SPICY FOOD and NICK STADNYK

Dad:  1975?

Not everyone likes spicy food, but, for our family, it may be in the genes. 

I don’t know when Dad started liking HOT food.  I think it probably started with fried eggs that were black with pepper.    

Nestor remembers Dad's Blackened Pork Chops.  (Dad cooked for the guys when they were harvesting on Matt’s place and Donald’s place.)  

An iron frying pan on the woodstove, pork chops sizzling . . . then Dad picked up the pepper shaker and the air around him went gray.

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1971-1972:  house in Defence Colony, New Delhi, India

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INDIAN DINNER  Sept. 6, 2012

Tequila Lemonade

Chicken Korma

Alu Sagh  (Spinach with Potatoes)

Coriander Chutney

Cabbage Raita

Cucumber and Tomato Raita 

     Carrot Salad with Apples 

  

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There was so much pepper in Mary Atwood’s  Cabbage Raita that I had to make my usual Cucumber and Tomato Raita to serve as the cooling agent for the dinner.  

I’m giving you Atwood’s recipe, however, as a salute to my Dad.  It would make a good salad to go with plain meat.

CABBAGE RAITA

2 cups cabbage

1 cucumber

2 tbsp green pepper

¼ tsp cayenne

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

2 cups yogurt

1. Slice cabbage finely.   Soak in ice water for an hour.
2. Peel and chop the cucumber.  (Not necessary to peel if it’s an English cucumber.)
3. Mince green pepper.
4. Drain and dry the cabbage.
5. Combine all the ingredients. 

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And, the Ukrainian Element  

which complemented the Indian food very well, by the way, acting as another cooling dish:

CALAT z MORKVI ta YABLUK

from Bohdan Zahny’s  The Best of Ukrainian Cuisine

½ pound carrots

1 small apple

1 tbsp vinegar

4 tbsp sour cream

1 tbsp sugar

1.  Julienne the carrots.
2. Peel and julienne the apple.
3. Mix all ingredients together.