One consequence of not driving is that I'm at the mercy. Of whom or what varies from day to day. Sometimes it's my schedule ... or someone else's. Sometimes it's circumstances (like getting stranded at Publix). And sometimes it's a craving and a recipe.
Um... a recipe?
Yes. A recipe.
You see, I love Indian food. Samosas. Chicken Tikka Masala. Lentil Soup. Things made with goat and curry and ingredients I can't readily identify.
Sing with me now ... These are a few of my favorite things!
But I don't really dare trying to make anything that exotic at home. I'm a Nervous Nellie when it comes to cooking ethnic foods. I figure there's always something the recipe isn't telling you, that I would know instinctively if my name were different. But I'm one of "you white people" as one of my Indian friends calls me. So I feed my cravings at various Indian restaurants in the area.
A few days ago I logged onto AllRecipes.com and I saw this:Their featured recipe was Curry Stand Chicken Tikka Masala in all its day-glo organge glory. Five stars out of five, based on 111 reviews.
Side note: The reviews are always my litmus test. If I'm looking at two recipes and one has 5 stars based on 500 reviews and one has 5 stars based on 2, I'll go with the 500. Call me a sheep. I don't care.
Do I dare?
It's on AllRecipes.com for goodness sake. More than 100 people with names like ChickHipster and Rosie_Tosie had made it and loved it. Could I, Miss White Bread herself, make Chicken Tikka Masala? Let's check the pantry.
Lo and behold, I had all of the ingredients except one: ghee. Or, as we Anglos call it, clarified butter.
Now, "Before Summer@Home" me would have just hopped in the car and gone to Cherians to buy some ghee. But I can't do that. I put out a Facebook post asking if, by some strange coincidence, anyone I knew had any sitting in their fridge.
"Easy to make!" said people with names like Stacie, Sheri, and Catherine. "Just make it! Check Martha Stewart's website for directions." (Like anything Martha Stewart does is easy. Seriously?)
But I did it. I made ghee, and it was easy. I even made some extra for the next time the craving hits.
The point is this: Sometimes hopping in the car and heading to the store isn't the best alternative, even if it's the easiest. We ate yummy Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner, and had leftovers for lunch. And I learned how to make ghee. And no one had to do anything for me. I did it for myself. Thank you, Lord!
Maybe being home is teaching me a thing or two.
Finish Well.
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