Fennel Chicken Soup

This soup is a comforting soup. It is a soup that tells you it's okay to lounge around in pajamas and catch up on your DVR'd shows because after all, it's raining outside. It is a soup that doesn't mind if you shut out the rest of the world for a night. It is a soup that won't judge you for watching unmentionable vampire-themed movies - or maybe the latest Harry Potter marathon. It is a soup that's okay with you throwing in whatever you want to finish off. It's good on it's own, but it can stand a lot of additions. Because this soup is a nice soup. It won't give you a hard time if you just want to be a sloth sometimes. Everyone needs at least one good easy-going soup like this.

A riff on Palak Chicken

We've all had the palak paneer at our local India Palace or Taj Mahal. The same dish tastes excellent with chicken too if you're in a non-vegetarian mood. And, having spinach (palak), chicken, and onions on hand, I thought I'd try my own riff on this old favorite, especially since the clouds were rolling in, and it was a cool summer night - perfect for a nice rich stewy curry.

Buttermilk Marinated Chicken Curry

Temps are still in the high 90s (ouf, don't want to step out into that sweltering mess!) and I felt like making something homey and comforting. I don't know why, but usually cold foods don't exactly spring to mind when you think of "comfort food." Also, counterintuitively, spicy hot foods are actually perfect for hot weather. Something about forcing your body to cool itself instead of eating cold foods and making your body want to warm itself up. Not that I'm giving up ice cream on a hot summer day anytime soon, but there it is. Yet another reason to eat some yummy Indian food tonight.