Ideal Indian Wife Practice - Take 1

If you didn't already know, P is a young, single, Indian girl that is looking for a husband - sort of. But before she can find one, she needs to work on becoming a good Indian wife. Part of being a good Indian wife is learning how to cook Indian food. My other roommates and I have unselfishly volunteered to be her guinea pigs. So along with reviewing restaurants, featuring the occasional meals that I cook, I'm going to have this special side series: Ideal Indian Wife Practice, featuring P's preparation of becoming the ideal Indian wife.

Last night she made tandoori chicken and chickpeas. The other sides of cabbage & lentils and sambar were made by P's umma.

The Verdict: Terrible. Even though I ate every bite and got seconds, I don't think P's quite ready to be a good wife. She definitely needs A LOT more practice. Guess I'm going to have to volunteer again...and again...and again...

My rude boyfriend asked if I could take a lesson from P and learn to be an ideal Asian wife too by cooking more. He apparently doesn't believe I can cook. Maybe this will turn into Ideal Asian Wife Practice for the both of us....

Irish Stout Stew

Warm stew and gin and tonics are required on cold Saturdays. Around St. Patrick's Day, I found this recipe for Irish Stout Stew using Guinness. Ingredients included beef, carrots, potatoes, garlic, and other spices. I cheated and put everything together and just boiled for an hour, instead of putting the meat in - boil 1 hour, then add veggies - boil another hour. Still turned out really well. Paired it with some lightly toasted Rosemary and olive oil bread and it was very yum. Recipe available upon request.

Baileys Brownies

Since dinner was so disappointing, I made some Baileys Brownies. I can't remember who gave this recipe to me, so I'm sorry I can't give you the credit you deserve. These are the best brownies that I've ever eaten. They're gooey on the inside with a slight crunch on the outside. Amazing. We topped our brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of Baileys. Mmmm.... Definitely made the night better.

Tips

1. I prefer the Ghirardelli Baker's Chocolate. Melts really well and always tastes delicious.
2. To melt the chocolate and butter, use the double boiler method. This prevents the chocolate from burning.
3. Double the recipe. 1 batch doesn't seem to be enough.
4. Normally I'd say, the more alcohol the better, but don't pour too much Baileys on top. You don't want Baileys soup.

Baileys Brownies

2oz dark continental chocolate (75% cocoa)
1 stick butter
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
6 Tbsp plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 Tbsp Baileys Irish Cream
1 Tbsp nut liqueur

Put the chocolate and butter together in a large mixing bowl placed over a pan of simmering water – do not let the bowl touch the water. Allow the chocolate to melt, then beat it smooth, remove from the heat and simply stir in all the other ingredients until thoroughly blended. Spread the mixture evenly into a well greased 7x11 inches (or 8x8) pan lined with baking parchment to 1 inch above the tin. Bake in the center of the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until springy in the center. These brownies will be slightly crisp on the outside but deliciously soft within.

(If you double the recipe and use an 8x8 glass pan, cook time is about 45 mins at 350°F.)