Today I want to share with you one of the simple vegetarian Indian dishes which are easy to make and take almost no time.  It is Cauliflower & Potato, also known as Aloo Gobi.  Aloo (potato), a key ingredient in Indian cooking, and Gobi (cauliflower), are a great combination and the result is a great vegetarian dish.   Although Aloo Gobi typically refers to a Punjabi receipe, from Punjab (in the Northwestern part of India), the combination of cauliflower and potatoes is cooked all over India.  It is a very popular dish in India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

I love to play around with this dish. You can add mushrooms, carrots, and even some green peas for extra flavor.  Even with additional ingredients, the name “Aloo Gobi “ remains the same.  I love this dish little spicy.  if you want to add extra spice, use fresh chilies for that extra kick.

The key to Aloo Gobi is to make sure you par boil the cauliflower and potatoes, they should not be mashed up.  Then, once all the  masala is mixed together, toss the cauliflower and potatoes into the sauce with a little bit of water and let it simmer for few minutes.  Cook just until the cauliflower and potatoes are tender.  Within in half an hour you are ready to serve.

Aloo Gobi

• 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 tsp Garlic Paste
• 1 tsp Ginger Paste
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium Potatoes, parboiled and cubed
• 1 lb Cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces and par boiled
• 1 Tomato, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder or Paprika
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the cumin seeds until they start popping.  Add garlic and ginger pastes and cook about 1 minute, or until ginger and garlic are lightly browned.
2. Add onions and cook until golden brown.
3. Add tomatoes and cook until they become soft and tender
4. Season with turmeric, chili powder, ground cumin, garam masala, and salt.
5. Add potatoes and cover, cooking for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add the cauliflower and some of the cilantro and continue cooking for 10 more minutes, or until potatoes and cauliflower are tender, a little crunchy, and dry.  This dish is usually served semi-dry, so you shouldn’t have much sauce
7. Garnish with the remaining cilantro.
8. Serve with with Indian Rotis, Naan, or Rice Pilaf and Raita, an Indian yogurt based sauce.

In India this dish is served as either side dish or as a main dish.  You can even utilize left over Aloo gobi to make stuffed aloo gobi parathas, basically Indian flat bread with potatoes & cauliflower; another quick and easy meal to prepare.

Suman Pradhan

What I have done during my first 3 months in my new city of Austin:

1. I have been to more restaurants than most locals
2. I got to know most of the somms and wine collectors
3. I found the most amazing hair dresser
4. I have done some damaged at my new favorite consignment store
5. I have driven miles for BBQ
6. I stood in line for BBQ
7. I bought cow boy boots
8. I have been thinking about going hunting
9. I gained weight
10. I learned that accounting will never be my thing
11. I witnessed very funny expressions on the faces of general contractors when they saw me coming to interview them

To summarize it all, I have been on a really a fun ride so far.

Last week I was invited to really incredible dinner hosted by some local wine collectors. Lucky for me there is a huge wine community in Austin. I would not have moved to a town that is not wine-y. The dinner was held at a Mexican restaurant. I know, you’re probably wondering what Mexican food has to do with wine.  Actually it was one of the better food and wine dinners I can remember. We were drinking German Rieslings, old German Rieslings. I can’t say this enough, so I am going to say it again: Please, please drink more Riesling. Combine it with food and you will be amazed by how wonderful life can really be.

We had pork tacos, tuna tostadas, crab, beet salad, and so much more. Riesling was superb with all the food, even with jalapeños in some of dishes. Why? Well, most German Rieslings have sweetness that is a perfect balance for anything spicy. Sadly that sweetness drives people away. Don’t forget that a great German Riesling is balanced and, in a way, the sweetness completely disappears and, with age, becomes more than seductive.

We had 12 Rieslings. One that really stood for me was Weingut Keller Riesling Auslese Dalsheimer Hubacker 2002 from the Rheinhessen region.  The label doesn’t do much to help you fall in love with the wine, but trust me, once you cross over you will never want to go back. Auslese is normally quite rich and dense, but this particular one was airy and lean.  The wine was wonderful- quince, Asian pear, smoke, intensity, tremendous balance.  There’s nothing more to say.  I was lucky enough to have a glass of it.

Do you love your job? My sister, for example, thinks she hates the job she is at. I tell her, “You get paid well, and that allows you to drink some amazing wine, travel, and eat well. Add another hobby on a side and there you have it, a formula to be really happy.”  I have the amazing wine, travel, and good food covered as part of my job, so I have decided that I am going to add a puppy to my formula. Just to make the list of things I have done in Austin even longer.

Cheers, Vilma

Keller website (German)

Dairy Free Recipes are helpful for people who have trouble eating dairy products, who are usually either lactose intolerant or they are allergic to milk. These are two very different medical conditions.

Lactose intolerance commonly occurs in human adults. The symptoms are uncomfortable but are not considered life-threatening. It is estimated that approximately two thirds of the world’s population is lactose intolerant to some degree. People who are lactose intolerant have an insufficient or deficient amount of the enzyme called lactase in their small intestine. Human babies will normally make lactase until they are weaned. In childhood, lactase production drops or stops completely. However, a small minority of human population is lactase persistent – meaning they can digest lactose well into their adulthood.

People of northern European and some eastern African (parts of the Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania) bloodlines can best tolerate lactose in their diet because their ancestor’s culture heavily involved dairy farming or herding cattle. Their digestive systems adapted over time to their high level of dairy consumption and they passed this genetic on to their descendents.

Milk allergies mostly afflict infants and toddlers, and involve the immune system and can be quite serious if an allergic reaction is sudden and severe enough to reach a rare condition known as anaphylaxis. Fortunately, most small children outgrow their milk allergy by between the ages of three and four, and milk allergies seldom persist into or beyond the teenage years.

The only way for people who have a milk allergy to avoid an allergic reaction is to avoid milk, dairy products, and milk protein. This requires reading all food labels carefully and paying attention to the ingredients and methods used to make any prepared foods they eat. Milk proteins can be hidden in food that you might not suspect including processed foods labeled as “nondairy” or “milk-free”. Even when using a Dairy Free Recipe, check all food labels carefully for milk related words such as casein, whey, protein powders, hydrosolate, Simplesse, artificial butter flavor, artificial cheese flavor; lactose, lactate, etc. which are all derivatives of milk and should not be consumed if you are allergic to milk.

Whether you are lactose intolerant or you are allergic to milk and you eliminate eating milk and dairy foods, you can still live a happy and healthy life and enjoy a diet that is nutritional and delicious. Thankfully there are wonderful substitutes for common dairy products that can be found at most grocery stores such as:

• Soy and Almond Milks
• Vegetable Oils and Trans-fa Free Margarine
• Vegan Cheese substitutes
• Products by companies such as Tofutti to replace ice cream, cream cheese, sour cream, and a host of other dairy products

Here are a few Dairy Free Recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack for you to enjoy.

• Dairy Free French Toast
• SSLT Sandwiches
• Turkey Kielbasa, Sweet Potato, and Red Onion Bake
• Pork Vindaloo
• Colorado Red Bean Dip with Vegetable Chips
• Wasabi-Mustard Hazelnuts

Chef Kelly Yorke