CODDLED FINGERS

Yesterday was food-centric. It wasn't supposed to be, but after shopping in Chinatown my fingers were blue-grey (Raynaud's), so I went directly home. Cooking lunch warmed them up enough that they looked normal again. As you would expect, I'm keenly looking forward to the outside temperature minus wind chill etcetera being consistently over fifty seven degrees Fahrenheit. Preferably up to sixty, sixty two or three.

Later I went out with a thicker coat and gloves. Smoked one of my dad's old pipes.

When I got home, tea, and reading about food.
It's a consuming passion.
Forgive the joke.


Food is comfort. Food is life. Food is circulation in the fingers.



MASALAS FROM SEVERAL YEARS AGO ON THIS BLOG

There is a recipe for Parsi dhansak masala that's far more authentic than the commonly posted weird substitute.

This is Bawaji's Mom's Version:

One teaspoon Methi (Fenugreek) seeds
Half teaspoon Cumin seeds
4 Cloves
2 Cardamoms (green)
Half inch stick cinnamon
Six to seven dry red chilies (more like chile d'arbol than other)
One clove garlic

One and a half to two teaspoons dhana-jeera masala (add when frying paste).


My own version is as follows:

9 Dry chilies (Guajillo or New Mexico chiles secos).
Two and a half TBS coriander seed.
One and a half TBS cumin seed.
One TBS whole peppercorns.
Half a TBS fennel seed.
Half a TBS black mustard seed.
Half a TBS fenugreek seed.
Three Tej Patta (cassia leaves - omit if unavailable).
Three green cardamom pods, seeds only.
One black cardamom pod, seeds, only.
One three-inch stick of cinnamon.
One star-anise pod.
Nine whole cloves.
One Tsp. mace.




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