The Far Away Fox Eats....Columbian Food

 

Puedes leerlo en Español                               

 

Patacon Pisao, Calle de las Delicias, 10, Madrid 

 

So recently due to the Puente here in Madrid, I only had one student turn up for my last class on the  Friday evening.  She is Columbian and has lived such an interesting life that my lesson plan soon got forgotten and we started chatting (in English, its still counts as beneficial!!) and as most of my conversations do, eventually it turned onto food, and in turn, my blog.  She asked me if I had ever eaten food from her homeland.  I said I had but hadn't actually got round to writing up the blog.  She told me to get on it so she could read it! Well, I can't let a student down so here we go.

 

The first time I went to this restaurant was with a friend who had been to Columbia and had a craving for the food. I have actually been several times since with several combinations of friends but had always forgotten my camera.

 This time, on a rainy Saturday, with my camera safely within arm's reach, I grabbed some lovely ladies and suggested we give this place another try.

First impressions - The decor certainly takes you far away from the hustle and bustle of Madrid city life (my photo didn't come out, as per usual it was blurry!!)  I have been told that the decor is typically Columbian and it certainly made us feel like we were outside on a warm Summer evening instead of inside on a Winter's one.

 None of us being experts we decided to take recommendations from the waitress.  From previous visits I also knew that the portion sizes were very generous (I had previously been with a) a friend with hollow legs and b)a pregnant friend who was taking advantage of her upped calorie intake - both were defeated) So we decided to share the mixed starter and two main meals - La Bandeja Paisa and Tamales. (See full Menu here)

For drinks, 2 of us ordered a Jugo, a juice drink made with a choice of either milk or water to give a consistency of milkshake or smoothie depending on your taste.  I ordered Blackberry and Rocio ordered the Passionfruit.  Although both were delicious, it was a unanimous decision that the passionfruit was our favourite.

While we were still debating which juice was better - such a tough argument - our starter arrived.

 



The Mixed Starter:  clockwise from top left - Fried Plaintain, Tajadas, Palitos de Queso, Patacones and Arepas



 

As you can see from the above picture, it looked sooo good, and is very well presented. The waitress also explained to us what each item was. We enthusiastically got stuck in. After about 3 minutes of the only sound being us chomping - we looked at each other and giggled, we hadn't spoken, or even used cutlery - this is our ultimate form of compliment to how good the food was.  We devoured everything with the 4 sauces that we had been given as an accompaniment.  With the combinations of fresh herbs and varying spice intensities, they added a fresh and clean kick to the rich food.  My favourite part was the Palitos de Queso (remember my obsession with cheese...) but everything on that plate was delicious down to the last crumb.

While still laughing at each other and practically licking the plate clean, our mains arrived. We looked at each other again, more giggling ensued, and we got stuck in again.

 

Tamales with Arepa and Fried Plaintain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

La Bandeja Paisa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not being a Columbian food expert, I consulted the internet and found this website to be very helpful to explain to me a few things about the dishes I had enjoyed. 

 

Here are my observations: While I enjoyed La Bandeja Paisa and I am indeed a meat eater, I found the pork belly to be a little bit chewy, however, I  have eaten pork belly less than 5 times my entire life so this should be taken into account!  Everything else was delicious - the beans were rich and the perfect consistency, I hate when beans are too crunchy or cooked to a pulp.  The chorizo was tender and flavoursome, it melted in the mouth.  All together (minus the avocado for me, damn the allergy!) all the components blended to make a perfect winters night meal.  I learnt from the above website that this dish orginated from the Andean region so I can imagine that when the temperatures drop, this is the perfect comfort food!

 

The Tamales: Each region has a different variation of the final product but the main idea is meat and vegetables cooked together and wrapped in banana leaves, topped with fried dough.  There was nothing I could put my finger on when I thought about it but I found this dish less exciting to eat. Maybe compared to the Bandeja Paisa, and after years of cayenne pepper abuse (the eating it kind of abuse, just to clarify!) the flavour waned in comparison.  I found the accompanying arepas to be very bland without some kind of salsa drenching them.  This however is down to personal taste, and not a criticism, I just liked this dish less.

 

So, while making jokes about how we would have to be rolled home due to the fact we just could not stop eating, came the next little surprise - a Mariachi band started serenading everyone. I'm not sure if this is just a Saturday night thing or a regular thing, but we enjoyed it and it added to the atmosphere without overpowering the conversation.

 

When the bill came, we couldn't believe it - there had to have been some kind of mistake. Only 15 euros each?  We could barely move!  Granted, we are not big drinkers but we had all had at least one. Great value for money!!

 

This place is definitely one for when you are in the mood for something different but somehow familiar.

 

Good food, good company. good music. Check it out!!

 

My Lovely Ladies

 

 And, as an added little bonus, the week after my secret conversation class, because I had mentioned that I was always so full that I had never actually had a dessert but really wanted to try Arequipe (a traditional Columbian dessert) - guess what was waiting for me as a present in the following Friday class - that's what I call being a good teacher's pet!!

Delicious!

 

 

http://www.pataconpisao.es/

 

 



 

 



The Far Away Fox Experiments....Deli at Home

Sorry for the long wait, life gets in the way sometimes. Anyway, I am back! Got my mojo back, got the next few posts lined up for you so you will never have to wait again!!  This one outlines an experiment I did over the summer.

I was at home and trying to find inspiration for a blog post. Then, as if someone read my mind, I received a message from an ex-housemate.

She was doing some work experience and they were looking for volunteers to try something called Deli at Home, a food delivery company. Their philosophy is simple, you pick your dishes, they send you the ingredients and away you go.  This idea appealed to me because this is a great way to get healthy food on the table for a group without having to rely on frozen fast food that normally takes the same amount of time in the oven anyway. (See the Deli at Home Website here) 

  

The team have created a variety of meat fish and vegetarian dishes from here, there and everywhere but seeing as I was living at home and my parents don't have unkosher meat in the house, I chose the Soy and Ginger Salmon and the Seabass Meen Molee.



All the ingredients arrived a few days later, weighed, in bags labelling exactly what they were and the meat and fish neatly packed on coolers. They appeared to the best of quality and the vegetables were all as clean as I was expecting (as someone who likes to wash and scrub her own vegetables, see hay still attached to her free range eggs, this was a bit clinical for me, this is not a complaint, it saves times washing. I rinsed the veg anyway, more out of habit than anything else!)

As always, my efforts were not as photogenic as the pictures on the recipe cards but I enjoyed both dishes a lot, as did my parents who acted as my guinea pigs - one per dish! Both were full of flavour and I think they would suit even the fussiest of eaters, at least that what I would hope, my parents were more or less happy to try anything, as long as it wasn't too spicy!

For an inexperienced cook, the instructions couldnt have been clearer, follow the steps on the card and you get exactly what you are paying for, a delicious meal you have prepared yourself from fresh ingredients in less than 30 minutes.   

One thing I noticed in my 2 recipes - the carb content was a  little generous - both times I had enough left over for another meal, no complants this is great, but just worth bearing in mind.

The other thing that I noticed, which is more to do with my own personal preference and easily fixed, was that some of the other flavours were not as 'potent' as I like them. 

  

So, in conclusions, if you are looking for a way to get cooking, a way to expand your repertoire, an easy way to feed a family after a long day at work without having to worry about not having a vital ingredient, or even having to measure ingredients, this is for you, I recommend you to try it.

 

The Far Away Fox Experiments.... Beetroot Hummus

Short Post today, getting back into the swing of life back in Spain!

So, a few weeks ago I did a review of the River Cottage cookbook by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall  (see it here)  and I mentioned that one of the reasons I like him is because he likes experimenting in the kitchen - just like me.  You never know what new combination of flavours might tickle your taste buds and surprise your guests.

 I have learned a lot just by trying and sometimes failing, for example  -  making an orange and lemon smoothie with milk, disgusting; The time that noone can actually remember what I was trying to make, we think a stirfry, but somehow the end result was tastefully compared to 'vomit'; the disastrous time when I was about 12 and ran out of fresh chillies and used the equivalent weight in dried chillies also springs to mind, especially after promising my mum I wouldn't make the dinner too spicy, or make a large quantity.  Being made to eat almost 10 portions of very pungeant Thai curry (not all at the same time, mercifully) is not an experience I wished to repeat.  Ever.

One example of it going right, however, was this summer.  My mum has recently finished a Masters degree in  the History of Medicine, and I was at home over the last month of her dissertation - great timing on my part, so I decided to help out wherever I could to ease the pressure. My offers of helping in the kitchen were always met with the same reaction - keep it simple, don't go too crazy. We almost fell out because I was getting too carried away with a crumble recipe, all my parents wanted was a nice 'traditional' crumble topping.  I was eyeing up the dried fruits and the Danish honey I had bought on holiday. All hell almost broke loose, but luckily, I proved them wrong and it was delicious, it was tense for a while though!  Proving, even tweaking a loved recipe can add a whole new flavour and enjoyment to it.

Going on this basis, one idea that had seemed plausible when I was leafing through the book was the Beetroot and Walnut Hummus.  I love hummus, I love beetroot (thanks to Mr F-W and a chocolate and beetroot brownie recipe experiment I did)  So when I was looking for a dip to take to a party and who doesn't love odd coloured food at a party, I revisited this idea.  However, not being a fan of Walnuts, I actually combined the 'Very Lemony Hummus' with beetroot and mint.  Sometimes, when I get an idea I just have to roll with it so I decided that if it went wrong, I'd eat it and I'd never mention it again!


                                                                             

The result was actually quite tasty, even if it does look a bit odd in my photo. The smooth sweetness of the beetroot added something and the mint just lifted it. Also, because I used the beetroot I didn't use so many chickpeas which probably lowers the calorie count so its a slightly healthier version of classic hummus.

 I think with some dressing up and some professional photography skills it would look more appetizing. Even in real life I practically had to force my sister's housemate to try it.  Once she did however, it was vacuumed up by her and other guests, even the die hard hummus purists.

 I have made it a few times since and it always goes down the same way. Looks of pure revulsion, tentatively agreeing to try it, then pure surprise, relief and a reaction of  'hhhmmmm, tastes a lot better than it looks'  I'll take that as a hit in my book.  Its like when children don't want to eat vegetables, they don't know why they don't like them, they haven't tried them.  Once they do, its great, its delicious and its another thing they can play with.  I like to take this attitude to cooking, another ingredient to add to the table (literally)  and create fun things with. Like an artist discovering a new colour combination. 

If anyone has an odd flavour combination  that they think I should know, I am always happy to hear them!

The Far Away Fox Travels....Copenhagen

 

Puedes leerlo en Español

 

The Little Mermaid

So, my 16 year old self was ahead of the times. (I predicted patterned leggings, ponchos, blanket coats and many more crazy things looooong before they appeared on the high street - call me a fashion guru :-p)

For a food technology GCSE project I wrote about the as-then relatively unknown food traditions of the beautiful lands of Scandinavia (now call me a food guru).  Fast forward 12 years, and Denmark is home to one of the best restaurants in the world, Noma, having won the title a few years running, unfortunately this year it lost out to El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona. Still, its in the top 10 and Scandinavian food is well and truly on the map.

Having wanted to go for a long time and factors all adding up to make it impossible, the stars finally aligned and I booked a weekend trip with one of my favourite travel buddies - Ras - remember her from a couple of posts back about Sri Lankan Food. (see it here)



Hans Christian Anderson

It goes without saying that the Hans Christian Anderson statue, The Little Mermaid, Kastellet, Danish Parliament Building, Jewish museum, Rosenborg Castle and Kronborg Castle, were all very interesting and beautiful, but, as usual, my trip was led by my nose and stomach.
Ras is the ideal travel companion for someone like me who is very laid back. All I knew is that I wanted to see Hamlet's palace (Kronborg)  and eat Danish Pastries, she filled in the gaps of the itinerary!    She found a food market, which she knew I would love.  She also googled all the best restaurants in Copenhagen and crosschecked them with our budget. Sadly, as neither of us had much money to spare we couldn't afford to actually eat in them but we did look at them and have both made a bucket list of things to save up for - to come back and eat at Noma, obviously!

Goat Hotdogs!

As most well made plans do, ours fell apart.  The best food, we found by accident. For example, the Goat hotdogs from the stand on the first day, that happened to be outside the Rundetårn (The Round Tower). We stumbled on it just when we needed a break. We couldn't find anything as exotic as Goat or Chicken hotdogs for the rest of our trip - as odd as they sound, for the two of us, one who doesn't eat pork, and the other who doesn't eat beef or pork, finding goat was a godsend!

 This theme of luck continued and we ended up eating our dinner on the first evening on a boat!! And on the second night we ended up celebrating a theme park's birthday with fireworks - If we had left ten minutes earlier, we would have missed it.

So, back to the boat. We arrived back at our hotel from 7 hours of touristing (after a 3am start for a 7am flight - anyone who knows me can guess that I was not a happy bunny) so Ras sent me off to sleep and had gone to find someone who could recommend places for us to go for dinner - as luck would have it, she managed to find the only person not actually from Copenhagen on the whole hotel staff. (I have to point out, he was very sweet and helpful at all other times, except when it came to recommendations for food!)

In the end, we decided to take a taxi to Christianshavn, one of the five islands that make up Denmark's capital.  The very lovely Serbian taxi driver, as nice as he was, kept recommending that we eat at TGIs or the new Burger place that had opened up.  Thoughtful, but not quite what we were looking for.

Because our swim and siesta had taken rather longer than we planned, not least because we took the wrong lift back to our room and we had to scurry around the hotel in our towels looking for the right one, ending up having to scuffle through reception - embarrassing, but, what holidays are made for I guess! So, when we arrived in Christianshavn it was dark, quite cold and we were still none the wiser at where to go - then luck hit us.




 The taxi had driven us over a bridge and suggested we stop at this little floating bar for a drink before dinner - when we found it again we realised it served food as well - we had to try it.

Luckily we arrived 20 minutes before the kitchen shut so we  ordered all our food in one go, and sat to enjoy the scenery, considering it was outside on a chilly evening, there were cosy blankets to wrap round us, and the lights gave off quite a lot of heat to keep us toasty. The atmosphere was, to me, decidedly Danish, but for the life of me I couldn't tell you why!




My Bavette Steak

The food was delicious and warming, we each had a starter of Sepia with garlic mayonnaise (and what I think was pink peppercorns as decoration) and for our main, I had a Bavette steak, cooked just the way I like it, medium rare, with grilled cabbage, horseradish yoghurt, garlic and sorrel salad. Ras decided to go for the Lamb with Seasonal Vegetables, all these ingredients were locally sourced, even better. Yum! 



Ras's Lamb and Vegetables

We also shared boiled Danish potatoes.  Rather untraditionally considering we both had red meat, we both decided to have a white wine.  I have recently discovered a taste for it, so I'm having it at every opportunity!  True Foodies and Winos (winies - people who love wine?!) look away now! Everything arrived together as the kitchen was closing and they wanted to get the last few orders out, so we enjoyed the rather odd mix.



 

Badudlejning & Café view from the bridge



 Sadly, as we had arrived late we did not get to order dessert, but the plates I saw going out of Panna Cotta looked scrumptious.  If we had had time, I would have liked to go back.  If you are in Christianshavn and looking for something a bit different - Check it out.

 On Saturday, we got up early, stuffed ourselves at the breakfast buffet (Danish Pastries included!) and headed out to Helsingør, home to Kronborg Castle, as in, home of Hamlet. Beautiful!!

Kronborg Castle



Interior Courtyard at Kronborg

Afterwards, we grabbed a sandwich and headed to see the Little Mermaid, Kastellet and do a boat cruise in Nyhavn.  Can't say we didn't take advantage of our Copenhagen Cards!

The evening, was once again, spectacular, and completely by chance.  We had previously decided to go back to Nyhavn for dinner but after getting back to the hotel exhausted,  we decided to stay local.  10 minutes from our hotel was a theme park.  And not just any theme park.  Denmark is home to the world's 2 oldest parks. This one, Tivoli, was opened on the 15 August 1843 - and guess what the date was when we visited for dinner!  Unaware of this at the time, we went round taking photos and had dinner.



A creepily lit merry go round

This time we ended up eating what we could find as it was late - I had a hot dog, Ras had grilled chicken and chips - fast food at its finest!  Afterwards, we wandered taking it all in, the atmosphere was incredible.  At just before midnight our beds were calling but we noticed that certain places were being cordoned off. When we asked the guard, he said that there was a fireworks display at midnight to commemorate the Birthday. Lovely, who doesn't like a good firework display.



We waited and were not disappointed. We stood amoungst at least 500 people and  not only were the fireworks magical but the orchestra had set up in the stage in the centre of the park and played music to accompany the display.  Xylophone and twinkly sounds for the sparklers, wind instruments for the catherine wheels, strings for the shooting stars and brass for the big bangs - it was very well orchestrated (pardon the pun).

 After another great night sleep in our hotel and a hearty breakfast we checked out and headed into the center to finish the last few bits of our itinerary, we saw the ruins under Christiansborg Palace, did souvenir shopping and stormed out of a cafe (another story and not representative of the great service we received in Copenhagen!)

Gefion Fountain

We had decided to go to the Meat Packing District for  lunch as we heard there was a food market on with over 80 stores.  Maybe we got the wrong end of the stick but when we turned up there were no more than 15 stalls with a lot of what looked like shut shops surrounding the square - a bit of a disappointment but it was Sunday at 2pm and we knew the market finished at 3pm so we were happy to put that to our timing so we located some food and just sat and processed our trip over a refreshing glass of locally produced juice. We finally headed back to the hotel to grab our bags and head to the airport. I loved every second but I was glad to get onto the plane and sleep for a while!

I thoroughly recommend this beautiful city, I don't think the 50 or so hours we had gave it justice and I would definitely return.  I would also get a Copenhagen Card.  It saved us a lot of money on entrance fees, there is so much to do and you also get transport included. (We worked out that we saved 700 Danish Krone even in the short time we were there!)

I would also recommend the hotel we stayed in - the beds were sooo comfortable. Perfect after 12 hours a day walking and being tourists. The staff were friendly and efficient.  The breakfast was delicious and plentiful, and it was a great location.  Because of the improvement works some of the views were obstructed but you can live with this!

The mini leisure centre underneath the hotel was also a great way to relax.  Check out Tivoli's Website and see for yourself.

ps - All the photo credits go to Ras.

The Far Away Fox Celebrates....Her Birthday in a Secret Garden. Twice!

 

'Jardín Secreto Salvador Bachiller' Calle Montera, 37, Madrid, 28013

and

'El Jardín Secreto'  Calle Conde Duque, 2, Madrid, 28015

 

For my birthday this year, I was told to be outside the Gran Via Metro at the top of Calle Montera at 3.45pm.  I was not told why. Gotta Love Surprises!!

After everyone had arrived they led me down the street to Salvador Bachiller, I was intrigued and confused.  Were they buying me a suitcase?! They led me up the many many escalators at the back of the shop and to my shame, it took rather more than it should have done for me to work out where we were going! There is a really pretty terrace at the top that  I had been told about a few times, and it was on my bucket list of places to go, but I hadn't quite found time to go yet - so, great choice Denise!

We were taken to our table which was under a gazebo (there are also tables under a convertible roof, for those random downpours Madrid is famous for amoungst us who live there and unbelievable for those that don't)  We ordered our drinks which were presented in goblets - it was a nice touch that  added to the fairy garden type ambience.

The menu, although not very extensive, is full of fresh and delicious ideas. Perfect for the light lunch we were after. (See the  menu here: Salvador Bachiller Jardín Secreto)  The majority of our group went for the Smoked Salmon Pasta. Obviously I poached some from a nearby dish, for experimental purposes only of course!  It was creamy and full of flavour.  Sometimes I find smoked salmon dishes to be too rich or there aren't enough layers to cut the flavour of the fish, but it worked well, I probably could have eaten a whole plate! Instead, I went for a Búfala Mozzarella and Tomato Salad and Danielle went for a Grilled Chicken Flatbread - also tasted, also delicious.  All the dishes were presented on quirky crockery and with an 'amuse bouche', if you will, of what I assume was freshly made Gazpacho,  along with fresh wholegrain bread.  My salad, although simple, was perfect and the basil pesto drizzled on top added a kick of flavour.

Of course, the real reason I went for salad, other than the fact that I had been out for dinner the night before and was still feeling the effects of the wine, was - you have to have cake on your birthday!! I went for the carrot cake and Denise tried the brownie - both, as expected, were yummy!  Coffee and milkshakes were also enjoyed. 

I cannot comment on the price. As it was my birthday, they paid for me, something I was not expecting and was touched. Thanks you guys!!

Good Food, Good Company, Great Birthday!

It is a lovely setting, a little oasis of calm above the craziness of the infamous Calle Montera below.  it is a great place for a lunch date, first date, apéritif in the summer months or just a great place to relax and watch the sunset.

I thought that was it, I was relaxed, we had laughed and enjoyed each others company and to be honest, the small glass of wine that I had had, had gone straight to my legs. But there was more!

They once again led me down Gran Via to Plaza de España  and along Calle Princesa and then up a flight of stairs...to a childrens playground. Hey, it might be fun, but...what!!  It was only then they told me the plan. Another bar, this one Luke's idea - also called El Jardín Secreto, but it wasn't open for another 30 mins. Fine, we just sat and enjoyed the early June sunshine. (yep, this post has been a while in the making)

Once inside and seated I had to take  a few mins to REALLY appreciate the surroundings.  Things had taken a quirky turn. Things were hanging from the ceiling, displayed between the glass of the table, painted on the walls, hot air balloons were floating, teapots as lamps, garden furniture all mingling... A water feature!  It should have been overpowering, but somehow it worked. Like stepping into an eccentric's house, or garden shed, or dreams.  I loved it. Good choice Luke!










The drinks all had funky names which sadly, I should have, and did not, take note of - reason to go and see for yourself!  Even better, mine arrived and it was...smoking! Amazing!  We all tried each others drinks, ordered more, laughed more and it has to be said, as the alcohol level rose, so did our giggles. In the few hours we were in there  the cosy bar had filled up and there was even a queue outside.

Being in the daze I was, (it was the excitement, not the wine, promise!) I didn't take as many photos as I had hoped, so a few weeks later,  armed with my camera and my housemate, I returned. We shared a dessert and a soft drink this time.




My housemate, Lucy, also has a blog, see her own entry here (Madrid Adrift - El Jardín Secreto).  All photos displayed here are hers. Except the picture of my drink, that one is mine and the group shot - that one belongs to a friend of mine, I have borrowed it, with permission, of course!

So, it was a perfect day. Exactly as birthdays should be - friends, laughing, some good food, good cake, smoking drinks and who doesn't enjoy a tiger painting on the wall as an added bonus.

                     

Go, see them for yourselves!

 

http://www.jardinsecretosalvadorbachiller.com/

http://eljardinsecretomadrid.com

 

 

 

 

The Far Away Fox Eats....Homemade Sri Lankan Food

Little introduction to the person who taught me something new this week:

I met Ras doing an evening Spanish course about 6 years ago.  As the only two people under thirty and without long term partners, children, mortgages, what we call grown up stuff, and our shared love of travelling, we bonded immediately.

We refer to the first few times we went out as friend dates - the dinner date, the movie, the romantic picnic on top of a hillside to watch the sunset, we never go shopping together and she is my weekend travel buddy.  It is a constant joke that if one of us were a man, we would be the perfect couple.

But what she can't do in keeping my Grandma happy, (who, although would never say it, is secretly hoping I marry a nice Jewish boy) she makes up for in curry.  She has the highest tolerance to spice of anyone I know.  She can order extra hot spice at Nandos smother it in in extra hot sauce and still not bat an eyelid.  I accidentally got her meal once due to those little stick things getting mixed up, took one bite and subsequently couldn't taste my own meal.  Or anything else for the next couple of days.  Those big burly men (it's always men, who knows why) who like to eat vindaloo as a challenge, never challenge Rasadhi Attale. YOU. WILL. LOSE.

Anyhow, back to the curry.  A couple of years ago, Ras taught me how to make a chicken dish called Kukul mas Hodi (spelled phonetically from the Sinhalese) and a lentil dish called Parippu (also spelled phonetically) it was delicious and we ate it in the traditional way with our hands. Yum!  Although it has to be said, Ras overestimated my tolerance for spice at the time and we got through a pint of milk and ice cream in the process of cooling my burning tongue. She was more cautious this time!

So, for my new blog, I asked her to teach me more. She agreed. So I turn up at her flat ready to cook and take some great photos.  Instead, she pours me a chilled glass of white wine, sits me on a stool and tells me to relax and while she goes to work.  Perfect! I'm happy to observe the experts, except, my photos suffered.  Never drink and photo people, due to my non existant photography skills, plus the wine, the vast majority came out blurry. Sorry about that!

My lovely wine and my notes!

First for the rice (Kaha Bath) She begins by washing it and adding 3 cardomom pods, whole cloves and some turmeric.  This goes in the rice cooker and we are away.

Next, she makes a Salmon Stirfry (Salmon Theldala).  As Ras has never made this dish with fresh salmon, we used tinned to stay true to the recipe we borrowed from her mother.  So, after heating the oil in a pan, in it goes.  To this, she adds a mountain of sliced onions, (she used 4 onions to 3 tins of Salmon), garlic and ginger paste, dried curry leaves (which I have never actually seen before, They smell like tea!), hot chilli powder, chilli flakes and salt...mixes it all up so it's all distributed evenly, Et Voila! Simple!

The kitchen smells incredible (not to mention my hair at this point) but she is not done!!  There is one more dish to do,  using the soft boiled potatoes that have been sitting cooling on the counter since my arrival.  It's a dish called Ala Hodi.

To a saucepan she adds coconut milk and heats it slowly, to this, she adds a lot of turmeric, Sri Lankan Curry powder (there is a difference between Sri Lankan and Indian Curry Powder - little side note on this below) dried curry leaves,  fresh green chillies and onion along with the potatoes.

It smells good, I have taste tested everything it and confirmed it is within my spice tolerance range and as I am feeling daring she can add more spice, time to eat?

Not quite yet, Ras is unhappy with the potatoes, she says something is missing. I try it and agree, but my knowledge of Sri Lankan food is not quite there with naming ingredients that could be missing.  She decides it's the curry powder thats lacking and adds more. Taste test time again.  This time, there is a more defined rich warmth to the dish that now I can taste it, I can recognise was definately lacking before.  It's like that adding of lemon juice and coriander to an Indian daal - it just lifts it to another level.

Now it's time to eat!!

Until recently, proper curry always seemed like a labour intensive chore but through some knowledgeable people, I have learnt that this belief couldn't have been further from the truth, and you just need to know the right people, and learn the tricks!  This case was no different, all 3 dishes were done and ready to eat in an hour, and this includes us gossiping and setting the table. 
The Ala Hodi is creamy and rich, cutting the dry heat of the Theldala, they work well together. There is a warming undertone different from any Indian curry I have ever had.  The flavour layers are different.  I think this is due to the curry powder being roasted.

We devour our dinner, and due to there only being two of us, we have enough leftover for a portion each the next day. Even better!
 
 The thing I like about these dishes are that they are one pot and done, other than the preboiling of the potatoes there was no faffing with cooking different bit's separately, I never have the patience or energy for this. As much as I love the cooking part, the preparation is a chore, if you ever offer to chop or wash up, you will be my friend forever!  Plus, it leaves more time to chat with whoever I am cooking for.      

I will definately be recreating these dishes again!                                        



                                                                 A note on Spices

Our test tube spice rack, inspired by my Mum's Science Degree

For my ignorance, before I met Ras, I didn't really know a lot about what made Sri Lankan curry different from the Indian curries we know and love so well, as they were unfamiliar.  But now, having tried a few different dishes and having done some research I can now say that it's the ingredients that go into the curry powders.  Sri Lankan curry powders are generally roasted so they have a different aroma to Indian curry powders.

 Listed below are the ingredients that go into each: 

Sri Lankan Curry Powder (either unroasted or roasted) contains:  Coriander Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Cinnamon, Cardomom Pods, Cloves, Curry Leaves and Cayenne Pepper.

Indian Curry Powder contains:   Coriander Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Mustard Seeds, Black Peppercorns, Turmeric, Red Chilli Powder and Ground Ginger

Sri Lankan cuisine is as yet, largely unknown, but I have a feeling this is about to change, it is on the horizon as being the next 'it' thing.  And why not, it's delicious.  You heard it here first though remember!