What's for lunch/dinner today?

How popular is Indian food in Italy serafina ?

By Jumbo at Jumbo, it seems

Quote from Bombonera

How popular is Indian food in Italy serafina ?

I would say as much as here: unpopular. If you are in a big city, there is definitely one Indian restaurant that serves not spicy Indian food, just like in Argentina. You can request it spicy, though. It is also not as cheap as in the UK, I would guess. I do my own Indian food at home, but I am still learning to manage chilies as it is not an ingredient we use in Italy. There are many varieties of hot peppers, and I am not familiar with the degree of hotness of each.

On xmas eve I bought one green chili to make pico de gallo (a mexican sauce) and I burnt my hands. I spent the afternoon holding a ice pack as the burning sensation was unbearable. I also cough and cry when I cut hot chilies, which makes me think I am not the best person to handle chilies. I have read you are supposed to wear gloves when handling it. I deseeded it by hand, which is where the burnt happened. Oddly enough, it took a while for the burning sensation to kick in. However, once the pico de gallo sat in the fridge for the whole afternoon, the result was not very hot (I think because the lime juice "tamed" the hotness). In the end, it was very tasty and was good also on xmas day.

In the UAE I was in paradise, as there is a huge Indian population and there are many many Indian restaurants from cheap ones within malls to expensive ones. The variety is so large, that they make Indian dishes from the various regions of India, so the style vary. In the UAE I was able to try all the Indian food that was unsafe to buy on the streets in Indian due to hygiene concerns.

I find Indian food extremely healthy and tasty, and varied! I am following the Instagram account of the late Tarla Dalal, which is a sort of Indian Doña Petrona (for Argentinian readers) / Julia Child (for US reader). I am sorry I don't know what the reference home cooking lady is in the UK - please share.

You probably know serafina us Brits love Indian food generally. Not everyone of course.

The other thing about cutting and handling chillies is be careful not to rub your eyes or touch certain body parts!

That all said, I'm pleased to hear you cook Indian dishes at home and that you can access the ingredients.

Quote from Bombonera

You probably know serafina us Brits love Indian food generally. Not everyone of course.

The other thing about cutting and handling chillies is be careful not to rub your eyes or touch certain body parts!

That all said, I'm pleased to hear you cook Indian dishes at home and that you can access the ingredients.

This summer (now) I have been experimenting with fruit in savory dishes.

On xmas eve, a family member brought a salad with apples and beetroot, and it was delicious.

I tried a strawberry sauce with onion, cumin, and fresh coriander and it was delicious and fresh. Recipe here.

I think the best Indian food I ever had was in the UAE serafina . My brother used to live in Abu Dhabi and whether it be a home delivery or a restaurant, the Indian food was always outstanding. For the record I have never been to India.

Quote from Bombonera

I think the best Indian food I ever had was in the UAE serafina . My brother used to live in Abu Dhabi and whether it be a home delivery or a restaurant, the Indian food was always outstanding. For the record I have never been to India.

That's exactly where I was, Bombonera . I spent a month there in February 2022 to attend my cousin's wedding. His family also lives there part time. My uncle has been living in Abu Dhabi for 12 years now and as my cousins are growing up, given the lack of work opportunities in Italy, they are slowly migrating there permanently. I loved Abu Dhabi. The safety and cleanliness were amazing and the differences with Argentina were overwhelming.

I also appreciated not having to feel guilty for being a "rich European", which is a feeling that I constantly get in Argentina, despite being a very middle class European in Europe. In the UAE, I was just a cheap European tourist. It felt nice not being on the top of the economical ladder.

Your posts are never anything less than quality and interesting serafina . The "rich European" classification/perspective...well if only they knew....

My god! Like I've said before, the northern reaches of CABA and up towards Tigre is full of million dollar properties occupied by people without much more than a few thousand pesos in their pocket. What is wealth? Nobody in the UK lives in a property like that without money in the bank to go with it. It's all part of the Argentine enigma.

And the enigma is central to why I love it.

My boss is still in bed as well , but in this case with a fever , cough , runny nose and senezzeing bouts.

Shes trying to decide whethere its flu or Covid..

GJ Junior is recovering from about of what seems to be mild food poisoning - was at a Hamburger party on friday night and he wasnt too well all Friday night.

So it looks as if i am on my own for lunch.

A couple of empanadas and a beer looks like the favourite right now.

Quote from UK Man

Lots of green gunk coming out my nose and throat.

skimming through your post, I read “lots of Greek stuff coming out my nose” and I thought “gosh! he must be really hook on yogurt making at home”!

I am alive and well, and I just made a batch of herb rice for later, since it tastes better when cold and the herbs had a chance to really sink in.

Another Indian recipe part of my summer Indian cooking adventure. Recipe here: https://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/herb-rice/

I have done it in the past with Rice ’s husband thyme, basil and parsley. Today I had mint, fresh coriander and again Rice ’s husband thyme

lemon and mint make for a great summer recipe, so my expectations on my afternoon snack are high.

Tonight I am making pizza for myself but I still have to decide on topping. I’ll pay a visit to El puente and like grab a piece of queso azul and open a can of Italian tomatoes La Molisana. I am a simple girl.

Quote from serafina

skimming through your post, I read “lots of Greek stuff coming out my nose” and I thought “gosh! he must be really hook on yogurt making at home”!

😳😄

serafina , I love the thought of both your herbed rice and simple pizza toppings. You’ve inspired my cooking for today.

Quote from UK Man

Was thinking that myself...especially the latter.I hate pizza that has lots of toppings.

How do you make the pizza base?

Pizza CRUST, surely?

Quote from UK Man

Was thinking that myself...especially the latter.I hate pizza that has lots of toppings.

How do you make the pizza base?

Since I am making just one pizza for myself: 180 g of flour, 130 g of water, 4g of fresh yeast and 4 g of salt.

I just mix half the flour with the water and yeast (dissolving the yeast in water is better, especially if the yeast is lumpy). Once yeast is absorbed, I add the salt and the rest of flour. I use a spatula to mix everything, it doesn't have to get smooth, and I work it in a bowl - no mess on the kitchen counter!

I seal the bowl and let it rest two hours over the counter until the dough doubles in volume, then refrigerate (the recipe says to refrigerate it overnight, but I usually prep the dough at 11-12 am and eat it for dinner).

When it is 90-120' to dinner time, I take out the dough from the fridge and roll it so that it is smooth and even on the outside. I let it rest covered on surface slightly covered in flour. Once it has doubled in volume again, it is time to spread it. You can simply start pressing it from the center to the outside to work out a pizza shape. Put the topping of your choice and bake.

I cook it on a pizza pan with holes covered with a non-sticking baking sheet. Since I have a gas oven, I cook it in the middle shelf of the upper part for about 10' and finish it in the drawer to grill the topping.

Note: rising times vary depending on the temperature and humidity. In summer it rises faster. I also recommend to avoid overpriming and to refrigerate the dough, even if just for a couple of hours. It really helps to mix the ingredients with zero effort on your part.

Each step literally takes 5' and no kneading machine is necessary. You just have to prep if a few hours in advance to let the flour develops the gluten without mechanically working the dough.

Quote from UK Man

Not too good. I've had similar symptoms as your missus for over a week now....no fever though.Seems to be worse in the morning which makes me think the aircon is to blame. Lots of green gunk coming out my nose and throat. If I had the fever I'd be thinking dengue or covid. Might be worth getting her tested?

I was thinking the same thing....

Just convinced one of our friends aho is a GP , to come over later and giver her atest here at home.

All the for the price of Gin & Tonic,

Great to have friends with COVID tests in their handbags , and great to have a free bottle of Gin , I got last week from a mate for a small favour I did for him.

Quote from UK Man

Many thanks especially as it's from an Italian. I'll copy and print it out. Which type of flour?

I am using 000 flour (harina 000), no specific brand; I usually buy Morixe at Día.

For pizza and focaccia, you should actually used strong flour or at least use some in the mix. When I first arrived, strong flour was only sold in 5 kg bags which is too much for home use.

However, recently I have seen 1 kg bags of either imported or local high strength flour (aka strong flour or harina de fuerza in Argentina), but it is more expensive than regular flour and not worth it, imho. Pizza at home is a cheap pizza, but no home oven can compare with a professional one. However, you can have as much as you want without going broke and make your own toppings.

Chacabuco makes a harina de fuerza advertised as having a "W over 300". They brand it as specific for sourdough, but I have never come across with it in the stores where I shop. I see that Coto sells it, but the one close to our place is a small one, so maybe I should look for it at the bigger store in Santa Fe & Scalabrini.

For yeast, I like to use the sourdough one, when I can find it.

I am out shopping for the topping now. I think I'll make a pizza bianca (i.e. no tomate sauce) as I don't want to open a can of my precious stack. I'll be on the hunt for a smoked cheese and then I have some ripe tomatoes to put on top, plus basil from the terrace. Wish me luck!