Thanksgiving Eats

Thursday, Nov 24
Arrive in Maryland after 5 1/2 painful hours of stop and go traffic. Shotgun a mini-nip of Jose and head off to my aunt Hepzi's for the Chedalavada family Thanksgiving. I'm late so folks have already been eating. The carvings of turkey lay neatly carved sans carcass. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, gravy adorn one table - the "western feast". On the counter are pots of chicken curry, egg and potato curry, gongera & fri-chik (far too complicated to explain here, will spend an entire post on this one.) Coconut rice, chapattis, salads, fruit juices. Yes, we're a dry family. And I mean that literally...But then I see a big roasting pan emerge from the oven. It's another turkey but this one emits the briney scent of salt & smoke. Can it be, yes! A smoked turkey. I entreat my brother to carve yet another turkey. The man is a carving genius. The flair with which he dispatches legs and breasts in congruent display is a wonder.

Then come the cakes. 3 birthdays being celebrated today. My cousin Rekha, my cousin Mena and me. Rekha's cake is a gluten-free chocolate monolith. Mine is a German Chocolate cake made by my cousin Polly. The cake is moist as you could desire. The coconut/walnut frosting acts as filling as well as topping. Crunchy, sweet, slightly bitter from the dark chocolate and melty from the filling. I love my family.

Thursday, Nov 24 later that day
I'm off to my Aunty Jaya's home to visit with her family: her sons (Amit & Anup) and hubby David. I'm too full for dinner but sip creamy Nescafe coffee (seriously, it's an art form to Indians). And surprise! birthday cake numero dos. This one's dark chocolate with butter cream frosting. How can I say no to buttercream? Especially with my name written in pink and orange? The boys and I contemplate a trip to watch Immortals at the theater but stay home to watch TV and chat about cars, dogs & our love lives.

Friday, Nov 25
Breakfast kicks in around 10. Aunt makes fried vadas with coconut chutney. Lounging, shopping, jogging the dog kicks in a rabid appetite. Dig into the chicken curry and coconut rice my aunt has prepared along with homemade yogurt. This is the holy trinity to south Indians and we honor it with our stomachs.

Later that evening I meet my cousin Patty at Azucar for a quick golden margarita (Grand Marnier). We chat and share a crab quesadilla.

Saturday, Nov 26
Breakfast is Idli with sambaar! And man is it amazing. Takes me straight back home to Saturday's when I was a kid. My aunt treats me to a girlie day, pampering me with trip to the salon for a hairdo and manicure.

Later that evening women of the family gather for a sari celebration for my Mom. Can't go home and not have Ledo's pizza, and I've been hankering for some for months. Plain cheese, green olive & onion and mushrooms & onion. Field green salad by Aunty Hepzi, Samosas from Sandhya. Sodas and water to wash it all down. Oh and cake number 3 - this time yellow cake with buttercream for Suseela the bday girl.

My culinary bootie when I return home consists of a platter of smoked turkey, a tray of samosas, a box of pizza, assorted curries and rices. Oh and an empty bottle of Jose.

Ledos Pizza, a College Park classic for decades. Although I'm not crazy about the new joint that replaced the flagship store. Various locations within and outside Maryland.
Azucar Restaurant
14418 Layhill Road
Silver Spring, Maryland 20906
Phone: (301) 438-3293

Birthday time is food time

Birthday week kicked off with dinner at an old Spanish standby Segovia. Dad and friends join me for an intimate little soiree. Staple starters of Clams Casino, Shrimp Ajillo, a watery vegetable soup and the standard iceberg lettuce. I will say however that Segovias has the BEST bleu cheese dressing I've tasted in long years. It's creamy with a bite of piquant real gorgonzola. It's Dad's all time favorite. Matter of fact he packed away three, count 'em three gravy boats of dressing in one sitting.

There's rarely a time I'm not in the mood for Paella. Perhaps I should have been last night. The Paella I shared with my bud Kenny was dry and almost flavorless. So much so I had to liberally douse the dish with Tabasco. Blasphemy! Luckily Dad's order of Spare Ribs was so massive I had plenty to nosh on. Matter of fact, so did everyone else. Stu's whole lobster stuffed with crabmeat was the clear winner. Toasty crust with soft savory stuffing inside.

The house brought out a chocolate mousse cake - all very ok. Better was the serenade by the waiters singing Happy Birthday Miss America. Awesome.

Even better were the cupcakes Kenny brought along from Mr. Cupcake. Mr. Cupcake is a young Jersey guy who's made it big time. TV Food Network, local news, throngs of followers - mostly women. Come on, who doesn't love a guy who can bake? Kenny sweetly brought Average Joes (anything but yellow cake dipped in dark chocolate ganache), French Toast (just like it sounds), Apple Crisp and Vanilla Chip (more mocha-ish with dreamy buttercream...)

Nice way to kick off bday festivities.

Segovia Restaurant
150 Moonachie Road
Moonachie, NJ 07074
201.641.4266
Open for lunch and dinner daily except Monday

Viktor & Spoils Tequila Bar

While I'm a proponent of taxation proportionate to income there are some exclusivities of the riche that make my lil ole heart aflutter. Like Quintessentially the self proclaimed "club for those who believe that life is too short to waste time on the mundane or second-best".

While I'm not a member I do receive invitations to food and beverage events. Like this week's launching of Viktor and Spoils, the newest Loisaida - pronounced Loui-eas-ida - (Lower East Sider, get it?). Viktor & Spoils serves authentic small bites like lobster and cactus tempura. Yo! Unadulterated tacos and stuffed and fried rolls called Taquitos. But wait, saving the best for last. The Tequilas and Mezcals. Difference? Tequila is made specifically from the blue agave where Mezcal is derived from Maguay and is typically smokier...the better to marinate worms...

A little industrial on looks. Could use a haunting Mexican chanteuse moaning about her lost love. But then that's just the way I prefer to drink my Tequila. A bit refined for now, will be interesting how this joint evolves given the location.

Let the Winter Feasting Begin

The cooler weather brings those breathtaking blue skies. The can-you-believe-these-colors pageantry of foliage. Lengthy, brisk bike rides that remind you of long forgotten muscles. But best of all it brings cold weather eating. Rose's Place, a Lebanonese restaurant off busy Route 4 comes highly recommended by my chef buddy Kenny. We take a bottle of Prosecco to pair with the vibrant but not overly aggressive spice palette. We're served a complimentary plate of pickled cornichons, beets and cured olives accompanied by toasted pita points. Something about the purity of rustic bread topped by brined goods makes me happy. The Italians do it well, as do the Spainards. Apparently so do the Lebanonese.

To start we chose a few salads, garlicky cucumbers, tomatoes and yogurt. For mains we're recommended the kabob platter of chicken, lamb and beef. The salmon catches our eye as the second entree. The meat kabobs are good- hearty, well seasoned and adroitly cooked. The best of the lot are the chicken kabobs, which are addictive and somehow dismiss the red meat to a corner. How can this be so? I'm guessing long marination gives these chickies the burst of flavor. The salmon turns out to be the surprise winner. While Kenny adores seafood salmon is not one of the pesce that floats his boat. No more, Omega 3 be damned! To western propensities, this salmon redefines how fish can be prepared. Of course I've been cooking salmon curry for years in tamarind, chillies and tomatoes. But that's another post, another recipe.

Rose's Place. What you need to know:
32-01 Broadway, Fair Lawn, NJ (201) 475-8800
BYOB.
Shareable plates, ask the waitstaff for recommendations. Hunker down for a leisurely meal. The food is cooked upon request and deserves the requisite preparation time.