Indian Cooking Lesson

It all began with a fund raiser for our daughters' school. Suzanne and I spied the entry -- a lesson on how to cook an Indian dinner -- hosted by a student's father, Jigish. Being Indian food/curry fans, we were sold. Auction night rolled around and we plotted how to score the winning bid without drawing too much attention. We recruited some interested parties and won the bid!

Two months later, we gathered at the Worsley house to get our cooking lesson. Weeks in advance, Jigish sent us notes on the history of curry (spice trade routes), local dish styles, etc. I also brewed a special batch of German pilsner to complement the food's rich spices. And we all did our part in shopping.

No Power Upon our arrival, the power grid in the neighborhood promptly went out. It's just warming up here in Boise, and with everyone switching from heat to A/C, the older parts of the power grid were taxed. Jigish didn't flinch and said in his own Zen-like way, "It's OK -- we still have the grill." I replied, "And we have cold beer."

Fired Up
Without power, we pushed ahead. About an hour later, and after a few mango/vodka martinis, Idaho Power showed up and got the block back in business.

Great Company
Jigish set the tone for the night with lots of history and background. And he had everyone running in different directions prepping the food, from grilling the salmon and chicken to cutting up the veg and spices. Of course, we were in great company with the Worsleys, Metzgars and Renees.

After four hours, we sat down for a large and delicious meal while the sun was setting in the foothills behind us. The kitchen was a disaster, the beer keg was half-full (nice job) and we were fat and happy. Then it was time for dessert.

The End
I think we all walked away with some valuable cooking tips. And thanks to Jigish's approach to cooking, some of us felt more confident about tossing in the spices we think would go with the dish, vs. following the exact steps and measuring everything in precise amounts.

Of course, I could go on and on about the food preparation, but you'll have to see and hear for yourselves. I posted some photos and videos from the session.