I’ve been using the Moleskine notebooks for a few years now and love them. They are compact and can fit inside your jacket pocket. There is a software app called MasterCook that I use to record and store all kinds of recipes and do menu planning, however, it can be cumbersome. In comes my Moleskine – it is perfect for jotting down my tried and true recipes and keeping notes on them. Give it a try for your recipes. I bought the Avery Worksaver Tab Inserts and printed tabs for the categories of recipes (ie soups, stews, salads, drinks). I also have a tab for People and Places to collect my thoughts for this blog. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions – dai@chefdai.com.

I’ve always admired photographs of fiery red peppers so today I took some of Bobbie’s (my roommate) peppers. The cayenne’s on the left give a nice smoky flavor to soups and stews – look out soon for a post on seasonal Kubocha  squash soup with prawns. The Thai peppers on the right give the sharp heat that is distinct in my poached prawn  salad tossed with mints and citrus fish sauce.

When I’m making Indian curry dishes,  the distinct and intensely aromatic fragrance of cardamom fills the kitchen. I made shitaki stuffed calamari curry with sweet peas over the Thanksgiving weekend. This was quite a contrast to the 12lb turkey that was made the prior Thursday for my meat loving family. As you may know, squid is commonly overcooked resulting in a rubbery and dry texture. When it is cooked just right, squid has a sweet taste and a texture that is so tender. Stuffing the squid with the mushroom mixture gives the dish more depth in texture as well as the wonderful taste of shitaki.

Green cardamom is a primary spice in Indian and Middle Eastern teas and desserts, however, I used the black variant in this dish.  I’ve been wrestling with whether or not I should grind the cardamom seeds. Leaving the small seeds whole in the dish gives you a burst of instant spice after every bite, whereas grinding it neutralizes the intense flavor. You will less likely have some seeds stuck between your teeth if the cardamom is grinded. In some cultures, this might be attractive and will make you highly sought after but, in ours, it is to be avoided.  

I took the picture above after reheating this savory dish where it rested in a vacuum sealed bag in my freezer for 4 glorious days. Send me an email for the recipe – dai@chefdai.com.