for yet another review session. The weather was miserable and the entire day it was rainy, dark, windy, and all around no bueno. Our study sessions usually go for most of the day, and of course, around dinner time, there was a consensual rumble in the jungle and we decided to order in some food. We had been studying in one of the smaller classrooms so we could make use of the projectors and white boards and there was NO way we were going to forge our way, books in tow, out into the Financial District in the middle of a torrential downpour no matter how hungry we were. We just ended up ordering in and thankfully we found an Indian restaurant online that delivered! And they were only 3 blocks away.

We called in, I ordered the Chicken Vindaloo, and they said our food would be ready and sent to us in about 40 minutes.

FAST FORWARD 2 HOURS LATER.

We're pretty much RAGING with hunger and indignation at the tardiness of our food. Even our usual Pictionary games couldn't distract us from the hunger pains. FINALLY, our food arrives. We begrudgingly pay our delivery man, and sit down to eat. Of course, THERE ARE NO UTENSILS OR PLATES.

OMGWTFBBQ?!?!?!?

My friend Katie and I then decide to run over to the nearest Walgreens to pick up some plates and utensils to get our grub on, all the while harping on about "What kind of food delivery doesn't send plates and utensils with their food!?" It was a Sunday night, but there were a bunch of custodial servicemen and women making our campus sparkle, one of whom caught the elevator with us on our way down. Katie and I continued to complain, and the nice man asked us what was the matter. We explained the situation and he just straight up said: "Oh, I'm sure there are plates and utensils here on campus, follow me and I'm sure I could get some for you."

Katie and I were stoked because 1. we wouldn't have to walk out in the rain 2. it was free, and 3. we were THAT much closer to eating. He couldn't have been any nicer and took us to different little closets all over campus and sent us on our way with plates, napkins, spoons, and forks. OMNOMNOM.

I'm 95% sure that man was a ghost.

You know, those stories about like, cars getting stuck on train tracks in the middle of nowhere at night and the people in the car are stuck while a train comes barreling down the tracks? And then somehow, even though the car died, the car is mysteriously pushed away...and one person hears the distant laughter of children...and they see multiple pairs of children's hands on the back bumper when they get out to investigate why they moved?

Or like, when the driver picks up a young hitchhiker in the rain and lends them their sweater, only to show up at the hitchhiker's house to find an old woman saying: "Jane has been dead for ten yeaaarrss!!!" And his sweater is nicely folded on her grave? You know....stuff like that.

Or like, that ghost standing behind you resting his hand on your shoulder?

Made you look didn't I? Freaked out are you? Good.

I'm pretty sure that man was a ghost who appears when students are in distress, only to find some magical way to save them from their problems. I mean, he took us down to the basement...where there were no witnesses. Except me and Katie. She's pish-poshed my theory, but just saying, in the many many many other study sessions we've had, I've never seen him around. Of course, since that Indian food incident, we haven't really been in distress...just saying. I think it makes sense. Ghosts.

ANYWAYS. The food was delicious at the time...but I think my chicken wasn't cooked properly or something, because I felt sick the next day. Probably a punishment from the Ghost for pish-poshing his ghostly existence. But later I was jonesing for some Indian food, and decided to try making a Chicken Vindaloo that wouldn't make me sick. And it was delicious. And I didn't get sick. And I had utensils.

Of course there's most likely nothing authentically Indian about my version, but hot damn, I thought it was delicious.

Chicken Vindaloo a lá Ariel

(serves: hella.)

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 BIG yellow onion, diced

a palmful of peeled and grated ginger (I was lazy and just used strips...which isn't fun if you accidentally bite into one, just FYI)

2 regular sized tomatoes, diced

1 can of tomato sauce

1 teaspoon of garam masala

(it's an Indian spice blend that I found at my local Asian market...I think you could use curry powder, just in case you can't find garam masala)

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

CHICKEN!

I used like...one of those styrofoam trays of boneless skinless chicken breasts (heh heh.)

About...oh...2 pounds?

Cut into equal sized cubes (1 inch)

3 big Russet potatotes, peeled and cubed, 1 inch cubes

~2 cans of Chicken broth

It's a hell of a lot of spices, I know, but if you know how to shop/where to look, I found most of these spices in little baggies for like 89¢ a pop.

First of all, take another big big skillet. Heat up one turn of vegetable oil over medium-high heat and toss in the onion, garlic and ginger. Give it a few minutes and once it's fragrant, toss in the tomatoes.

When the tomatoes break down, toss in the tomato sauce and bring that to a gentle simmer.

Take all the spices and dump them ALL into the pan and give it a good stir.

Potatoes take a while to cook, so I threw them in for about 5 minutes before throwing in the chicken. I don't know if putting it all in at the same time would make a difference, but I was afraid of leaving it cooking, waiting for the potatoes to finish while the chicken overcooked and got tough and dry.

Once everything is in, give it a good stir to make sure everything is coated and delicious.

Cover and simmer for 5 minutes...add the chicken broth to make sure there's enough liquid to finish steaming the potatoes and cooking the chicken. It's kind of like cooking rice without a rice cooker...you gotta keep checking it to makes sure it doesn't dry out and burn.

Once the potatoes and chicken are done, add some salt and pepper. And more cayenne if you like it spicy...which I do. NOM.

That's pretty much it. Just serve over rice. It looks intimidating at first because of all the spices, but it's really not that hard.

Oh, and when you make it, call me, because I'll be hungry. Of course.

NAMASTE!

Shrimp Scampi

So before I decided to go to law school, I spent a year after graduating from my undergraduate university trying to figure out, at the tender age of 22 what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Needless to say, it was a daunting task knowing that I literally had the entire world open up for the taking! Thankfully, the recession took care of that pesky problem of, oh...finding a job...building up my resume...even getting an interview.

For a few months, I was between both my house in Dixon and my parents' house in San Francisco, not spending more than 3 weeks in one place or the other. It was one of the more nomadic stages of my life where I was able to see friends, travel a little, and just pretty much go where the wind took me. The one thing that kept me busy most of the time was cooking. While living in Dixon, I lived a parent-less existence, meaning I had to fend for myself, and being unemployed, I had PLENTY of time to poke around in the kitchen. A few times I'd go out to dinner with friends, just because really, there's NOTHING to do in Dixon, other than waste time (and money) at our local Wal-Mart. In Dixon, we have this restaurant, Mary's Pizza Shack, which serves some of the best home-style Italian food in the area. So one day, while eating there with my housemate Kim and Maria (who practically lived with us anyways), I ordered the shrimp scampi, said "I can make this" and one week later, I've got a pan full of pasta and a story to tell.

Shrimp Scampi

(Serves: 6-8...it's a lot of pasta, like...a lot.)

1 turn of the pan Olive Oil

3-5 cloves of garlic, minced, separated into 2 even piles

1/2 medium yellow onion, minced

Dash of crushed red pepper, more to taste

2 pounds peeled, deveined shrimp

(I used a bagged brand...it's easier.)

1 stick of butter (Hello, Paula Deen)

1 bottle of your preferred white wine (I use a Mondavi Sauvignon Blanc, shoutout to UC Davis!)

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 pound of linguine pasta (dried or fresh)

chopped cilantro

parmesan cheese

jar of roasted red peppers (optional)

First, in a big big skillet (like the one pictured) you're going to want to heat up the olive oil over medium heat until it starts to shimmer, then toss in half the garlic and all the onion.

Once the garlic starts to brown and the onion begins to look translucent, toss in the shrimp and red pepper. Don't walk away, because if you overcook the shrimp it'll be tough and no bueno for everyone involved. Taste it, and add more red pepper according to your preferences.

When the shrimp just barely cooks, turn off the stove and move the shrimp out into a bowl to just chill for the time being. Add a splash of more olive oil, half the stick of butter, the rest of the garlic and heat until it melts.

Once the butter melts, throw in about a third of the white wine, and the lemon juice, and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes. Then toss in a palmful of chopped cilantro.

It's gonna be watery, don't worry. It'll still be delicious.

Omg, I totally forgot...before you do all this, toss your pasta into some boiling water, so it'll be ready by the time you finish the deliciousness part of the dish. I know I probably should have told you this first, but if you just started cooking before reading, maybe this'll teach you a lesson: to READ the recipe before actually cooking...fool.

ANYWHO.

Ideally, your pasta should be done around the time you finish the white wine sauce.

When your white wine sauce has reduced (after the 3-5 minutes), drain your pasta REALLY well. You don't want to waterlog your sauce with your wet-ass noodles.

Drop the drained pasta into your big big skillet and toss around the noodles to make sure the sauce gets all up in there. Add the second half of the stick of butter in increments until the noodles look creamy and delicious. (you might not have to use all of it...like I usually do...moo.) Do this quickly so the cilantro doesn't get all dark and wilted and gross-looking.

Take the shrimp you set aside a while ago and toss it into the pasta (drippings and all). Toss around until the shrimp is warmed through.

Finally, turn off the stove, and add in 2-3 chopped roasted red peppers and the parmesan cheese. I'm a cow, so when I make it, it should really be called "Parmesan Cheese...with some pasta and shrimp" but put as much or as little as you want.

That's pretty much it. It'll last you FOREVER. So make sure you make it when you're expecting company so they'll take some with them and you won't be left eating Shrimp Scampi for the next 2 weeks. Believe me, it is NOT fun.

And for the 3 of you who read this, I'm sorry I haven't posted in like, 30 years, but I get lazy, and things come up, and I end up on Facebook. Such is life.