Um.
Really, I’m not even going to complain about how cold it is. But I do just have a few remarks/casual observations.
1) On my walk to the train this morning (which takes all of 15 minutes), the part of my scarf under my chin literally had effing ice crystals on it from where my breath froze onto it as I exhaled.
2) The heat was not on inside the train. #MBTAfail #unsurprising
3) I wore a dress to work today, and in the process I was forcefully reminded that tights, no matter how cute they are, do not protect against 1° climes. Ski pants would have been more appropriate, though possibly frowned upon.
I don’t know about you, but when it’s cold outside, all I want is spicy-hot food. A good curry always does the trick. And thank goodness for that, because as luck would have it, I have this beacon of all that is right and warm with the world awaiting me for lunch today:
Black Eyed Pea Curry with Collards & Potatoes, from the Post Punk Kitchen (click for recipe)
As promised, on Tuesday night I managed to haul my sorry ass up from the pits of my post-AFC Championship despair and cook some dinner. It was this dinner. And it was good. So, so, SO good. Spicy, saucy, filling goodness that will help you thaw out no matter what it’s like outside.
I made this curry extra-hot by using a green chili pepper that I bought at the Indian grocer in place of the two jalapenos the recipe calls for. When I was checking out, the cashier studied me for a moment before stating, “This pepper is very hot,” and I was all, “Yahtzee,” and seriously, the chili was like less than half the size of my pinky finger but good gracious did it pack a punch. 
Like all good curry/stew/soup recipes, this one makes leftovers for days! One thing to note about leftovers is that after the curry has had some time to sit, it seems to want a bit more salt. I attribute this to the potatoes soaking up additional flavor but what do I really know. Just something to be aware of.
H also loved this curry, telling me that I can add it to the list of vegan dishes he’ll always eat. At this point, I’ve discovered that this list of his is mainly populated by curries. Other favorites include this Coconut Red Lentil Curry from VegNews and the Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry from Veganomicon (our all-time fave). [I believe you can find the recipe online, but I will not post a link because the author has not chosen to publish it for free on the web.]
So now I’ve been thinking a lot about curry (because, after all, all I do all day is think about food). There are so many different types! There are Thai-style curries with their signature coconut milk base, hints of tamarind or lemongrass, and added flavor of different colors of chili (red, green, yellow, etc.). And of course Indian curries, flavored with that incredible yellow spice mixture, whose possibilities to me are limitless in terms of what you can add in.
The recipe shown above is a great example, because any of the ingredients can be substituted with something else; kale for collards, chickpeas for black eyed peas, etc. I bet cauliflower would be incredible in this as well, either as an addition or a substitution for the potato.
As such, I think this recipe, as well as the general food group that is curry, provide a great example of how incredibly flavorful and versatile plant-based cooking can be. It warms both my heart and my tummy 🙂
Stay warm out there friends!
A.Cook in the Making 