Mulligatawny Soup and Hush Puppies (Most Confusing Southern-Speak and "Almost Fall" Colors from My Backyard)

This meal was one of those slow cooker dinners where I could smell the food all day so that by meal time, I was famished and ready to dig in. Something about the Indian spices simmering for ten hours makes for a very fall, very cozy feeling. As you all know, I've got a "top-of-the-line-blonde-hair-green-eyed girl" Indian spice rack now, so whenever the mood strikes for Indian (more often than not), I have all I need at my disposal. I just finished the last of this off last night and it was even better the third time around. I feel with practice and confidence, my Indian dishes are less intimidating and feel less daunting. For example, this dish called for "curry leaves"--no problem! I went right into my freezer and there I had two packages of frozen leaves just waiting for their next appearance. (Curry leaves are abundant in international grocery stores--buy as much as you'd like and don't be afraid of using them in nearly any Indian dish--sort of like you use basil in Italian cooking--place them in the freezer in a zip lock bag.)

Pear Chutney with Black Lentils (Vegan Indian Cooking for The Uninitiated)

"Indian Food Night" required an international food store visit, every single kitchen appliance I owned and an entire day and one backache to complete. . . but we loved it nonetheless. How can a country so entirely filled with amazing cooks expect an American (Midwestern and vegan, no less) to fully embrace and challenge herself with the necessary prowess to cook luscious Indian meals with flavor AND texture (because for us, the texture is always a challenge) and do it more than say, once or twice every month. . . maybe? No matter how easy the cooking channels make it seem or how breezy it looks to make naan or dahls or whatever Indian--the truth of the matter is, I now more fully appreciate the 30-Minute meals made famous by one food network star! (Where's the 30-minute cookbook for Indian cooking?)