Pass the Garam Masala

As a birthday gift, Kristin bought me a cooking class last night: vegetarian Indian. I now know how to craft a wet (Punjabi) masala. It was a fantastic lesson and I am grateful for the chance to set aside my job hunting woes for a while. Good company too - everyone had a doctorate of some sort! A purely coincidental meeting of the minds and taste palettes. We made and ate a yellow lentel dal, stir fried cabbage, Kerala bean stew, appams, and paneer tikka masala. And it was harder than I thought it would be... where can I find tamarind paste? Key advice from our hostess: Don't tell anyone how many green chilis you put in.

Many, many thanks to Tara Deshpande Tennebaum of Azalea Catering, and to my wife for such a thoughtful gift.