posted on April 23, 2013
by Cate
Let’s face it. If there was such a thing as a popularity contest for vegetables, the humble cabbage probably wouldn’t have much of a chance. Not when there’s much sexier vegetables like asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and ramps out there.
But while I could probably live without some of those other veggies, life without cabbage seems almost unthinkable. No Korean kimchi? No Polish kapusta? No Italian peasant soup? No spicy Indian cabbage? Some of my very favorite dishes are made primarily from cabbage.
And with each new cuisine I cook, it seems like my love affair with the hardy, leafy vegetable deepens. Cabbage may be considered peasant food in many countries, but I’ll take peasant food over molecular gastronomy any day.
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posted on April 21, 2013
by Cate
Is it just me, or does it seem like a lot of folks are eating Paleo these days? I’m not sure whether it’s because of the popularity of Crossfit or whether people just find that they feel better cutting out grains, sugar and whatever else it is that Paleo people don’t eat. Probably a combination of both.
I was skimming some Paleo cookbooks looking for recipe inspiration awhile back and noticed that mashed cauliflower is the go-to substitute for mashed potatoes, although a quick Google search certainly seems to indicate it’s popular dish for both low carbers and Regular Joes alike. But most of the recipes I found online were loaded with cream or butter to replicate the same taste as the rich original dish.
Now I have nothing against butter or cream, but plain mashed potatoes aren’t something I often make (or crave) outside of Thanksgiving dinner. But when I came across an Indian recipe for spiced mashed potatoes from my favorite Indian cookbook author, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to try the cauliflower for potato substitution.
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posted on April 18, 2013
by Cate
I remember reading once (or hearing on the radio?) that Fergie was the only member of the Black-Eyed Peas who actually liked black-eyed peas.
Well, in the unlikely event that I’m one day in charge of feeding the on-again, off-again band , I feel like I’d have a pretty good chance of changing their minds with my garlic and cheddar black-eyed pea dip as well as this creamy Goan black-eyed pea curry.
I know that Indian food can seem pretty overwhelming to make because of all the unusual and/or hard to find ingredients, but this curry primarily uses canned pantry staples and a couple Indian spices. It’s the perfect recipe to get your feet wet in Indian cooking.
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posted on April 16, 2013
by Cate
Whenever I cook Indian food I tend to go a little bit overboard. There will inevitably be at least two curries (one meat-based and one bean-based), a couple vegetable dishes, rice, several salads, and a chutney or two.
While I’m constantly experimenting and trying out new recipes, I’d consider no Indian spread complete without this spicy cabbage dish. It’s easy to make, inexpensive and people invariably go nuts over it. I’ll confess to quite a few late night fridge raids for the express purpose of sneaking some spicy cabbage. It’s really that good.
A mustard seed tadka provides the flavor base, to which garlic, turmeric and cayenne are adding along with a mountain of shredded cabbage. It all cooks down to a vibrantly colored, glossy and flavorful side.
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Welcome! I'm Cate and Girl Cooks World is my recipe journal from my culinary trip around the world. 
