Sugar and spice and everything nice

You know my predilection for putting just a dash of this and a hint of that in everything I make. Spices are the joy of life. I mean, don't get me wrong - I'm all for the true flavor of things and enjoying the freshness and tasting the dew that quivered on the leaf just that morn and all of that. But now that I've started learning how to use spices not to cover up, but to enhance, I see how the right spices and herbs can really wake up the food you make - bring out the essence of even the dew, if you will - and take a dish from tasty to scrumptious in 2 seconds flat.



And so, when the good folks at Aromatic Spice Blends sent me a heap of spice mixes to try, of course I was excited! They use quality ingredients and all the blends are small batch and freshly made, which is pretty much the key to a good spice blend. And after trying these, I can't wait to get to the other little packets!!

Combine that with just a little time on hand (enough to cook, but alas not enough to freshly grind my own spices - as is most often the case) and a certain husband's upcoming birthday, and I was hopping around with delight.



Plus, MIL had gifted me a Bundt cake pan (Bundt! Oo! Doesn't the word just promise fun?) that's been giving me a come hither look ever since Christmas.

So first up, a little spiced bundt cake. And then, a quick curried eggplant that comes together in under half an hour with the help of a pre-mixed spice blend.

Eggplant, Bok Choy, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms Stir Fry

Mushrooms add such a delicious substantiality to any dish. They can be quite delicate though, so the quick cooking times of stir fries are particularly great for these delicious fungi. Pair them with eggplant, and even the most dedicated meat eaters won't find anything missing in this vegetarian dish.



For this dish I used Hen of the Woods (or Maitake) which don't require (and nor can they really withstand) much cooking. If you used a sturdier mushroom, like a cremini or a portabello, you would need a slightly longer cooking time.

Panko Crusted Neon Eggplant Cutlets

Monsoons in India are always muddy and wet and soggy and damp. You know what else they are? The perfect weather for all kinds of fritters, whether it's hot onion bhajiya as the rain is crashing down and it's dark as night at noon, or delicate potato fritters when the rain is just drizzling and you want something to nibble on with your afternoon cup of tea.

It isn't the monsoons here, but a nice cool shower would definitely be welcome in these soaring temps. And I don't have besan (chickpea flour) on hand to make a typical Indian pakora or bhajiya batter, but I do have panko crumbs. And so I say - good enough! Let's get a' fritterin' and just imagine up a crashing thunderstorm!

Vangyache Bharit

You know those days when you're thinking 'oh hey, maybe time to do the groceries again' and just as you set out for the grocery store something clicks in the back of your mind, you open the fridge one last time, pull open the veggie drawer - and there! A nice big ol' veggie staring right at you, giving you a puppy dog look at your neglectful treatment. Thankfully the veggie in question was a hearty ol' eggplant (not like those asparaguses - asparagii? - the wusses, they spoil in just a few days), and was hale enough to be cooked up into something delish.