Recently we had some folks over for our first H.O.G. potluck. Hip hop till you don’t stop! The table was littered with all kinds of delicacies: cheese, olives, cured meats, pistachios, summer bean salad, flat bread with pancetta and caramelized onions, a plumb ginger crisp and many many bottles of beer and wine. Bingo, then in saunters Roger, our resident food magician, lead chef and man about town with his bag of tricks.. alakazam! I call him a pastry chef because of his time as a lead pasrty chef at citizen cake; but in truth he’s simply an awesome cook that absorbs many different cuisines like a sponge. Above is his Bhel Puri puffed rice snack with cashews, tamarind, heaps of fresh herbs and some black salt…

Bhel Puri

2 cups Puffed Rice (Kurmura)
1/2 cup toasted peanuts or cashews
1/2 cup heirloom tomato, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup potato, boiled in salted tumeric water and roughly mashed
4 each green chile, minced
1/4 cup tamarind chutney recipe here:
1/4 cup mint chutney (mint, cilantro, lime juice, salt, green chili, ginger, garlic, yogurt)
1/4 cup puri chips, broken up
1/2 cup sev
1/4 cup crispy fried chana daal (soak in water overnight, dry then deep fry til GBD)
1/4 cup crispy fried garlic slices
lime juice to taste
Chaat masala, to taste (black salt, amchoor(dried mango powder),asafoetida,cumin,coriander,red chili powder)

Mix all ingredients to order and roll up in a newspaper cone.

Molly and I love to throw dinner parties. It’s a great time to eat, drink and chuckle… heeehaww… no but really… and I don’t want this to start sounding like a turning leaf commercial “glorious”… it really is the best time! The only thing that sucks is that our guests have to put up with my experiments. You see this is the one time I get to play with my food. For Hands On Gourmet or any restaurant, before you sell your food, you need to construct and have multiple people to taste and comment. This way you can get a dish with all of its pistons firing. Sure most good cooks know how acid, fat and salt work… Braised lamb, butter and cheese injected polenta, citrus, rosemary and a reduction sauce that makes your toes curl will make any guest thrilled.. when you cook at home though I encourage you to break down the flavors like the natural sugars and acids in veggies, the basic natural flavors of meats and seafood; combine, mix, dabble, cast a spell… turn up the imagination and toss out any fear of failure you might have! Don’t worry intoxication makes people forget anyway… heehawww