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Curry, kari, kahri in any other language is still curry Over the weekend I made a delicious curry dish with shrimp, lobster and scallops served with jasmine rice and plantains dusted with a cinnamon sugar mixture and deep fried. Needless to say, curry tastes a lot better the next day when it has a chance to marinate the meats or in this case the seafood. The word curry comes from the East Indian word Kari or Karhi, meaning sauce, and traditionally refers to any spiced wet, or gravy-based, dish of Indian origin. However, curry has been adopted all over the world and now covers a multitude of recipes, with varying degrees of heat and spice, and served wet or dry. You may not believe this, but, some curries have no heat or pungent flavor at all. The serious curry aficionado will direct you to countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Sri Lanka for deliciously unique culinary delights. You can also find lesser known curries from Japan, Vietnam, Burma, The Philippines, and Jamaica. Evidence of the use of spices dates back to the earliest known written records, belonging to the ancient Assyrians. There are also references to the use of spices in Egyptian hieroglyphs and even in the Bible — Joseph, of the coat of many colors, was sold to Egyptian spice trades by his brothers. Spices were introduced to the west by Arab traders about 2000 B.C. They soon became extremely valuable and an important trade commodity, hence the commencement of the spice trade. Indeed, much of the west's exploration of the world was driven by the desire to dominate the spice trade. So the next time you prepare curry try drinking chai, or Indian tea, or several cooling Indian yogurt-type drinks, but internationally the most popular drink is beer. Just remember that too much of anything is not a good thing, so, drink and eat in moderation. If you have a favorite culinary adventure that you would like to share, send us an e-mail because cooking is about sharing and having fun in the process. So allow me to share the great recipes from Roscoe's Kitchen and be sure to listen to Star 106.5FM every weekday at 6:30 p.m. Make sure and e-mail us at roscoeskitchen@ivoryglobalpromotions.com with your comments and recipes so that we could share your experiences and creations with our audience. Arugula, Grape and Walnut Salad Arugula with its peppery, bitter flavor complements other leaves in this mixed green salad, the grapes and walnuts give this salad texture. 1 butter lettuce 1 radicchio 1 cup (6 oz) arugula 1 cup green seedless grapes 1/2 cup broken walnuts, toasted Dressing 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsps lemon juice 2 tsps whole grain mustard Freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp chopped chives Wash the lettuce, radicchio and arugula, then dry the leaves gently but thoroughly. Chill until crisp in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator. Arrange with the grapes in a large salad bowl or serving dish. Scatter with walnuts. To make dressing: Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, mustard and pepper. Add the chives. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve. Baked Mushrooms If you love mushrooms we have combined four types of mushrooms covered with breadcrumbs, parmesan, herbs, garlic and pepper. 8 ozs button mushrooms 8 ozs oyster mushrooms 8 ozs shiitake mushrooms 4 ozs swiss brown mushrooms 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese 2 tbsps chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp cracked pepper 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wipe the mushrooms with damp paper towel. Trim away the hard tips and discard. Cut any large mushrooms in half lengthways. Sprinkle the base of a large baking dish with a little water. Place the mushrooms in a single layer in the dish, stems upwards. To make topping: Mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, herbs, garlic and pepper, sprinkle over the mushrooms and drizzle with oil. Bake for about 10 - 15 minutes and serve warm. Stuffed Calamari This is one for seafood lovers. 8 medium calamari tubes 1 1/3 oz butter 8 slices pancetta, finely chopped 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and finely chopped 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 cup grated parmesan 3 cloves garlic, crushed 3 1/2 ozs butter, extra 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, extra Rinse the calamari under cold water. Put your hand in and remove the insides and quill. Then remove the purple slink from the outside. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Melt the butter in a small frying pan; cook the pancetta and shrimp over high heat until the shrimps are cooked. Transfer to a bowl; add the breadcrumbs, parsley and parmesan and mix well. Divide the filling among the calamari tubes. Melt the extra butter with the garlic in a large frying pan and cook the stuffed calamari, in batches until just cooked. Stir through the extra parsley. Place two stuffed calamari on each plate and spoon over a little of the garlic butter. Source: Italian Bay Publishing Pesto Lamb Cutlets This is a delicious Italian pesto dish. Serve with a simple Arugula salad with a homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. 12 lamb cutlets 1 egg 3 tbsps. pesto 1 tsp whole grain mustard 2 tbsps cornflour 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup pine nuts, finely chopped Trim any fat from the cutlets and scrape the flesh from the bone to give them a nice shape. Whisk together the egg, pesto, mustard and corn flour. Mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan and pine nuts in a bowl. Dip each cutlet into the pesto then breadcrumb mixtures. Chill for 30 minutes. Shallow fry the cutlets in oil, in batches, for 5 minutes each side. To make pesto: Process 2 bunches basil leaves, pine nuts, crushed cloves garlic and grated parmesan until finely chopped. While you are processing, slowly pour olive oil in a stream, until well blended. Source: Bay Publishing TIRAMISU Tiramisu is as Italian as guava duff is to The Bahamas. 3 cups strong cooled black coffee, cooled 2 tbsps dark rum 2 eggs, separated 2 tbsps caster sugar 8 ozs. mascarpone cheese (a triple-cream cheese made from crème fraîche) 1 cup cream, whipped 2 tsps dark cocoa powder 16 savoyardi biscuits (lady fingers can be substituted) Put the coffee and rum in a bowl. Using electric beaters beat the egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl until thick and pale. Add the mascarpone cheese and beat until just combined. Fold in the whipped cream with a metal spoon. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold quickly and lightly into the cream mixture with a metal spoon, trying not to lose the volume. Dip half biscuits, one at a time, into the coffee mixture; drain off any excess and arrange in the base of a deep serving dish. Spread half the cream mixture over the biscuits. Dip the remaining biscuits and repeat the layers. Smooth the surface and dust liberally with cocoa powder. Refrigerate until firm, to allow the flavors to develop. Serve with fresh fruit. Source: Italian Bay Publishing SPICE OF THE WEEK: BALSAMIC VINEGAR Balsamic vinegar is a condiment originating from Italy. Balsamic Vinegar of Modena an inexpensive modern imitation of the traditional product, is today widely available and much better known. This is the kind commonly used for salad dressing together with oil. The word balsamic refers to resinous substances made from Balsam. Traditional balsamic vinegar is produced from the juice of just-harvested white grapes (typically, trebbiano grapes) boiled down to approximately 30 percent of the original volume to create a concentrate or must, which is then fermented with a slow aging process which concentrates the flavors. The flavor intensifies over decades, with the vinegar being kept in wooden casks, becoming sweet, viscous and very concentrated. During this period, a proportion evaporates: it is said that this is the "angel's share," a term also used in the production of scotch whisky, wine, and other alcoholic beverages. Wednesday, November 11, 2009