5th Saturday Supper Club Inaugration

Last night we inaugurated the 5th Saturday Supper Club. We are 4 couples and there are always 4 5th Saturdays per year. The host gets to invite another couple so we have 10 people and the only rule is in the title, it falls on the 5th Saturday. OK - last night was not the 5th Saturday but everyone was busy that weekend, so we broke the only rule! However it was worth the wait!

With an Indian theme, we took it up a notch. All (almost) were dressed in Indian garb complete with henna tattoos and bindis and the Hindu god Ganesha to watch over us and remove all obstacles.

The menu -
Appetizer: fried stuffed peppers
Starters: spinach and mint soup with paprika oil
Main Course: cabbage stuffed with spiced meat or tofu, spicy potatoes, fingerling bananas stuffed with a chick pea mix, rice, tamarind sauce, fried okra, ... there must have been more, my plate was full!
Dessert: tiny biscuits with chutney and raspberries and kulfi, Indian ice cream

Drink: Sparking wine and Kingfisher beer

Music: mostly Ravi Shankar
 

We get into this stuff!

Gail & Erich have a fabulous 8-sided house, at the end of a street and next to a water tower. Lest you think said tower a strange neighbor to have, they have certainly made the most of it. With some fancy projection equipment, the image of Hindu god Ganesha was projected on the top of the tower, watching over our party of happy people and removing all obstacles in life.

Cheers!

My recipes below - I hope others will share theirs.

Spinach/Mint Soup

1/2 C olive oik, Divided

1 1/2 C chopped onion

1 potato, about 10 oz, sliced thin

2 diced cloves of garlic

4-5 C chicken broth

3 green onions, chopped

2 10-oz boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained

1 C chopped fresh mint

1/3 C chopped fresh cilantro

Heat 1/4 C oil in saucepan, add onion and sauate about 8 minutes.

Add poitato and garlic, saute 5 minutes.

Add 4 1/2 C broth and green onions, bring to boil. Cover and simmer 15 minutes

Add spinach, 3/4 C mint and cilantro and simmer 1 minute

Puree in blender in batches.

Return to pot, add seasoning and more broth if desired.

Heat remaining 1/4 oil and add paprika, cook 1 minute and garnish soup w this and extra mint.

Kulfi - Indian Ice Cream

4 C half and half

9 cardamon pods

1 t almond extract

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C chopped almonds and pistacios

few strands of saffron

Add cardamon to milk and bring to boil.

Reduce heat and simmer till milk reduces by 1/3

Remove cardamon with slotted spoon.

Allow to cool slightly then add almont extract, sugar, and saffron

Pour into ice cream freezer, make according to directions and add chopped nuts towards the end.