authentic

Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

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The style of this curry soup has it’s origins in Europe. As I mentioned in previous posts, many decades ago, when I was an apprentice in Europe, “curries” were prepared the European way, nothing at all like “real curries” as they exist in far-away land’s 🙂
Madras curry powder, ground cumin, cream or milk, onion and banana and chicken stock were the main ingredients in our “curries”. They usually contained chicken or shrimp and were thickened with flour, or in the case of soups, with rice or potatoes. Although not in any way “authentic”, they were nevertheless (and still are!) very delicious in their own way.
During the years Maria and I gave regular dinner parties, we served this soup often and it was always a hit as part of a multi-course meal.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Curry on ChefsOpinion
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Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: pumpkin, onion, potato, cumin, curry powder, coconut milk

: saute julienne from 1 small onion in 3 oz whole butter

: add the flesh of 1 small pumpkin, 1 medium potato and 1 small banana, saute until the banana gets soft, add 3 tbslp curry powder, 1 pinch of ground cumin, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: saute until fragrant

: add 8 oz chicken stock, simmer until potatoes and pumpkin are soft

: add 8 oz coconut milk, simmer another 3 minutes

: place soup in blender or bowl with magic stick

: blend until smooth, check/adjust seasoning, serve in hollowed-out mini pumpkins or soup bowls; (if you use the pumpkin shells, submerge them in boiling water to sanitize for 1 minute); serves 4

: Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

: Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

: Curried Pumpkin, Potato And Coconut Soup

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EASY DOES IT # 20 – Mushroom / Veggy Curry

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This dish is an authentic curry from – Miami ???
Authentic Hans’ Cuisine if you will 🙂
The great thing about it is that everybody can do it, it is so simple. Yet, it tastes just as Indian, Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai or from wherever else you want it to be.
Here is my train of thought:
In my personal opinion, too much emphasis (hopeful maybe, pretentious and false often) is put on the label “authentic”. I have traveled the far corners of this earth many times over and I have sampled just about any mayor cuisine there is. Each one has usually THREE kinds of authenticity:

First – the traditional, well established, well-known dishes which are passed on by professional cooks from generation to generation, served in rich and /or noble households without the economic need to compromise on any of the ingredients or procedures.

Second – the traditional dishes served in ordinary households and restaurants, changed sometimes heavily over generations because of changes of personal taste, economic situations and ease / difficulty of preparation.

Third – the food which is served to travelers in local restaurants abroad and in ethnic restaurants outside of the foods country of origin, which has been altered beyond recognition to confirm to the taste and customs of foreigners in order to make it more attractive to the uninitiated and sell it more easily.

I am of course the biggest fan of “authentic cuisine” if it is available, but unfortunately, this is easier said than done since “authentic ethnic food” is very difficult to find in most places. So, the alternative to most of us is two-fold: Feast on generic concoctions of good sounding, badly executed, at best mediocre quality food in ridiculously overpriced restaurants (mostly these day’s), or try to do the best you can at home, with the help of proper advise and a lot of practice.

This featured curry will help you to achieve that “authentic” taste at home, without spending a fortune on a million of exotic ingredients and without spending hours of labor in the kitchen.
So, enjoy “Hans’ Authentic Curry” and relax 🙂
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P.S.
However, if you do find that authentic place, hold on to it and give me the address 🙂

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Link to “Easy Does It # 11 – Curry & Garam Masala”

Mushroom / Veggy Curry

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Preparation :
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saute mushroom in ghee or butter until starting to lightly brown

add onions and peppers (or other veggies of your choice)

add “Garam Masala” (see link on this page) and garlic paste

add half Hans’ Easy Does It Curry Sauce” (see link on this page) and half vegetable stock, simmer until vegetables are cooked

add coconut cream, tomatoes and lots of chopped cilantro, simmer three more minutes or until sauce has desired texture, check / adjust seasoning

to serve, put steamed basmati rice in center, add curry, sprinkle with chives

Mushroom / Veggy Curry

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Lunch At The China Pavillion

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One should think that living in a city like Miami will offer the opportunity for endless good food. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. Good restaurants are hard to come by around here, especially on a down to earth budget. ( Say $50 Per person for lunch, food only). While some (few) great restaurants and a bunch of acceptable joints do exist, sadly, most folks around here still think seared mahi mahi with mango salsa or a breaded fish sandwich with coleslaw and fries is on the forefront of culinary innovation. Therefore, I usually stick to the handful of great ethnic restaurants I have grown to love and enjoy over the years. I know where to find great portuguese, italian, korean, vietnamese, russian and chinese food.
Last sunday I went to my favorite dim sum place, “China Pavillion ” in Pembroke Pines.
On weekends during lunch time the place is frequented by mostly chinese customers, which is usually an indicator of authentic food. Maria and I have been going there for many years, sometimes three times a week. The decor is your standard crappy shabbiness and most of the waitresses would not win awards for friendliness. But here is where “the bad” ends.
The food is extremely reasonable and very good, the service usually is fast and efficient. All in all a great lunch experience when the craving for authentic dim sum at a reasonable price level wins out on your lunch choice. I usually order ten to twelve portions for me, but that will then be my only meal for the day.
Great place to meat with friends and share the menu up and down again until somebody finally moans “enough” 🙂