Anglo-Indian Dishes

For Easter Dinner we had a nice partial bone-in ham, sliced and served at room temperature, the way Sally and her Mum prefer it, boiled red potatoes and fried Brussels sprouts. Personally I like my ham heated, but majority rules, as they say.  Plenty of leftovers for dinner and sandwiches for the week.

Trifle

For dessert, Sally (the closet-gourmet) made her English family-style Trifle. I'd never seen one like this, and thought you should see it too. It's a bit time consuming, but well worth the effort! If you can't find Ladyfingers to purchase, you can certainly make or buy a spongecake, and slice it into strips about 3" long x 3/4" wide and 3/8" thick.

1 package Ladyfingers (sponge cake 'sticks')

2 packages Red Jello (she used Cherry and and Strawberry)

1 can Fruit Cocktail (find one without pineapple, mango or orange, or the Jello won't set)

Custard Powder to make a pint of custard.

Milk to make a pint of custard

Sugar to taste

Whipped Cream

First she separated the lady fingers and arranged them around the rim of the bowl. Then she made up one package of Jello let it start to set, then poured it slowly into the bowl, rearranging ladyfingers as necessary, to stand upright. Then off to the fridge to set completely.

Next a second batch of jello was made with the drained fruit cocktail incorporated, and that poured on top of the first batch. Off to the fridge again.

While the second jello was setting, it was time for the custard. We use the English Bird'stm Custard Powder available at your local megamart English/Ethnic section. Others will do, but it's just not the same. Don't use Jello or other brand pudding. It won't be the same at all -- apples and oranges kinda thing. Heat the milk and sugar, add the custard powder and stir. Cool slowly by stirring to prevent a 'skin' from forming on the custard. Pour the custard atop the set jello and spread to create a layer. Third time to the fridge to let the custard set up.

Lastly, spray or dollop a nice thick, yummy layer of whipped cream on top. Pause for the photo op:

Then devour!

Kala Chhole

'Kala Chhole' translates, more or less, as Black Chickpeas. Once again I was tasked to create a planned potluck, this time with a Bangladesh theme, for the original nationality of a departing doctor. At my nearby Indian market I found dried Kala Chana -- black Chickpeas or Garbanzos. Then I picked up a packet of Chhole Masala -- Chickpea Spice blend.

2 cups dry Chickpeas

1 Onion, diced

1 can Rotel with Green Chiles (or use fresh tomatoes and chiles)

1 tsp Chile powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

3/4" thumb of fresh ginger, minced

1 tsp to 1 Tbsp Chhole Masala -- depending on your heat tolerance

Many people soak dried legumes over night. But it has been proven that this does not decrease the cooking time, or increase tenderness or anything else except take up space in the fridge.

Cook the garbanzos at a low simmer for about an hour or until tender -- that is slightly chewy outside and creamy inside. If you have a pressure cooker, this is a good use for it, to cut down the time and energy. Reserve the Chana with the cooking liquid. 

Saute the onion until soft. Add the chile powder and coriander and cook another couple minutes. Add the chickpeas and liquid, ginger and tomatoes and cook again for a few minutes. Then add the Chhole Masala. Start with a teaspoon and work up, unless you really like hot Indian spices (then start with a tablespoon). Simmer until everything is infused, and the liquid is reduced to a thick gravy. Add a bit of cornstarch-water as thickener if necessary.

Makes a great side dish for a party or a variety of meals.  Serve warm with Nan or another bread.

GMO

I just don't undertand what all the fuss is about! We humans have been making and eating GMO foods for several thousand years. Long before Gregor Mendel did his thing with peas and added science to the process. Otherwise there would be no foot-long sweetcorn -- it would look like those tiny ears of corn in Chinese food. No big, juicy tomatoes. No broccoli or cauliflower, or Brussel sprouts etc. No large cucumbers, large tasty potatoes or dozens or varieties of beans. No subtle varieties of wine!  Not to mention no golden retrievers, shih tsu, miniature poodles, or dogs of any kind. No fluffy Maine coon cats, or Arabian stallions, or really wooly sheep. No beef cattle or milk cows.

Virtually all of our common produce, as well as our domestic animals, are the products of genetic modification. I don't see anyone saying get rid of them.

G.M.O. Gregor Mendel Object!!! Now I get it!!

Whether you do it one gene and generation at a time, or splice the little suckers together I don't see a difference. Granted, I don't want unethical science types splicing poisons or monkey elbows into my Green Giant peas...

But then I'm anti-monopoly anyway, and thus ethically opposed to government supported mega-agri businesses like Monsanto (One grain to rule them all, one grain to bind them...), Tyson (forced chicken growth farms), Smithfield (sold out their pork product business to the Chinese), Hershey (stop trying to prevent compeition from Cadbury), General Foods (artifically sweetened cereals, overly salted canned goods), or factory farms of any kind who are trying to (and succeeding) at controlling the regional or world production of basic foods.