I can't remember the first time I had Indian food. But I do remember the time I had my first non-restaurant Indian meal. A friend of mine from Bhopal who was living in Europe made dinner for me. I watched eagerly to learn techniques that were completely foreign to me, such as toasting spices in ghee. That meal took hours to make. In a communal dormitory kitchen I watched as others waltzed in and cooked their dinners in minutes.
The most successful Indian feast I ever cooked was with a neighbor. We made it a progressive dinner and each of us cooked several courses. It was a lot of fun but a lot of work. These days I have a box dedicated to Indian spices and every so often I take it out and tackle a few recipes.
At the Fancy Food Show this year there were several companies selling sauces that really impressed me. In general I'm not likely to use pre-made sauces but these were different--no artificial ingredients and exotic flavors that were so delicious and not the kinds of things I am likely to create on my own. The first sauce I tried was a delicious curry flavored sauce from Dulcet Cuisine based in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Dulcet Cuisine's Madras Curry Sauce & Marinade is a real winner; it's tangy, almost fruity, spicy, but not hot. It can be used on vegetables, rice salad, noodles, salad, meats--you name it. No special techniques required. The flavors of India, but in minutes flat. I tried the curry sauce on Tombo tuna. First I marinated it, then I cooked it and served it over a green salad with sliced apples and radishes and dressed it with the sauce as well. Easy-peasy. And so tasty. I'm betting it will be fabulous to marinate chicken or as a dressing for a cold couscous salad.
Dulcet makes several other sauces including a Lemon, Mustard & Dill Sauce and an Asian Salad Dressing. They are now available locally at Ledson Winery in Santa Rosa or Christopher Fine Foods in Napa or you can visit the web site to locate them near you. They are also available for purchase online. No matter what kind of cook you are, novice or expert, a few great sauces are a terrific thing to have on hand and they also make a nice gift for someone just getting to know their kitchen...
