A Question About Goat Meat

I have a question that I've asked once before (I don't think it was here, though), but I don't think my question was understood well. Maybe it was poorly asked. I want to try again.

I enjoy Indian cuisine. I love curries, whether they are Makhani or Masala or Navratan. I might like them milder than many do, but I do like them very much. I've had chicken (my favorite), lamb and goat. I like all three meats. But, only the goat is cut up with the bones still in the meat. Often, I find that what I thought was a piece of meat is actually a very small piece of meat with a large piece of bone attached. I have to admit, it takes some of the pleasure out of eating that particular curry for me.

All meats can be cooked with bone in or boneless, or I have always assumed. I know that when stewing, the bones provide added flavor. But, goat is the only one I've never found boneless in these kinds of meals. Can someone explain to me why the bones are left in when it is cut up into small pieces when the bones are not left in chicken or lamb, both smaller animals? Except for Tandoori chicken, that is. I'd really like to understand the reasoning.

Image from Wikimedia Commons. Previously posted to Bubblews.com.

It seems forever and a day!

It really has. I haven't been here in so long. I've been really busy working on genealogical research for myself, my childhood friend, my ex-husband and my landlord. I had a month's worth of access to Ancestry.com and made the most of it. I had a blast. All those documents in digitized form that I could see what was REALLY said and not just what someone else claimed was said (believe me - some people see words on documents that aren't even there! It's amazing how far off transcription can be at times.) I found burial records, military records, immigration records, marriage records as well as other people working on the very same lines (which is how I was able to get my ex-husband's lines back to when the American Southwest was part of New Spain - they had used Spanish colonial records and Catholic mission documents to back up their search. It was great!)


Lots of things have happened during this time. Of course, I've gone out to eat. And, I've made a few meals. I was taken to an Indian buffet in Philadelphia called San Samosa. It was so good! And cheap, too. $10.99 for AYCE. And, I discovered something I'd never had that I really liked - that was keftas. They look like meatballs and actually taste very much like meatballs, but they're all vegetable. San Samosa had them sitting in the most wonderful curry sauce. I'm not sure if it was a Makhani sauce or a Masala sauce or something else entirely, but it was delicious!!! I love meatball sandwiches, but if someone put those veggie balls on a good Italian roll with loads of that curry sauce, I'd enjoy them just as much, I swear. If you're in the Philadelphia area, go check them out. They're on Walnut between 12th and 13th. A most excellent choice, I promise.

More recently, I was taken to a Middle Eastern place in Philly, just off South Street on 4th, called Alyan's. I'd never been there before and I'm glad I went. I had the mixed grill pita sandwich because I'm not a fan of hummus which comes with the mixed grill platter. I didn't want them wasting it on me, and the sandwich had just as much meat as the platter did for $4.00 less. I also ordered a side of grilled zucchini, which was delicious!! The mixed grill included lamb, beef, chicken and kafta kabab. Now, if you're thinking that kafta sounds very much like the kefta already mentioned, you'd be right. It seems that part of the world does share a certain amount of food culture and some of the words are very similar for those items. This kafta, though, wasn't vegetarian, but was very much ground meat, basically a mix of seasoned lamb and beef. They are not ball shaped, either. They are elongated and placed on skewers to cook, just like the cubes of meat and chicken were. I've had them elsewhere and wasn't too thrilled with them, but at Alyan's they were DELICIOUS! The pita they put this meat on (with a green salad filler and tahina sauce much like we'd use mayonnaise) was also wonderful. I've had pitas in the past that were of questionable quality - more dried out and almost impossible to make a pocket in whereas these were fresh baked, soft, moist and just plain wonderful. We also had baba ganouj for an appetizer. I'd never had it before, but I like eggplant and wanted to try it. It came with quartered pitas and some tahina sauce on top and was excellent. It's a cold appetizer, although the eggplant is cut into tiny cubes and baked (or baked and then cubed...I'm not sure which). If someone wanted to take me back, I'd go in a heartbeat. I was truly full when I left, yet I didn't feel weighed down by my meal.


But, something else happened during my absence from Blogger - we had a daytime intruder in our home. My daughter had gone to work and left the front door unlocked as we have always done while living here. We've never had a problem and didn't think it was an issue as long as we were home. But, this particular morning, I was still in bed when I heard someone knock. Now, I wasn't dressed to be answering the door, so I ignored it. If it was important, they'd come back. The next thing I knew, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and turn to go down the hall to my daughter's room. I knew it wasn't my daughter since she wouldn't knock first. I actually thought it might be her ex-boyfriend who still comes around from time to time - they're friends - so I called out, "Who's here?" fully expecting Steve to answer that it was him. Instead, I heard the footsteps stop and come back down the hall, down the stairs and out the front door. It happened so quickly, I didn't have time to be afraid. But, as it sank in, I realized that it could have been a much larger problem than it was. My daughter thinks it was an ex-friend of hers who wants to get back at her for whatever reason (I don't know what happened between them - she won't say) while I thought it was my landlord's nephew who will take anything that isn't nailed down that he can make a quick buck on. I can tell you, though, that we now keep the door locked all day, even while I'm here. That was truly a wake up call.

A Very Busy Week of Food

Well, this is a long-awaited post (if not by you, then by me since I've been lacking in consistency). A lot of food has gone under the bridge in the last week or so. I'll go over part of it now.

Interior, take from about where we sat.

On Friday night, I went to dinner to a Jamaican restaurant in Medford. I've never even been to Medford, so the entire thing was something new to me. First of all, I fell in love with Medford. It is all original homes from the 1700s, built by the first settlers to the area. I just love old towns with original architecture.


But, then I enjoyed one of the most fabulous meals I have EVER had the pleasure of eating in my life! We dined at Scotch Bonnets, a new restaurant that opened just this past March, by a woman who immigrated from Jamaica. I had the Country Time Chicken Curry and my dining companion had the Coastal Curry Shrimp. 


As an appetizer, we had Calypso Cod Fish Cakes. Honestly, I didn't think I'd like them. I didn't like the sound of "salted cod" as an ingredient. I had wanted the Plantation Pastry Patties (seasoned ground beef surrounded by flaky puff pastry and baked). But, his wishes prevailed and I was surprised to learn that I liked the cakes. They weren't fishy or even all that salty. And, they were very thin - not thick like crab cakes (which is the image I had in my mind.)

Fried Sweet Plantains

For sides, he chose steamed mixed vegetables and I chose fried plantains. I thought his vegetables were very interesting because they actually shredded them before steaming - almost like they were preparing them for a slaw. I might actually enjoy veggies prepared like that since they would cook more thoroughly for my taste. The plantains were wonderful, as they always are wherever I get them.

Scotch Bonnet's Curry Chicken

But, when our entrees arrived, I was at first hesitant because I know they cook with scotch bonnets, but had been assured that the curry chicken was fairly mild. Plus, the pieces of chicken still had bones and I am not fond of picking bones. But, WOW!! I didn't expect the meal to taste so fabulous that I couldn't stop eating!! There was no heavy curry flavor, the chicken was literally fall off the bone tender (I never had to use my knife) and the potatoes tasted as though they'd been roasted before being added to the broth with the chicken. They were great!


After dinner came dessert. Because we'd purchased a coupon for a discounted pre fixe meal, that meant we had to share dessert like we had the appetizer. They gave us our choices and the two that sounded OK to me were coconut rum cake and coffee rum cake. He agreed to the coffee rum cake. HOLY COW!!! There was no skimping on the alcohol on that cake!!! The menu says it was Jamaican rum and port wine. I don't doubt it in the least. But, you know what? It was really good!! Not a dry crumb in the entire slice.

The only disappointing thing about our visit was that the service really and truly needs to be improved. It's not that they weren't helpful or weren't pleasant. It was more that they just "weren't" - there to wait on us, there to bring us plates so we could eat our appetizer, there to take our orders. The owner was there often making sure our glasses were filled and that we were enjoying our meals, but the server seemed overwhelmed. Fortunately, the food was spectacular enough that I would still go back.

Wow - I'm really here! I'm soooooo behind!!!

Really, I am so sorry for anyone who subscribed to my blog when I was making daily entries and who now wonders what is going on. I really would love to post something every day, but without cooking frequently or another writing challenge like I was doing then, it's not easy to come up with a daily topic. But, I do want to at least post something once a week. If I happen upon another challenge that pushes me to do more, I will try to take it on because I really enjoyed interacting with everyone.

Now, with food in mind, let me tell you about my most recently cooked meal. Definitely nothing fancy, by any means, but it was pretty good nonetheless. Last night, I decided to get some chicken out and quickly thaw it to make something for my daughter and me. When I discovered that she had bought a pack boneless, skinless thighs, I thought breading and pan-frying them would be nice. I used to do that for my mother when I was caring for her. But, instead, I decided to bake a couple of them since there was just the two of us. I put a small rack in a casserole dish to keep them above the drippings and set about to mix up a coating to put on them.

One of the things I like about Indian cooking is that they will mix their spices with yogurt and marinate their chicken in that. The acid in the yogurt helps tenderize the meat and helps adhere the spices to it as well. It's likely the reason so many recipes call for soaking chicken in buttermilk before breading, as well. I've done something similar with sour cream, although with other spices rather than Indian, and I've been happy with the results. This time, though, I didn't have any sour cream. So, I took some mayonnaise and mixed it with some spicy Mexican salad dressing and covered the thighs, front and back. I placed them on the rack (bone side down - I know there was no bone, but that's the side I put down). Then I sprinkled bread crumbs on top and a little "soul food" seasoning on top of that. I baked them for an hour at 325°.

Now, one thing I learned is that mayonnaise doesn't "meld" into the chicken like the sour cream did when I used it. That may prove to be a negative for some. Additionally, the saltiness of the mayonnaise and the saltiness of the seasoning was a bit much, so thankfully the seasoning was only on top. But, I still think they turned out otherwise well and I will use the same technique in the future, although either with plain yogurt or sour cream. I paired them with corn and enjoyed a tasty impromptu meal.

This dish has sweet potatoes, which I'd rather have.

I've gone out to eat a couple of times this past week and wanted to talk about that as well. The day before yesterday, we went to Aunt Berta's Kitchen in nearby Oaklyn. She specializes in Southern cooking and I've always enjoyed everything I've gotten there. Her sweet potato pie is the most glorious thing I've ever tasted. I'll take that any day over pumpkin. We ordered the family chicken dinner. Eight pieces of chicken plus three large sides and corn bread. We got half fried and half roasted. OMG, her roasted chicken is the most delectable chicken I have ever set my teeth in. Tender, moist, and so full of flavor, I just can't get enough. Our sides were macaroni and cheese (another spectacular dish), collards (which are delicious!) and cabbage (his favorite, not mine). All of this for $19.99. There is enough food to feed 3-4 people. We took home the leftovers. It's been several years since I was there, so I was happy to go. I've been wanting to go for a while, and it was well worth it!!!

One type of kofta

A few nights earlier, we went out and he wanted Indian food, which I love, but he only wanted buffet. Well, unless you're going for lunch, Indian buffets in Jersey are rare. The one we had gone to the week before is good, but they've changed their seasonings and their foods are a lot hotter (it used to be that the buffet was more mild to allow people to try the cuisine, but I guess since most of their clientele is Indian, they've bumped up the heat factor). I didn't want to go again, but knew that there was at least one Indian buffet over in Philly, which is actually closer than the one in Jersey. Other than the parking, which is a pain in the ass (sorry, but it is) in the city, there are so many places to eat in the city and, surprisingly, the Indian places are very reasonably priced. We ended up at San Samosa on Walnut Street, between 12th & 13th Streets. I swear, I died and went to heaven, it was the most wonderful flavor experience for me. Just walking into that heady aroma of curry and then tasting the chicken tikka masala with basmati rice as well as the kofta, which I'd never had before. They look and taste like meatballs, but are actually vegetable balls in a wonderful, thick, mild curry gravy. They're texturally different than meatballs, but not so much that someone who didn't know they weren't meat could tell. They'd probably more think that someone put too much filler in the meatball. They were seriously good eats! I would even eat them as a vegetarian meatball sandwich if I had them and a roll on hand!! The only thing I was disappointed with was the naan which was fairly dry. Everything else was wonderful!! I'm going to try to go back there again soon.

Well, that is all for this time around.

Breakfast for Supper

by DBPSmith on Wikimedia

Although I have cooked a couple of times this week, breakfast for supper wasn't done by me. I was invited to my landlord's for supper on Tuesday and they were having dried beef gravy with toast (aka creamed chipped beef or SOS). I love dried beef gravy, so I accepted the invite. I had my gravy in a bowl and dunked my toast rather than soaking my toast under the gravy. I like the combination of the toasty crunch of the bread with the thick sauciness of the gravy.


My friend who made the kedgeree the other day was there and decided in the middle of us getting our food that he would make another batch of kedgeree. Kedgeree is a British breakfast dish that consists of smoked fish boiled with the water used to cook the Basmati rice that goes in the dish all of which is blended together with diced cooked onions and boiled eggs, curry powder (or garam masala), cumin and turmeric. The first time he made it, he didn't get all the bones out of the fish, so the pleasure of eating was ruined by the concern over when the next piece of bone would appear in my mouth. And, there was just a bit too much heat the first time because he put a bit more garam masala in that it called for. So, he decided the night I was there eating another breakfast dish for supper to make another batch of kedgeree. Don't ask because I can tell you I don't have the answer. All I can say is that the second batch was far superior to the first batch. And, he hadn't even used smoked fish. He bought boneless whiting and made it with that and used the proper amount of garam masala. It was delicious! Of course, I was a bit too full when I left the house that night since I had eaten two different dishes (the "some" he gave me to try was a bowlful!) The curry flavor was obvious, it wasn't fishy, there were no bones, it didn't taste "eggy" (which is good because I detest hard boiled eggs) and the cumin and turmeric added just enough smoky flavor that I didn't know he didn't use smoked fish until after I'd eaten it.

Image from RecipeKey.com

But, just so you know, I have cooked this week, even if it wasn't much. I made scrambled eggs with cheese and salsa on Monday for breakfast, grilled cheese for supper using shredded cheese I had on hand (no sliced cheese on hand) and then apple-cinnamon oatmeal pancakes for breakfast this morning. I want to share with you that adding fiber to your pancakes is so easy! And, heart healthy, too. The thing I like is that the texture of the pancakes doesn't change at all. They're still the light and fluffy pancakes you would expect to get from a mix (I use the complete kind of mix - just add water), but they get an added element of fiber and oats when I add the dry oatmeal (or in this case, Irish porridge). I don't do anything special - I just mix the oats in with the mix and cinnamon before adding water. So, it's a great way to "sneak" added fiber and nutrition into pancakes for your family. Unless they see you making them, they won't know.

The Challenge is Over

For two straight months, I participated in two separate blogging challenges, posting daily - first in alphabetic order and then in reverse order. During the second challenge, I added a couple more challenges (actually three plus one for writing an article a week - again in alphabetic order) and got a little lost and overwhelmed by what I'd put on my plate (see - a perfect foodie analogy!) But, I finished the daily blog challenge (a day late) and have taken a few days off to rejoice in the temporary lack of mandated posting.

My other blog challenges are posted on my sister blog, A South Jersey Girl Writes. I still have to write my blog post for one of those challenges. It is due no later than tomorrow. Another is due on Monday. Thankfully, they're each one per week, so once I'm caught up, I should have little difficulty keeping up. I've also begun writing news articles for Gather. Their requirement is eight per month - two per week. I got seven in last month. I hope to make the minimum this month. One is done - seven to go.


I've been out to dinner a few times since the Memorial Day weekend began. It's been nice to get away after a few weeks of going nowhere. The first outing was to the Elgin Diner. I posted about that as one of my reverse alpha postings. Then, I went to the Colonial Diner where I enjoyed "The Big Pig". That was a pulled pork sandwich topped with crispy bacon, cheddar cheese and five huge onion rings. It also came with French Fries. They also had a wonderful seafood bisque on the menu that I enjoyed.


Then I went to the local Chinese buffet and ate WAY too much for my comfort. But, I still enjoyed it (until later that night, of course). Pizza, General Tso chicken, stuffed shrimp, sweet n sour chicken, Wonton soup, fried rice, and my first fresh papaya in years! I thoroughly enjoyed that papaya.


Last night, we went to the Colonial Diner again and this time I ordered the meatloaf with potato pancakes and applesauce. It came with soup or salad plus dessert. I had salad, three good-sized slices of meat loaf, two potato pancakes and a small plate full of applesauce. I've had far better meatloaf. I was very disappointed in that, but the potato pancakes and applesauce were very good. My cats enjoyed the last slice of meatloaf, though. They were very happy cats!


Tonight, though, we went to Gagan Palace, an Indian buffet in Stratford, about eight miles away, if that. They had goat curry and lamb Do-Pyazza plus chicken tikka masala, aloo & chana (potatoes and chickpeas) plus several other vegetarian choices (including Palak Paneer, a spinach and cheese cube dish). Of course, the naan was plentiful (a flat bread baked in the Tandoor oven). And this time, I tried the Sambhar soup - a VERY spicy vegetable soup whose heat quotient was so high I couldn't taste it after the first spoonful. So, I didn't finish that one. The little bit I did taste was actually pretty good, but it was far too hot for me to eat again. I finished up with some fresh watermelon and mixed fruit in a fruit sauce that tasted a lot like mango. The fruit was obviously fresh, so I can only guess that they make it themselves. I didn't eat any goat because none of the pieces was bone-free. The lamb was delicious as was the chicken. I also enjoy the Navarattan Korma, a blend of nine vegetables in a creamy sauce. Basmati rice with peas is also on the menu and a must with the saucy selections offered. Despite the searing heat of the spice-laden soup, I enjoyed my meal.


I plan on making dinner tomorrow night, so hopefully I'll be back with news about that.


Time for Caturday!!


Cats of the past.

This is Pepper. She is Chloe's mama.

This is Johnny being held by my daughter when she was around eight.

This is beautiful Chelsea. RIP 1980

             

Vegetarian or Carnivore - Indian Food is the Perfect Cuisine!

My first experience with curry was when I was in high school. Dad was on second shift, so I decided to make dinner for Mom and me. I made Beef Curry. It had beef cubes with onions and apples and was absolutely wonderful. I made it quite a few times when Dad was on shift work because Mom and I were a bit more culinarily adventurous than my dad was. I've wanted to find that recipe (long ago lost over multiple moves across country and back) and the one I'm going to share here is the closest I've found to it. I'll admit I haven't tested it, but the only thing I see that I don't remember is the ketchup. We ate it over rice. I would suggest Basmati rice. It's more traditional and it's wonderfully fragrant and nutty. You could also use egg noodles (or those eggless noodles that they have now). I got this from Cooks.com.

CURRIED BEEF AND APPLE STEW

4 lbs. stew beef, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes 1/2 c. flour 2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 3 lg. onions, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 c. apple juice 4 tbsp. cider vinegar 2 lg. red apples, peeled, cored and cut into lg. chunks 3 tsp. mild curry powder 1 tsp. thyme 1/4 c. brown sugar 1/2 c. ketchup Coat meat with mixture of flour, salt and pepper. In a crock pot layer meat, onions and apples. On top of this pour garlic, apple juice, vinegar, curry powder and thyme. Top the entire mixture with brown sugar and ketchup. Cook on low temperature for 8 hours.

Now, you may be wondering why beef if Indians consider cows sacred. Well, there are several reasons for that. Indian food culture is a blend of Asian, Middle Eastern and British along with any other cultures that controlled the region throughout the centuries. Then you have the area's religious influences such as Christianity, Islam and Hindu all having input into India's food culture. In fact, Indian cuisine doesn't really have any "curry" per se. The word "curry" is actually an anglicized version of the Tamil word for "sauce", which dominates Indian food selections.

Chicken Tikka Masala w/Naan bread -Wikimedia Commons

If you've ever been afraid to try an Indian restaurant because you don't see "curry" on the menu, rethink your hesitation. Indian food is chock full of sauces, whether with meat (primarily chicken, lamb and goat) or vegetable. There is no single ingredient in India that makes something a "curry" because the original word, kari, could also be compared to the words "soup" or "stew". Almost always served with Basmati rice or pilaf, it is eaten with naan bread much like other cultures eat who eat flat breads. You tear the bread and scoop the food into it and eat it. Of course, you can eat with a fork as well (even if only to help scoop the food onto the bread). But, rest assured, that which we in the US know as curry does exist on the Indian menu. Any recipe that uses garam masala as a seasoning ingredient would be comparable to our use of the word curry. 

"Curry" powders vary by region. -Wikimedia Commons

Curry powder is actually a combination of spices based on a variety of cuisines in South Asia (India is part of Asia) and can vary from place to place. Indians use Garam Masala which we would call curry powder, but they often mix it themselves adding different ratios of ingredients depending on the dish they're about to make. If you've ever watched Aarti Party on Food Network or Indian Food Made Easy on Cooking Channel, you may have seen them using either a mortar and pestel or a coffee grinder to make their own garam masala or curry powder from fresh herbs and spices.

Garam Masala (Hot spices) is a very popular blend of spices in pakistan and india. Brown cardamom, Green Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg , Mace and black pepper are the main ingredients. However cumin seed, caraway and bay leaves are also used. In punjab it is further diluted with coriander powder.

-Wikimedia Commons

It wasn't until I began frequenting Indian restaurants in the area that I learned just how varied their cuisine was and how wonderful it was. There are things I don't like, to be sure. Cilantro is one of those things (not even in Mexican food!! Yuck!), so any of their cilantro dishes, like their green chutney, will be avoided by me. I also don't like their raita, which is a yogurt-based sauce or dip that is frequently found on the salad or appetizer tables. I find it too bitter for my tastes. It reminds me of Greek tzatziki which I also don't like. Of course, if you like the Greek one, you'll probably like the Indian one. But, I will be leaving my share to you. My not liking it doesn't make it bad.

Raita sauce -Wikimedia Commons

Not all dishes are sauce based. Some are baked in a tandoor oven at extremely high heat. Because of the construction of these ovens, internal temps can reach 700+ degrees! The best known item, I believe, cooked in a tandoor oven would be Tandoori Chicken. It is first marinated in yogurt that is full of the rich flavorful spices of the region. With that yogurt coating, it is then baked in the tandoor oven until cooked through. This is no ordinary baked chicken, I can assure you. 

Tandoori Chicken still on skewers -Wikimedia Commons

It's the construction that generates the intense temps in this oven. -Wikimedia Commons

The best way to introduce yourself to Indian cuisine, I think, is to go to an Indian buffet and take a little of everything found on the steam table. Yes, you will find some things to be spicy; others not so. But, you will learn which things you like and which you don't. Or you will learn that you don't like it at all, and that's OK. You did try it and now you know. 

An Indian buffet in Melbourne, Australia. -Wikimedia Commons

If you find one thing that is something you'd like to eat again, but you think it might be just a bit too spicy for you, then instead of the buffet, order from the menu and ask them to make it mild. That's right. Unlike many restaurants, most Indian restaurants can make the dish to match your heat preferences. I like mine just a little above mild. I like there being a little heat but I want to be able to savor the flavor. I also don't like blistering my mouth, which hot foods have done to me in the past - whether spicy hot or heat hot. I don't want anything so hot that I can't taste the food. Where's the pleasure in that? How can you enjoy your meal if you can't taste it?


Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking


The smells in most Indian restaurants only enhance the experience in my mind. If I eat in a restaurant where I can't even tell they serve Indian food except for the menu, I'm left to wonder how much flavor my food will have. They say that not being able to smell can affect the way foods taste. I say BEING able to smell these spices makes the foods taste even better! 


The Curry Secret


I've eaten in vegetarian Indian restaurants and in those that offer meats and it hasn't mattered. I get a complete and fully satisfying meal in all of them! So, I would suggest that if you find yourself near an Indian buffet one day while at lunch, take a break from your normal routine and see what they have to offer. I think you will stretch your taste horizons more than you'll know.

One of my favorite choices in a non-buffet setting. It's like having a personal buffet!

They usually offer your choice of vegetarian or non-vegetarian and there is usually rice in the middle.

This is Thali.

-Wikimedia Commons