Thanksgiving with an exotic twist, guest post by Bonnie Deahl

November 25, 2010

When November rolls around each year we reflect on events that have influenced us and have made us change the way we live our lives.   Make it a point to stray from your comfort zone and do things you have never done.  This is where lives are lived fully…

It is a rare time that I get to spend time with my dear sister who lives states away.  This past summer I signed up for a weekend of Indian cooking at the Silo Cooking School at Hunt Hill Farm in New Milford, Connecticut with noted chef Suvir Saran, owner of the only Indian restaurant in the US to have received a Michelin star.  I knew this would be a fun adventure for us sisters to catch up on life doing something new and different.

 

And so it was…an intimate affair on the first day.   The cooking school is located in a barn that dates back to the 1700’s.  With all its nooks and crannies, crooked floors and walls, Skitch and Ruth Henderson have owned this farm for many years.

Our class began with introductions and a brief history of the farm by Mary who was our gracious hostess and behind-the-scenes facilitator.   Suvir talked about how Indian food eaten in American restaurants is laden with rich ingredients that are not  everyday home cooking found in India.  He explained that cooking in India is healthier than portrayed in local restaurants.    Cooking is a group effort with the culmination being that all sit down to the table and enjoy their culinary creations.  Today’s American culture has become more of an  “eating on the run” ritual that lacks human interaction.  Holiday times bring back the fellowship that was once part of every family’s daily routine.   Is it any wonder why we all look forward to this holiday every year?

 

We learned about the importance of using spices through proper preparation of the spices themselves.  Tempering brings out the richness of spices by the using heat which brings the essence of each spice to the front seat. 

Suvir had a menu of 6 dishes for Saturday night and 9 dishes for the Sunday lunch session.  Both classes were hands on cooking which meant we would get to prep and cook all of our dishes.  Mary had each recipe set out in a mise en place manner around the kitchen.   “Read your recipe and understand it before you start”, Suvir said.   We each chose a recipe and proceeded to our stations.  Between the shrimp balchao, Grandma Hayes’ inspired cornbread, day after turkey hash and the mixed fruit cobbler (all recipes from American Masala Cookbook) we feasted on all that we made. The pineapple rasam was tart, spicy and refreshing.   I think that we all were all pleasantly surprised by the success of our cooking experiences. 

A particular highlight was meeting Charlie, who joined Suvir for this Connecticut weekend.  He was worried about the lambs back at the farm that were just born and were having some difficulties in his absence.  We had a discussion about baking bread and both Suvir and Charlie highly recommended their favorite 2 bread books, Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzenberg and Zoe Francois (excellent books that take the mystery out of baking bread). 

Sunday’s menu had more Indian recipes from Indian Home Cooking and were a bit more involved than Saturday’s cooking.  Terri & I worked on the Dhansaak stew, a spicy lentil and squash stew had a warmth from the heat of different ingredients from cayenne to serrano peppers to ginger.   There were mushrooms with onions and tomatoes, grape raita, tamarind chutney, Hara keema (ground beef with spinach and mint), and much more.  This was a weekend that has inspired my cooking this whole year.   Cooking from Suvir’s 2 books has taught me the importance of the use of spices.

The beauty of the Indian cuisine lies in the sum of all its parts. Thanksgiving is a meal that has many more parts than we consume daily and is certainly more than a meal with lots of dishes.   This year’s Thanksgiving menu had that hint of exotica inspired from that weekend back in June.  We brined our turkey with toasted cumin, tamarind, ginger and cayenne and glazed the bird with Suvir’s tamarind glaze.  We chose to use the grill for our turkey.  The glaze gave the skin a blackened look that was not so photogenic but was perhaps the tastiest turkey we have ever made.  The green pea samosas were a fun way to serve a green veggie.  Sweet potato puree was a bright note in the meal with roasted sweet potatoes that were pureed with grated ginger and reduced apple cider then topped with a crumble topping made with butter, pecans and a hint of brown sugar.  

Thank you Suvir for allowing me an opportunity to share my experiences with readers.  

 

Comments

[Suvir Saran]

Bonnie - Thanks for sharing your experience at The Silo and also over Thanksgiving.
Give us more details about your meal on Thursday please.
How many people did you have? Did you make the cornbread? Did you do Oyster stuffing? How do you do that?

Hope your life is always full of spicy moments shared with loved ones and enjoyed through memory lane for the richness of experiences.

Looking forward to many more posts from you and am excited to share this space with you.

Suvir

[Suvir Saran]

Bonnie - What do you think made the Tamarind-Glazed turkey the tastiest turkey you have ever made? Was it one of the tastiest turkeys you have ever eaten?

What did you do with the leftovers? So many questions... Sorry!

[Bonnie]

Hey Suvir, Thanks for letting me share my inspiration for our Thanksgiving. I realized after creating the post that I did not elaborate on this week's meal...as inspiration goes it is the memories that drive on..
Our feast was only for 4 this year, my son Joey, a friend from work and Peter and I. Our families are not from the area so it was a cozy day at home. We just love that kind of lazy holiday.

A hike through the woods made for a great day overall.

I made the oyster stuffing per Joey's request and held off on making Grandma Haye's cornbread and turkey hash masala for the Friday after. Wow, I forgot to post a pix of Zoe's Pain d' Epi that accompanied the meal. It was just beautiful and rustic.

Never thought I would enjoy oyster stuffing but tried it years ago and the family loves it. I will break from tradition the next time I make stuffing and go all out with cornbread stuffing from scratch.
I saute onions and celery in a little butter, then add sliced mushrooms, a little wine, vegetable or chicken broth and finally a pint of oysters. I think I added some Old Bay seasoning for a touch of the Chesapeake Bay. A handful of dried cranberries or dried cherries go into a bread stuffing and of course my favorite, toasted pecans.
I found a recipe from the New York Times for Date Butter tart posted a few weeks ago. It turned out to be a light dessert after a big meal.
BTW, thanks for making the html links work. I am just learning how to do html. I ran out before I could make it all go online...
All the best to you and your family. Thanks for such fun!

[Bonnie]

Tamarind is an ingredient I had never tried until this year. It has a tangy and sour taste but makes you come back for more. The brine makes a difference to the overall flavor to the turkey, but the tamarind glaze gave a finish to the taste of the meat. The glaze had elements of toasted cumin and an almost molasses feel. When we made it back in June it never had the same thickness that mine did. It has to cook down to the consistency needed to make it perform as a glaze.

We grilled the turkey this year which freed up the oven for other dishes. Peter loves to grill and often grills through the entire winter. I think we might have glazed the turkey later in the grilling process so that the glaze wouldn't brown so quickly from the sugar. He just loved the glaze too. I want to make some more and try it on other things..maybe grilled vegetables would be nice or eggplant.

[Jtool4]

.. wish I could have gone to cooking school with you! looks like fun..

[mary]

Hi Bonnie, your menu looks delicious! Thank you also for mentioning the Silo-so glad you enjoyed your time here. It was truly an inspiration having Suvir's talents for the weekend and can't wait for a repeat performance (hint hint SS! ;)

[Suvir Saran]

Bonnie - Try Abha Aunty's Sweet and Sour Eggplant from American Masala. It uses the tamarind chutney. Is quite a favorite of all that taste it. Big hit at Devi and any and everywhere I have made it. I have known friends and those I have met for the first time at a class to pour this chutney over Vanilla Ice Cream. In fact the Big Gay IceCream Truck in NYC was using my tamarind chutney this summer or shall I say early Fall. He was quite excited by it as well.

Mary - I get the hint. Lets do it. Shall we talk dates via email? What did you have in mind? The Silo cooking classes are some of my favorite ones ever. And you Mary, make it totally worthwhile. You are a treat to work with and for. Thanks for having me over and many, many thanks for your energy, passion, sensibilities around food and learning and your professional manner. The Hunt Hill Farm Trust is very lucky to have you heading the kitchen and the classes.

What a treat it was to teach there and thereby meet these two amazing sisters, one of whom is our dear blogger - Bonnie Deahl.

[mary]

Suvir, you're too kind. Yes, via email. Let me know when you're available Spring and Summer and we'll fill the Silo with clouds of exotic spices! (and hopefully Bonnie and her sister!;)