While I'm Waiting for the Cookbooks to Arrive....

Friday I did my Costco shopping. They sell a dehydrated mushroom blend. I've looked at it nearly everytime I go through that section. I want to find something to make with it. This last time I looked at it and wondered if I would learn anything new from Julia Child about cooking with mushrooms, if she uses a variety of mushrooms, or if I might have to do some research on that on my own. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, to open that box with the new cookbooks and another book I'll probably tell you about later.

Why Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, when there is a Panera Bread, Costco Bakery and a Wegman's bakery only 15 minutes from my house and in the same plaza? Well, because I can't buy their bread....literally. My youngest child has a life threatening allergy to all tree nuts and peanuts. I'm getting tired of reading labels when I shop. I've decided that my time is probably better spent making what we like rather than reading the labels of all the short cut items available. That means I need to find ways to make good food quickly and maybe create my own short cuts. I like really good bread and Steve likes having fresh homemade bread in the house rather than store bought. When we heard about AB in 5 Min a Day from 2 different people who don't even know each other, well, isn't that a good reason to give it a try? We think so! The concept seems to be about making a wet dough in bulk, that you store in your fridge and then all you have to do is take out the amount of dough that you want to use that day, shape it, let it rest, then bake it! Well, that all sounds good to me! So, I'm just as excited to have this book! I'll probably still use the bread machine that I have too. It's all about options right now.

Saturday night, Steve and I went out for dinner and a movie. Indian cuisine rocks! Paneer Tikka (cottage cheese seasoned to perfection), Butter Chicken, Lamb Roganjosh and Gulab Jamun! What a dessert! Fried dumplings in a rose & cardamom syrup! I did NOT make the food. However, I love Butter Chicken and want a good recipe for it to make at home.

Steve & I were blown away by the Gulab Jamun! How in the world they made that syrup with rose & cardamom - we, or rather I was trying to figure it out. Steve humors me. I don't know if they use a rose infused water or honey....I've used cardamom before and like it but am stumped with the rose bit. The syrup was incredible, light and simply divine!

Steve & I were expecting the little cottage cheese curd that we are used to and were wondering how that would be.....but, this cottage cheese was more like 1" x 1/2" blocks of mild cheese cooked on kebobs with what I assume was a curry seasoning, served with onions, peppers and carrots - delectable!

Monsoon opened almost 2 years ago. We noticed their grand opening sign and visited within a week or 2 after that. I think last night was our 4th time eating in the restaurant and we've done carry out once or twice. We've liked everything we have tried there.

Avatar was a really good movie! I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I will say, we both agree that it will be added to our dvd collection! Really worth the trip to the theater if you haven't seen it yet!