Chicken Biryani

This just may be my new favorite food. The first time I ever had chicken biryani was about 5 years ago, at Sansar in Livermore, CA. I loved it and returned often (this also happens to be the only Indian restaurant to ever give me authentic amounts of heat in my food). And since then, I have searched high and low for a restaurant that made chicken biryani even half as good as Sansars, until now that is. Because now I can make it at home. Granted this did take me 8 hours to make. But it also made enough to feed a family of eight, so we had plenty of leftovers to make my time worthwhile. It took a while to develop this recipe, since there are so few recipes online which seem remotely correct, but here it goes.

The day before, I marinated the chicken and let it sit overnight.

On the day of, I first made rice, steamed with lots of whole and ground spices.

Then the chicken masala was cooked, with the chicken and all its marinade added to a pan of onions and spices, then simmered with tomatoes and yogurt for a while.
Then the chicken masala, and the rice were layered into a large oven-safe vessel and baked for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

And when it came out of the oven, it was beautiful and smelled so good, that we ate it. And I was the happiest person in the world for the next week as we munched the leftovers.

Peach Rhubarb Crisp

I saw the most beautiful rhubarb at the produce market last week. And since rhubarb season is practically over, I just had to take some home. Along with some peaches, because their season is just beginning around here. And I put them together for dessert. And it turned out pretty tasty. Unfortunately, I don't seem to have any pictures of the finished product. So just imagine the fruity goodness you see below covered in a crunchy sweet brown sugar crisp topping.

mmmm......good. And all I did was chop up some peaches and rhubarb, throw them in a baking dish, generously cover them with crisp topping, and bake.

Peach Rhubarb Crisp

2 peaches, wedged and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 stalks rhubarb, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

3 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

dash salt

4 tbsp butter, COLD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9x5-inch baking pan with butter. In a bowl, combine rhubarb, peaches and sugar. Transfer to baking dish. For crisp topping, combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix with a pastry cutter (or a fork, or your hands) until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle over the rhubarb mixture. Bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbly.

Ratatouille

I want to show you something beautiful. Something much greater than the sum of its parts (that line may or may not have been in our wedding vows).

This something is ratatouille. The one from the movie. Also known as Chef Thomas Keller's interpretation of confit byaldi, this may be the most amazing combination of vegetables ever known to man. I cannot lie. It took 2 hours of prep time and 2.5 hours in the oven. But it is really good. Even my carnivorous husband said it couldn't have been better with meat added. And he says that about everything.
But it was a beautiful dish to prepare, and one which has a surprisingly complex flavor profile. Especially since there are so few herbs or spices used. Just a bunch of thinly sliced summer vegetables. Don't try this at home without a mandoline. I made it exactly as published in the NY Times.

Introduction

So I am going to attempt this whole food blogging thing. Mostly because I spend most of my time thinking about food. Even when I am supposed to be working (like right now). And I thought this could be a good place to remind myself how much I do or don't like the recipes I attempt, and see how my tastes change over time. I named the blog "PepperHappy" because I LOVE spicy food. I am a firm believer that capsaicin really does up serotonin levels and make one happier. And it works every time for me. But if you ask my husband, he would say I am a tomato-obsessed person. I do love tomatoes as well. Maybe to a level that is unreal. Maybe it's just the acidity. But whatever the reason, I will probably cook a lot of foods that include peppers and tomatoes. We will see. Maybe that will change over time.