Hello Ingevald; Looks like a great book for cooks and figgers alike. Thanks for posting the book info and blog. young

Anybody try "eggs in a bag"? Our girl scout troop used to love this and it works so well we use it at home. Boil water in your largest pot(s). For each person you need a quart size freezer ziploc bag (must be freezer type). In each bag you put a teaspoon of butter, 2 eggs, and any omelet ingredients you have precooked and brought with you (peppers, onions, sausage, etc.). Carefully drop the bags upright into the boiling water, do not overcrowd them and be sure the tops of the bags don't hang over the rim of the pot. Every couple of minutes use tongs to squeeze the bag contents which moves the uncooked egg to the surface. Eggs are done when no more egg 'squirts' when you squeeze the bag (about 5 minutes in a large pot with 5-6 bags). To serve, you simply 'slide' the eggs out of the bag onto your plate and sprinkle with grated cheese. Tastes great, no pan to clean, and you already have your hot water for washing the plates!

India is such a huge country, with such a diversity of cultures, races, ethnic origins, available ingredients, outside influences, historical events...basically such a diversity of everything, that the term "Indian Cuisine" shouldn't even be used, except in the broadest sense. To know that the British held sway in India for as long as they did, one can't really credit that cream was not adapted as a culinary ingredient. Even if it had been completely unknown prior to that era, which can hardly be the case in any culture where milk is utilized, it surely would have worked it's way into usage by now. Yogurt is much more common (which isn't surprising, considering the lack of refrigeration in a primarily warm country)of course, but I have seen quite a few recipes calling for cream. And, though considering the antiquity represented by the cuisines of India, I am but the merest novice (I've only been playing with it for about 10 years), I think I can trust myself to recognize recipes that have been re-written for the non-Indian cook. Potatoes are quite the popular ingredient, used by many of the Indian peoples, both in meat dishes, vegetable dishes, and alone. In fact, one of the things I love about the use of the potato in India, is that with the creative and judicious use of spices, herbs and other vegetables, the potato as cooked by an Indian housewife can be the nutritious, healthy food that it so often isn't in Western cooking, by the time we lace it with butter, cream, or cheese as is so often our wont. Jessica, Indian cooking can be very healthy indeed! (Leaving out the tendency toward deep fried snack foods!) While many recipes call for ghee (a form of toasty, clarified butter), you needn't add it with a lavish hand as the flavor is quite rich and distinctive. In many recipes, you can substitute olive oil quite easily, if you prefer. The use of so many spices and herbs, and the various methods in which they are used lends such flavor to meats, vegetables and grains that the addition of copious amounts of fats or yet salt, becomes unnecessary. Naturally, there are those curries that include fatty coconut milk, but then, if you eat the way a person in India eats, you won't be eating a big bowl of it, but a small portion along with vegetables, legumes and grains. My love affair with the cuisines of India began with Dal. The lowly lentil, which was to my knowledge just something one made a pot of soup with sometimes, has been transformed into a magical food ingredient by the hands of Indian cooks. I have read that it is a rare meal in India that does not include some version of legume. What we classify as lentils, peas and beans are all, "dal." Dal can be served in soups, porridge, breads, crackers, chips, snack nibbles, fritters, used as a base for thick sauces, toasted into crunchy bits to add texture, as a base for curries and stews...gosh, I'm sure I've left some uses out. And they are so good for us! High in fiber, satisfyingly filling, cheap sources of protein, minerals and vitamins. Okay, enough of my raptures...:D Earlier in the thread, someone mentioned wanting a Southern Indian cook book? I've a wonderful book that introduced me to the Vegetarian cuisine of Southern India, a style of eating quite different from much of what we Westerners think of when we think Indian foods. The recipes are mostly excellent but I must caution that the use of hot chilies is quite lavish. I have been accused of having an "asbestos mouth" by friends, but still I cut back quite a bit on the number of green, hot chilies and dried peppers the recipes call for. I figure, I can always add some hot sauce at table if needs be. Here is a link that might be useful: Dakshin-vegetarian cuisine from south India

I am making an 8.5 x 11 postbound one called "Vintage Family Recipes." I decided to feature each woman in the family that my son is directly descended from. I include a snapshot of the woman, a little family tree diagram showing the line of descent, two or three family favorite recipes from that woman, and my own personal journaling about her. I plan to include my paternal and maternal grandmothers, my husband's paternal and maternal grandmothers, my mother, my husband's mother, and myself. I think that about covers everyone, right? LOL It's a fun project. So far I have three pages done. No deadline, as it's just for me.