One Night With the King
Asianleo
I recently watched a movie, "One Night with the King", that was loosly based on the story of Hadassah, who later became Queen Esther of Persia, and how she saved the Persian Jews from genocide.

One Night With the King

Esther has always been my favorite book in the bible. Most likely because it's the only book in the bible named for a female and features a female in a positive light. It also happens that the Jewish festival of Purim, which celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from a Perian royal vizier's plot to kill all the Jews, was yesterday (ending at nightfall today).

According to the Book of Esther, Queen Esther foils the plot and subsequently, through her cousin/foster father, Mordecai, saves the Persian Jews from the decree to annihilate the Jews and allows them the right to defend themselves during an attack. I didn't realize there was a festival that commemorated this event until I saw the movie.

The movie was a little cheesy, but it had wonderful costumes, beautiful looking scenery (both human and backdrop), and several recognizable character actors (Omar Sharif, Peter O'Toole, John Rhys-Davies). It wasn't preachy in any way (in fact it felt like they glossed over the religious aspect a little - strange considering religious affiliation plays a large role in this story). It was also a little confusing in regards to backstory (why did the King hate the Jews) if you don't recall the details of the Book of Esther. Overall, though, I enjoyed the movie and would recommend it. I'm actually considering looking into purchasing a copy for my collection.  Here's a trailer of the movie: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3566862617/
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Supper Club - February 2010: Indian
Asianleo
Feb10_Table_Setting

This month's supper club theme was an Indian feast. Our hosts provided the main dishes: Bhindi Dopiaza (okra with double onion) and Potato and Tomato Korma. They also made a pitcher of delicious mango lassis and chai to quench our thirst. The other dishes included samosas, pakoras, stuffed zucchini, raita, chutney, and kheer.

Feb10_plate
pakoras

stuffed_zuke

I brought homemade naan and batata vada (deep fried potato dumplings). I thought the naan would be the more difficult dish to make since I'd never attempted to make dough before. The dumplings actually turned out to be more troublesome due to the batter the recipe called for (it ended up sticking to my fry basket). The potato filling was tasty though. I'll probably keep the filling recipe for samosas.

The naan turned out really well and was incredibly easy to make (especially since I used a bread machine). I think it'd also make a very tasty pizza dough. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Naan/Detail.aspx. Based on the suggestions of those who rated the recipe, I adjusted the recipe a little. Here's the recipe with my adjustments:

naan

INGREDIENTS:
1 (0.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, proof the yeast by dissolving the yeast in the warm water with 1 tbsp of sugar. Let it double in volume and become frothy (about 9-12 minutes).

2. Stir in the remaining sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough bread flour to make a soft dough. Too much flour will make the dough stiff. Knead for 6 - 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place the dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

If you're using a bread machine, put the liquid ingredients (milk and egg) in first, then the dry ingredients (sugar, salt and only 3 1/2 cups bread flour) before adding the proofed yeast. Set the bread machine to the dough setting and let it do it's work.

2. Punch down the dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll the dough into balls, and place on a tray with space between the balls for it to expand. Cover the tray with a towel, and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. Roll one ball of dough out thinly and brush one side with ghee. Heat a lightly oiled grill pan on medium high heat. Place the brushed side of the dough on the grill and cook for 2 - 3 minutes, or until the top bubbles and the bottom is lightly browned. Brush the top with some ghee before turning over. Cook until browned (another 2 - 4 minutes). Remove from the grill and continue the process until all of the naan has been prepared.
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CSA Box - February 3, 2010
Asianleo

My CSA box this week.
  • carrots - I think I'm going to use these along with the oranges we get in an Orange and Carrot soup recipe I found on-line that sounded intriguing. The rest I'll use in a batch of carrot cake/cupcakes. Hopefully, that should help me use up all the delicious (but bountiful) carrots we've received.
  • turnips - Baby Turnip Slaw
  • kale
  • mixed lettuce - I'm going to use the lettuce in the chicken salad sandwiches I have planned for my work week lunch.
  • radishes - Instead of using these in a salad, I'm going to try braising them and tossing them in with some green beans.
  • broccoli florets - I'll probably use it in a beef stir fry.
  • green garlic
  • scallions
  • grapefruit - The previous ones were juicy and sweet. Hope these are the same.
  • oranges

It also contained cabbage.

I also got my first kohlrabi, which (according to Wikipedia) is suppose to have the same texture and taste as broccoli stem or cabbage heart.  I love broccoli and cabbage, so I hope this is true. I'm thinking of using these in a Kohlrabi Curry recipe I found on-line.
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