That's my masala.

"In the United States, the popularity of Indian food has been slow to
evolve. Somehow the rich variety of the food has been reduced to a
single term: curry. Indian food is not curry powder, which originated as
an English concoction, and it is not soupy, yellow mixtures."
--Kathleen O'Rourke,
Cooking with the Spices of India (1995)

"While commercial curry powder is considered to be the active ingredient
in Indian cooking by the rest of the world, the truth is, no veteran
Indian cook will taint her culinary artwork with this jaundice-hued
product. To prepare curry is a painstaking, spiritually elevating
process."
--Joyeeta Dutta Ray,
"Kingdoms to Kitchens: A Look at Indian Cuisine" Jakarta Post, 3/30/05

IT'S HARDLY A NOVEL CONCEPT--three thousand-year old Sanskrit writings describe the use of spice combinations for culinary and medicinal purposes--but the blends of spices and herbs from India and Southeast Asia that have come to be known as curry have enjoyed a recent boost in popularity. As the quotes above suggest, the word curry is essentially meaningless to an Indian cook, and is likely a bastardization by British colonists of the southern Indian word kari, meaning sauce. Says Suvir Saran, co-executive chef of New York's Devi restaurant "What North Americans and British call curry powder is a mix of mostly turmeric and some other spices, and we Indians actually find it quite awful in taste."

Which is perhaps why we're buying more authentic Indian blends and spices in record numbers. Whether because of the area's increasing accessibility to culinary tourism, Bollywood cinema's crossover into the mainstream, or the proliferation of countertop grinders, spices and blends that we associate with the flavors of India are in high demand. Says Phabha Nair in the Economic Times, "Indian curry powder is doing extremely well now with great demand for Indian curries abroad," adding that exports are also up for turmeric, coriander, cumin, fennel and fenugreek. In the Islamic sultanate of Brunei, food critics breathlessly lauded the recent arrival at local KFC[R] outlets of a new chicken dish that is "marinated with KFC's original and secret blend of curry spices ... and garnished with chopped bits of curry leaves." Makes sense, given that the prophet Mohammed was himself a spice merchant.

Findings from the scientific and medical communities have also proved a boon for Indian spices. Researchers at UCLA have recently found a potential link between an extract of turmeric and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease, tumor growth and elevated blood pressure. Devotees of Ayurvedic nutrition, in which food is used to maintain a holistic balance between body, mind and soul, know that cardamom aids digestion, that cinnamon improves circulation and acts as an anti-microbial agent, and that cayenne contains an antioxidant that combats "bad cholesterol." In India, curry leaf powder is added to the noon meals of schoolchildren to help eradicate Vitamin A deficiency, and scientists in the department of pharmacy at King's College London report the leaves' potential to control diabetic symptoms.

Although the turmeric-laden powder that's packaged and distributed across the United States is more or less uniform from San Diego to Boston, in India, each home cook, chef and spice packager puts his or her own spin on masala.

"That's the thing with Indian food," says Jehangir Mehta, one of three chefs who prepared the curry-spiked dishes on the following pages. "The masala your neighbor makes is completely different from the one you make. It is not an exact definition of one flavor, and there is so little about it which is standardized." Mehta, who was born and raised in Bombay, returns to India once a year to visit his family and stock up on the masala made by an elderly woman who creates a custom blend specifically for his family. He also fills his trunks with containers of the "wet" masala his mother and aunt prepare by grating fresh coconut on a stone and grinding it with red chilis, poppy seeds, coriander, cumin, fenugreek and cashews, a formulation typical of the chef's native southern India. Saran concurs, adding, "We have as many [masalas] as families living in India. Each family has many powders that they use for various dishes, and the rendering of each powder will change depending on the mood and the muse of the person making it." (See sidebar for some of the basic categories of masala.)

As for the "awful" commercial curry powder that Saran eschews, it need not be completely banished from the busy chef's pantry. "We custom-blend plenty of other ingredients, but I just don't have the time to make curry powder every day," says Jason Carter of his decision to use the yellow stuff at Lee, in Toronto. Carter toasts the powder in a dry saute pan, to release its flavor-intensive essential oils. And Pino Maffeo, who also contributed curry recipes for this story, alternates between authentic Indian blends like Javin, and the commercial variety, which he augments with his own choice of spices.

According to Suvir Saran, the vast array of masalas can be broken down into some of the following basic variations:

Chaat masala: "Chaat means to lick, and this makes us drool in the mouth when we think of it," Saran explains. This mixture is based on black salt and asefetida, a resin obtained from the rhizome of the giant fennel plant that has a strong odor of onion and garlic. Its flavor is rounded out with pomegranate seeds, dried mango peel, black peppercorns, toasted cumin, coriander, red chili powder and white pepper. According to Saran, chaat masala is used to flavor many Indian street foods and, unlike most masalas, is typically purchased in the market rather than being blended in the home.

Garam masala: A blend of unroasted spices typical of northern Indian cooking, which often contains cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. "The name means warm mix," says Saran. "In Kashmir, they'll put in fennel seeds and ground ginger, and in parts of northern India they'll use dried red chilis. If you want to be very decadent, you can even add a few strands of saffron."

Pav bhaji masala: Used to flavor a popular street vendor snack, a vegetable mash that is served with bread, "... like a hot dog bun but chewier, and slathered with butter," says Saran. This masala contains chili powder, coriander, black pepper, dried green mango, cloves, taj, black salt, salt, cardamom, fennel seeds, cumin and curry leaves.

Rassan podi and sambhaar podi:

"Sambhaar podi is the garam masala of southern India," says Saran. Used to flavor soups and dosas, it is a mixture of hulled yellow and black lentils, along with mustard seeds, curry leaf, whole red chilis, asefetida, turmeric and fenugreek, which, Saran explains, lends a characteristic bitterness. Rassan podi contains many of the same spices as sambhaar podi, but in different proportions. It is most often used to flavor mulligatawny soup.

INDEPENDENT LEE

JASON CARTER

LEE

TORONTO, ONTARIO

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

IF JASON CARTER HAD BELIEVED WHAT HIS EMPLOYEES AT Casino Windsor were telling him, he might never have sought the opportunity to work for Susur Lee. As a 22-year old chef de partie for the resort's main kitchen, Carter was half the age of most of the cooks he supervised, and they weren't too keen on taking direction from him.

"When I'd start talking about food or something I'd read, these miserable old ladies would tell me I'd never go anywhere with my career," he recalls. "I just tried to keep my mouth shut and do good work." It was the bureaucracy of working in such a large, union-managed environment that eventually got to the young chef. "If I wanted an orange, I'd have to sign a sheet and go to some other part of the building to get it. And if you spilled something, you weren't even allowed to mop it up," he says.

At Lee, which he opened as chef de cuisine, such divisions of labor no longer plague Carter. Having purposely hand picked a passionate but inexperienced staff to open the more casual offshoot of next door neighbor Susur, he finds himself completely consumed with every aspect of running the kitchen.

"[My staff] has progressed a thousand fold, and I have a core of great guys, but right now I'm still training them," he explains. "I still physically have to be in the kitchen all the time. I always tell them that when they leave after working with me, they can do anything they want. If they stick with me, I'll give them the tools and the solid foundation they need to be a chef."

Carter started building his own foundation at a small Italian restaurant, not far from the Ontario farming community where he was born and raised. Having met the owners while working as a dishwasher in the nursing home that they also owned, Carter took an interest in cooking after his boss and her mother began to make fresh pasta for the home's staff meals. He was transferred to the restaurant and stayed five years, graduating from dishwasher to the hot line and pizza oven in that time. From there he went to Casino Windsor and eventually began picking up part-time work at Porcino, a nearby restaurant owned by two of Carter's friends. When it was clear that the chef was ready for greater challenges, Dale Parker, his boss at the Casino, instructed him to "... get my ass to Toronto."

His first job in Toronto was at North 44, where he hung out in the pastry department, waiting for a position in the main kitchen to open up. "That was my first pastry job and it was good, although it's not my thing. I don't like to cook that meticulously; I like to be a little more rough. That way of working, it was a little bit of a handcuff. Basically I just kept yapping until they let me in the hot kitchen," he says. As he worked his way through the stations, a friend mentioned that Susur Lee was planning to return to Toronto from his three-year stint in Singapore. Carter tracked down the cell phone number of an already-hired front of house staff member, and called to express his interest in a job even though "they didn't know me from Joe Blow," he says. "Sometime later, Chef Lee called me and we met for a cup of tea. He's hard to read when you first meet him, but it went very well. I'd been following him since my days at the Casino, and I was pretty starstruck. For it to come together like that was kind of surreal." Carter helped to open Susur and, after three years of minding the sauces, was promoted to sous chef. When Lee approached him about heading up the new restaurant project, Carter says, "It was tough for me to leave, even though the buildings are connected and I was only moving next door. I helped open Susur and had put so much time into it. It was my baby. But my best friend took over my sous chef spot [at Susur], and I really did want to do a good job with it, because I wanted to show everyone at Susur that if you stick with it, there's a light at the end of the tunnel."

DROPPING SCIENCE

PINO MAFFEO

RESTAURANT L

BOSTON, MA

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Having opened and run several successful restaurants from East Coast to West, Pino Maffeo has now set a slightly loftier goal for himself.

"I'm trying to figure out how to activate endorphins in peoples' brains, using food," says the Boston native, who spends every Monday developing and testing his ideas about food and cooking with a chemist from Boston's Suffolk University. "I've always been interested in science, and how I could do things better and make things taste better," he continues. "Anybody can serve a piece of fish. Anybody can poach something. There's more than that to food. It's like being a painter and knowing that there's more to it than painting faces in Central Park for cash." For one of his current projects, he renders and filters the fat out of Kobe beef and he puts the liquid into a centrifuge, which separates it by density into three distinct layers, each with a different flavor.

"I take out the layer of fat that I like, that I feel is delicious, and later, when I put a piece of prime beef on the grill, I can baste it with just that fat. Fat is flavor, so if you can figure out a way to reintroduce the fat that you've chosen for its flavor, you've just excelled in the flavor department." Maffeo is hoping to eventually synthesize a fat that has the same flavor profile as the extracted beef fat, but with zero cholesterol or sodium. He and the chemist are working on another project, but when pressed for details about it, he demurs.

"I can't tell you about it, but if it does what I think it will, and I might be talking out of my butt, but if [the chemist] pulls off what I want to do, she could win the Nobel Prize," he says.

When he's not toiling in the lab, Maffeo is executive chef of Restaurant L, on the first floor of the historic building that since 1989 has been the home of men's clothing retailer Louis Boston. Built in 1863 by architect William G. Preston, it was the original home of the New England Museum of Natural History, and later housed Bonwit Teller. Maffeo's restaurant replaced Cafe Louis in January 2004, offering a lunchtime menu of Asian soups and noodles, and more substantial, often experimental, fare in the evenings. Alexandra Hall of Boston magazine spoke for that city's diners when she asserted, "... we don't miss the old Cafe Louis at all, thanks to chef Pino Maffeo's innovative, Asian-influenced creations at the Cafe's successor, Restaurant L."

Maffeo's first Boston restaurant, which he opened with childhood friend Tony Susi in the mid-1990's, was Sage, situated in the strongly Italian-American North End of Boston. He recalls receiving a mixed reception from the area's established Italian restaurateurs. "We were doing a totally different, modern take on Italian food, and it was a little difficult for them to swallow," he says of his neighbors. "I was invited to speak at Radcliffe about the restaurant, and a guy from the neighborhood was in the audience. He got up and said to me, 'What's the matter with the red sauce joints? What's the matter with you?" Maffeo laughs. "It wasn't that we were trying to take away their clients. Their clients would never come to us. We were catering to a new generation of Italian-Americans, people who frequented Europe," he says. Maffeo closed the restaurant after his longtime friend Patricia Yeo, whom he'd met as a cook in San Francisco many years before, offered to make him chef de cuisine at AZ, in Manhattan. He accepted, and helped the restaurant to earn three stars from the New York Times before the duo opened a second restaurant, Pazo, also in Manhattan.

"We had an all-star team, so much talent, and the food was really good, but we ended up getting only two stars [from the Times], and some mixed reviews, and Patricia decided to go on to do bigger and better things," explains Maffeo, who then returned to Boston to tend to an ailing family member, and eventually to open Restaurant L. Although he's been called a trendsetter for his menus at Restaurant L, which involve savory cotton candy, pop rocks and tableside perfumes, he says, "I think someone who sets trends is almost like a middle man. It becomes all about if you're going to generate money. You end up getting your ideas from other people who are true to what they believe in, people who work hard and stick themselves in a hole and come out with the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car. Then the trendsetter comes along and notices the car, redoes it and puts it on the market and makes a million. I'd rather be the guy that had the idea in the first place."

BOMBAY SPITFIRE

JEHANGIR MEHTA

AIX

NEW YORK, NY

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

When he first came to the States, it's safe to say that Jehangir Mehta experienced some culture shock.

"I was like, oh my God, there are no street lights! And there is only one bus every hour! I found it to be in some ways more primitive than the villages in India," laughs the chef, who was born in Iran and raised in Bombay, as he describes those first few months as a student at the CIA, in rural Hyde Park, NY. "In India, many more people chew tobacco than smoke, because it is much cheaper, and they spit this red tobacco juice everywhere. As I was leaving India, I thought, at least I'll never have to see anyone chew tobacco again. It turned out that my roommate chewed tobacco, so much that he had brought his own spittoon and kept it in this small little room, next to his bed. I couldn't believe my luck."

Things have gotten much better for Mehta, currently the executive pastry chef at Aix, in New York, as well as owner of Partistry, a confectionery company offering hand-made chocolates, wedding cakes, teas, spices and cooking lessons for children and adults. His creations are based on Ayurvedic principles, as well as his love of unusual combinations of fruit and spice. In reviewing Aix for the New York Times, William Grimes noted that Mehta "... belongs to the avant-garde school of dessert making," and went on to describe as "intriguing" the most talked-about item from his opening menu, "a so-called Provence salad, a layering of candied green tomatoes, thin-sliced fennel and melon topped with a Chloraseptic-green scoop of mint sorbet."

Having recently consulted on the opening of Bombay Talkie, an Indian street food restaurant in New York, Mehta was surprised to hear critics complaining about a lack of heat in many of the new restaurant's dishes. "Food writers have been very nice to me," says Mehta, "and I don't want to criticize them in any way, but sometimes I feel that when they review something, they draw a diagram in their heads and then review an unfamiliar cuisine with that diagram in mind. Just because it's Indian food doesn't mean it has to be fiery. Every [Indian] state speaks a different language, and every state has different food. In some states, you squeeze a whole lime over a dish and people might say, my God, that's too much, but that's how the dish has been had. Or I might over-marinate my fish, and according to everyone, that's wrong, but for 700 years in India, that's what the dish is. That's how it's done."

Fresh out of the CIA in 1996, after working on the savory side at Restaurant L'Absinthe, in New York, Mehta became the pastry chef at Typhoon Brewery, where he learned enough about the sweet side to land an assistant pastry chef gig at Jean-Georges. "It was like working for the best person alive," he says of his experience in the kitchen of Vongerichten's flagship restaurant. It was at Jean-Georges that he first met Aix's executive chef Didier Virot, who at the time was chef de cuisine at Jean-Georges, and whom Mehta calls his "culinary soul mate." Vongerichten named Mehta opening pastry chef at Mercer Kitchen, in 1998, a position that, at first, the young chef was not especially eager to take.

"I got this promotion a little too fast, and I felt that I was not ready. I was quite happy at Jean-Georges, and I wanted to continue to learn and feel nurtured." Despite his trepidation, Mehta thrived at Mercer Kitchen, and now says, "I probably got where I am today a little faster because of all that I had to teach myself at Mercer." His next stop was at Union Pacific, under Rocco DiSpirito, "before he became a superstar," says Mehta. "Not many great chefs are also great cooks, but Rocco was both. He was quite militaristic. We had to clean the walk-in every day. The waitstaff was terrified, and they couldn't fool around. Black socks meant black socks, not gray socks, not black with pinstripes. Black socks. It was very much, either you do it right or you get out." Mehta eventually moved on to Virot, his friend Didier's well-received but ultimately short-lived restaurant, then cooled his heels at Compass, with Chef Neil Annis, before rejoining Virot at Aix.

"I love living in New York," says Mehta. "People say to me, you hardly have time to do anything in New York, so what is the difference? But just knowing everything is here, available to you, it makes you feel more alive. Bombay is like this, too, so alive, people on the street at weird times. I can't imagine living anyplace else."

RELATED ARTICLE: Green Curry-Marinated Pork Belly with Chinese Almond Sauce and Carrot Coconut Chutney (Serves 4)

JASON CARTER

Pinot Gris

Kettle Valley

British Columbia, Canada 2002

directions

For the cured pork belly: In bowl, combine water and salt and stir to dissolve. Set aside a pinch of each of the spices, to be used for the spice crust. Add remaining spices to salt solution. Place pork in single layer in shallow container and pour solution over. Cover and refrigerate 72 hours, rotating pork once daily to ensure even curing. Remove pork from solution and discard liquid. Remove excess solids from pork and pat dry.

For the green curry marinade: In bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, combine curry, turmeric, chili, cilantro, coriander, peppercorns, shallots and garlic and puree to a smooth paste, adding onion oil in steady stream until mixture is emulsified. Season with fish sauce. Rub mixture over all surfaces of pork, cover and refrigerate 48 hours. Remove excess marinade from surface of pork and place in vacuum-sealed plastic bag. Bring large pot of water to 225 degrees. Poach pork belly in water seven to eight hours. Remove from heat and hold in refrigerator.

For the Chinese almond sauce: In blender, combine almonds and water and puree to smooth consistency. Strain through fine-mesh sieve, season with salt and set aside.

For the carrot sauce: In saucepan, bring carrot juice to a boil. Skim off and discard foam. Reserve juice. In separate saucepan, combine stock, wines and vegetables and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until reduced by half. Stir in reserved carrot juice, strain through fine-mesh sieve and set aside.

For the tamarind-glazed ham: In saucepot, combine all ingredients except ham and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook five to six hours or until mixture has glaze consistency, occasionally skimming off and discarding impurities. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and season with salt. Preheat oven to 125 degrees. Brush both sides of ham with tamarind glaze, place on sheet pan lined with Silpat[R] and bake in oven eight hours or overnight, until crisp and glossy.

For the carrot coconut chutney: Combine all ingredients in food processor fitted with metal blade and puree to form thick mixture. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

To finish: In deep-fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees. In small bowl, combine spice mixture and rice. Dredge pork in flour, then in egg whites. Press spice and rice mixture into surface of pork. Fry in oil until spice mixture is golden brown and pork is heated through. Drain on paper towels and place in center of plate. Spoon almond and carrot sauces around pork. Top pork with ham and zest. Serve with small dollop of chutney alongside.

ingredients

For the cured pork belly:

5 1/2 quarts water
1 1/2 pounds curing salt
1/4 cup cardamom pods
1/4 cup dried red chilis
1/4 cup coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1-inch piece wild ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1-inch piece licorice root, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons ground star anise
20 ounces lean pork belly, trimmed and cut into 3X6-inch rectangles

For the green curry marinade:

1/4 cup curry powder
Pinch of turmeric powder
1 red Thai chili
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
3 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup onion oil*
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Cured pork belly, from above

For the Chinese almond sauce:

1 pound Chinese almonds**
3/4 cup water
Salt to taste

For the carrot sauce:

1 quart carrot juice, boiled and skimmed
4 cups chicken stock, reduced by half
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup unsalted Chinese cooking wine
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped

For the tamarind-glazed ham:

14 ounces tamarind pulp
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of anise seeds
2-inch piece lemongrass, finely chopped
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground star anise
2 cups orange juice
2 oranges, thinly sliced
1 cup granulated sugar
1 quart water
4 slices Serrano ham
Salt to taste

For the carrot coconut chutney:

1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 1/2 ounces fresh coconut
Pinch of ground cardamom
1/2 fresh red chili
1/4 cup coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste

To finish:

1 gallon canola oil
Reserved pork belly spice mixture, from above
1 cup toasted jasmine rice
Pork belly, from above
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Candied blood orange zest

*Oil simmered with onions, ginger, leeks and green onions, then strained; made in-house at Lee.

**The roasted pit of the apricot, also known as apricot kernels. Available in health food stores and Asian markets.

RELATED ARTICLE: Red Curry Beef Tart and Curry Consomme with Lobster Dumplings (Serves 4)

JASON CARTER

Baco Noir

Henry of Pelham

Ontario, Canada 2002

directions

For the red curry beef: Season cheeks with salt and pepper to taste and dredge in flour. In saute pan, heat oil over high heat and sear cheeks on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside. In bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, combine coriander, lemongrass, chilis, turmeric, garlic, shrimp paste, cilantro, galangal, shallots and tomato paste and puree to form a thick paste. Set aside. In small saucepan, bring coconut milk to a boil and reduce by one quarter. Whisk in curry paste and simmer 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Strain curry mixture through fine-mesh sieve and bring to a boil. Place cheeks in baking dish and cover with curry mixture. Cook in oven six hours. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Shred meat with fork and return to cooking liquid. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the curry consomme: In large bowl, combine all ingredients except stock and fish sauce and mix with hands to incorporate. Place stock in large stockpot and whisk in chicken mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring only enough to keep solids from sticking to pan. Once solids form raft, poke small hole in raft and remove debris from center. Continue to cook over low heat for two hours, taking care not to let stock boil, Remove from heat and carefully strain through cheesecloth. Discard raft. Season liquid with fish sauce and set aside, keeping warm.

For the tomato mustard seed jam: In saute pan, heat oil over medium heat and add garlic. Saute over medium heat three minutes or until golden brown, then add mustard seeds, curry leaves and chilis. Saute over high heat two minutes, then stir in tomatoes, sugar and vinegar. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste and cook another 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

For the lobster dumplings: Over work surface, sift together flour and two ounces wheat starch and make well in center. In small bowl, beat together egg, yolk, one teaspoon olive oil and salt to taste and pour gently into well. Use fork to gradually incorporate flour into liquid mixture, taking care to keep liquid from escaping well. Knead mixture by hand five minutes, then wrap in plastic and let rest 30 minutes. While dough rests, cook tails in boiling salted water one minute, then drain and shock in ice bath. Remove and discard shells and finely chop meat. Transfer to bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade and mix at high speed until meat has gummy consistency. Reduce speed to slow and add remaining wheat starch, green onions, ginger, sesame oil and cilantro. When mixture comes together and resembles dough, stop mixing. Heat remaining olive oil in small saute pan and fry small lump of lobster mixture. Taste cooked mixture and season raw mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Roll dough out to 1/16-inch thickness and use 2-inch round cutter to cut four circles from dough. Brush surface of each circle with beaten egg whites. Place 1/2 ounce lobster mixture slightly off center of each disk and fold dough over to form dumpling. Press out air pockets and crimp edges with fork to seal. Refrigerate until ready to use. Note: recipe makes enough dough for eight to ten dumplings.

To finish: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll pastry out to 1/8-inch thickness and use 3-inch round cutter to cut four circles from dough. Spread surface of each circle liberally with jam, leaving 1/4-inch margin, and top with about 3 ounces beef. Bake in oven four minutes. Place one dumpling atop each cucumber slice to prevent sticking and cook in steamer four minutes. Discard cucumber after steaming.

To serve: Place tart on one side of plate and garnish with yogurt and curry leaf. Place dumpling in small bowl and pour consomme over. Garnish with chilis and serve immediately.

ingredients

For the red curry beef:

2 medium-sized beef cheeks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1-inch piece lemongrass
3 red chilis, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon peeled and finely chopped fresh turmeric*
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 teaspoon peeled and finely chopped galangal**
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoons tomato paste
3 1/2 cups coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste

For the curry consomme:

4 ounces chicken breast, finely ground in meat grinder
1/2 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, peeled and finely chopped
3 ounces curry powder
8 egg whites
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon peeled and finely chopped fresh turmeric*
1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon peeled and finely chopped galangal**
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 red chilis, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
9 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon fish sauce

For the tomato mustard seed jam:

1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon purple mustard seeds
1/2 cup curry leaves
3 dried red chilis
1 large tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste

For the lobster dumplings:

2 ounces all-purpose flour
3 ounces wheat starch***
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 lobster tails
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped ginger
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

To finish:

3 ounces puff pastry
Tomato mustard seed jam, from above
Red curry beef mixture, from above
Lobster dumplings, from above
1 cucumber, cut into four 2 X 1/4-inch slices

For garnish:

Strained yogurt
Curry leaves
Fresh red chili, thinly sliced

*Turmeric is a rhizome in the ginger family. May substitute 1 teaspoon ground turmeric.

**Galangal, a rhizome, is sometimes called Thai ginger. It is grown in Java and Malaysia, and has a somewhat camphoric flavor. Available in Asian markets.

***The by-product of gluten production, also called non-glutinous flour or wheaten cornstarch. Available at Asian markets or through Organic Kingdom, [phone] or www.organickingdom.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Confit Black Cod with Curry Oil, Sweet Potato Souffle and Preserved Lemon (Serves 4)

JASON CARTER

Riesling

13th Streel G.H. Funk Vineyard

Niagara, Canada 2003

directions

For the preserved lemon: Rub lemon quarters well with salt. Pack into small container, cover and refrigerate two weeks, stirring every two days. After two weeks, remove from container and rinse under cold water for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place lemon quarters in small oven-proof container and cover with one cup canola oil. Cook in oven three hours. Cool to room temperature, then place in jar with airtight seal. Remove peppercorns from stems and rinse well. Pat dry and place in stainless steel container. Heat remaining canola oil in saute pan until smoking. Remove from heat and slowly pour oil over peppercorns to ensure that all are seared. Transfer peppercorns and oil to container with lemon and seal. Store in dark place for up to two years.

For the cod: Place curry powder in glass jar. Heat oil to almost smoking. Remove from heat and slowly add oil to jar. Stir to incorporate, cover jar and let sit 48 hours, stirring halfway through. Decant oil through paper filter. Place cod into jar or narrow bowl, add all spices and cover with curry oil. Let sit one hour. Leaving fish in jar, cook in steamer about 10 minutes, until just cooked through.

For the sweet potato souffle: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place sweet potato in salted boiling water, reduce heat to simmer and cook until tender. Drain and transfer to food processor fitted with metal blade. Puree until smooth, adding splashes of hot water if necessary. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and let cool to room temperature. Add mirin, nutmeg and salt to taste. Beat egg whites to soft peaks and fold into puree. Prepare four ramekins with butter and flour and divide mixture among them. Place ramekins in water bath, sprinkle with zest and bake in oven eight minutes.

To serve: Place one fillet in center of plate. Garnish with preserved lemon quarter and peppercorns, and serve with souffle alongside.

ingredients

For the preserved lemon:

1 lemon, quartered
2 tablespoons sea salt
2 cups canola oil
Two stems fresh green peppercorns

For the cod:

2 tablespoons curry powder, toasted
2 cups canola oil
4 3-ounce black cod fillets
Pinch of cloves
1 clove garlic
1 dried red chili
1/2 stick cinnamon
1 star anise
2-inch piece lemongrass
1 teaspoon dried shallot
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro leaves
1-inch piece wild ginger, peeled
1-inch piece galangal, peeled*
1 dried lime leaf
2-inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled**

For the sweet potato souffle:

1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 tablespoon mirin
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon grated blood orange zest
Salt to taste

To serve:

Fresh green peppercorns, removed from stems

*Galangal, a rhizome, is sometimes called Thai ginger. It is grown in Java and Malaysia, and has a somewhat camphoric flavor. Available in Asian markets.

**Turmeric is a rhizome in the ginger family. May substitute 1 teaspoon ground turmeric.

RELATED ARTICLE: Sweet and Sour Glazed Sweetbreads with Green Curry Lentils (Serves 4)

JASON CARTER

Viognier

Daniel Lenko

Ontario, Canada 2004

directions

For the sweetbreads: In saucepot, combine stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add sweetbreads, reduce heat to simmer and cook one hour, until tender. Refrigerate sweetbreads and reserve braising liquid.

For the sweet and sour glaze: In saucepot, combine puree, brown sugar and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let steep 8 hours or overnight. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and reduce by half. Reduce braising liquid by 3/4 in stainless steel pot. In saute pan, heat butter over medium-low heat and add shallots. Cook until softened, then stir in vinegar mixture and reduce by half. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and set aside, keeping warm. In saucepot, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil. Cook until large bubbles appear but do not allow sugar to caramelize. Carefully add vinegar mixture to sugar syrup and reduce by half. Add braising liquid and continue to cook to glaze consistency. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and season with salt. Keep warm.

For the green curry lentils: In large spice grinder or food processor fitted with metal blade, combine cilantro, chili, shallots, lemongrass, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, galangal and lime zest and blend into fine paste. Bring coconut milk to a boil and whisk in spice mixture. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook one hour. Strain through fine-mesh sieve, stir in fish sauce and set aside. In saute pan, heat oil over medium heat and add onions, carrots, leeks and celery and cook until soft. Stir in lentils, cook two minutes, then stir in wine and stock. Cook lentils over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are tender but not completely cooked. Stir in curry sauce and cook until lentils are completely tender. Season with salt and keep warm.

For the cashew butter sauce: In saute pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil over low heat and add shallots. Sweat two minutes and add wine, vinegar, parsley, peppercorns and bay leaves. Reduce by half over high heat and strain through fine-mesh sieve. Return liquid to pan and add cream. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, then remove from heat and transfer to tall-sided bowl. Puree with hand blender and add butter, a piece at a time, continuing to blend until all butter is incorporated. In small pan, heat remaining oil over medium heat and add cashews. Saute until brown, taking care not to let cashews burn. Remove from heat and drain on paper towel. Season cashews with salt and stir into sauce. Season sauce with salt and pepper and keep warm.

For the pineapple saffron glaze: In small pot, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half and set syrup aside, keeping warm. In separate pot, bring pineapple juice to a boil. Skim foam from top and reserve. Add reserved syrup and three saffron threads to pineapple juice and cook at a simmer for 20 minutes. Strain though fine-mesh sieve and season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pineapple foam and puree with hand blender to reintegrate. Stir in remaining saffron and set aside, keeping warm.

To finish: Season sweetbreads with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. In saute pan, heat oil over high heat and cook sweetbreads until golden brown and crispy. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Add reserved sweet and sour glaze to pan, cook over high heat one minute, then add sweetbreads and toss over high heat to coat.

To serve: Glaze plate with pineapple saffron glaze. Add scoop of lentils and top with candied pineapple slice. Add one portion sweetbreads and spoon cashew butter sauce around. Garnish with sage leaves and onions and serve immediately.

ingredients

For the sweetbreads:

2 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine
12 ounces blanched, peeled and pressed veal sweetbreads

For the sweet and sour glaze:

1/2 cup pineapple puree
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 cups white vinegar
Sweetbread braising liquid, from above
2 tablespoons butter
4 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 cup yellow lump sugar**
2 tablespoons water
Salt to taste

For the green curry lentils:

1 bunch cilantro, leaves only
1 red chili
3 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2-inch piece lemongrass, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Pinch of coriander seeds
Pinch of finely chopped galangal*
Zest of 1 Thai lime
11 ounces coconut milk
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 leek, white part only, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 cup lentils, soaked overnight and drained
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
Salt to taste

For the cashew butter sauce:

2 teaspoons canola oil
3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 sprigs parsley
1/2 teaspoon white peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 ounce roasted cashews, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

For the pineapple saffron glaze:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
8 ounces pineapple, peeled, cored, juiced and strained
6 saffron threads
Salt and pepper to taste

To finish:

Sweetbreads, from above
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup canola oil
Sweet and sour glaze, from above
Salt and pepper to taste

For garnish:

Candied pineapple slices
Sage leaves
Deep-fried red onion slices

*Galangal, a rhizome, is sometimes called Thai ginger. It is grown in Java and Malaysia, and has a somewhat camphoric flavor. Available in Asian markets.

**Also known as yellow rock sugar. Available in Asian markets.

RELATED ARTICLE: Curried Arancini with Fluke and Soy Jelly (Serves 8)

PINO MAFFEO

"Kaze No Ichirin" Sake

Kaika Jumai Ginjo

Tochigo Prefecture, Japan NV

directions

For the curry mixture: Combine all ingredients in spice grinder and grind to fine powder. Note: makes more than needed for recipe. Keep refrigerated in airtight container.

For the curried arancini: In saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in curry mixture and 1/2 tablespoon salt and slowly add rice without stirring. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 18 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in butter and cheese and set aside to cool. Mix nori into rice and divide mixture into 1 1/2-ounce portions. Roll each into a ball. In a deep-fryer or tall-sided pot, heat canola oil to 350 degrees. In small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk and season with salt and pepper. Roll each rice ball in flour, dip into egg and milk mixture, and roll in breadcrumbs. Fry balls in oil until golden brown, working in batches. Remove with spider or slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the soy jelly: In small saucepan, combine soy sauce and water and bring to a boil. Add konbu, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Squeeze excess water from gelatin and add to soy mixture. Remove from heat and strain though fine-mesh sieve. Pour mixture onto half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate until set.

For the herb mayonnaise: In bowl, combine yolk, vinegar, water and mustard and whisk until mixture is foamy. Whisking constantly, add oil in thin stream until all is added and mixture is emulsified. Fold in lemon juice, herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the soy vinaigrette: In small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.

To serve: Place four dollops of herb mayonnaise on each plate and top each with one arancino. Grate small amount of wasabi over arancini. Top each with one piece of fluke. Top fluke with ginger, one flower and one piece of chive. Drizzle vinaigrette alongside arancini in straight line, place a dollop of soy jelly alongside and serve immediately.

ingredients

For the curry mixture:

1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
Pinch of fenugreek
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 whole clove

For the curried arancini:

2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon curry mixture, from above
1/2 tablespoon salt
16 ounces short-grain rice
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons grated
  Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 sheets nori, cut into thin strips
1 quart canola oil, for frying
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup rice flour
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

For the soy jelly:

1/4 cup high quality soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 piece konbu, approximately 5X2-inches*
2 leaves gelatin, softened in cold water

For the herb mayonnaise:

1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped chervil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the soy vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon high quality soy sauce
Splash of rice vinegar

To serve:

Fresh wasabi
4 ounces sushi-quality fluke, thinly sliced
Pickled ginger
African blue basil flowers
1-inch lengths of chive

*Dark, thick, slightly sweet Japanese seaweed, sold dried; available in Asian markets and health food stores.

RELATED ARTICLE: Thai Bouillabaisse with Citrus Perfume (Serves 6)

PINO MAFFEO

Bandol Rose

Domaine Tempier

Bandol, France 2001

For the citrus perfume: In large glass jar, combine all ingredients. Let stand in cool dry place for two weeks. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and transfer to atomizer.

For the gnocchi: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast potatoes on bed of salt until easily pierced with paring knife. Remove from oven and, when cool enough to handle, peel. Working over clean wooden board, pass potatoes through food mill. Sprinkle flour over potatoes, create a hole in center of potatoes and add yolks and nutmeg to hole. Use hands to slowly incorporate yolks into potato and flour mixture. Roll mixture into ball, divide into eight equal parts, and, working on a floured surface, roll each part into pencil-thin log. Cut each log into 1/4-inch segments. Bring stock to a boil. Cook gnocchi in boiling stock until they float to the top. Drain, toss in oil and set aside.

For the lobster: In steamer or large pot fitted with colander, bring court bouillon to a boil. Steam lobsters two minutes, then remove and refrigerate. When cool, remove meat from shell, reserving bodies, and keep at room temperature. In saute pan, combine lemongrass, vinegar and wine, bring to a boil and reduce to light syrup consistency. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and return to pan. Reduce heat to low and gradually add butter, whisking well after each addition. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and immediately add lobster meat. Toss to coat and hold in beurre blanc until flesh is just firm.

For the bouillabaisse sauce: In food processor fitted with metal blade, combine shrimp, ginger, jalapenos and garlic and puree. Heat saute pan over high heat, add oil, heat one minute, then add pureed mixture. Cook two minutes, then add galangal, shallots, curry paste and curry powder. Cook, stirring regularly, until mixture is brown. Deglaze with vermouth and add stock, lemongrass, lime leaves, lobster bodies and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat 30 minutes, then stir in coconut milk and cook 90 minutes. Remove from heat and add basil. Steep 10 minutes, then strain through fine-mesh sieve. Keep warm.

For the lemongrass froth: Scald milk in small pot and remove from heat. Add lemongrass and steep 15 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and refrigerate until cold. Using steam attachment for cappuccino machine, froth milk until light and foamy.

To serve: Heat butter in saute pan over medium heat until it foams and subsides. Add gnocchi and toss over heat one minute. Divide gnocchi among serving bowls. Wilt pea tendrils in warm pan and place atop gnocchi. Arrange lobster over gnocchi and top with bouillabaisse sauce. Spoon lemongrass froth over and garnish with basil leaves. Spray citrus perfume in wide arc over bowl tableside to let diners inhale the aroma and serve.

ingredients

For the citrus perfume:

1 quart grain alcohol
1 stalk lemongrass, crushed
1-inch piece young ginger, crushed
4 Kaffir lime leaves
Skins of 5 tangerines
Skin of 1 Buddha's hand lemon*
Skins of 5 limes
Skins of 5 oranges
1 teaspoon orange blossom water
2 drops tangerine essential oil
2 drops orange essential oil
2 drops grapefruit essential oil
2 drops lime essential oil
1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise

For the gnocchi:

2 pounds russet potatoes
Rock salt, for roasting
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 egg yolks
Fresh ground nutmeg, to taste
1 gallon chicken stock
Canola oil, for tossing

For the lobster:

3 quarts court bouillon
6 lobsters, gills removed
1/4 cup finely chopped lemongrass
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 1/2 pounds unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste

For the bouillabaisse sauce:

1 cup dried shrimp, soaked in water overnight and drained
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
5 Thai jalapenos
4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup canola oil
1-inch piece galangal, sliced on bias**
5 shallots, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons Madras curry paste***
1 tablespoon Javin[R] curry powder****
1 cup dry vermouth
3 quarts chicken stock
2 stalks lemongrass, crushed
10 Kaffir lime leaves
Lobster bodies, from above
4 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 bunch Thai basil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the lemongrass froth:

1 cup 2% milk
3 stalks lemongrass, crushed

To serve:

3 tablespoons butter
Baby pea tendrils
Thai basil leaves

*Buddha's hand lemon is a large yellow citrus fruit resembling a multi-fingered hand. It has an intense fragrance and is composed entirely of rind. Available through Melissa's World Variety Produce, [phone] or www.melissas.com.

**Galangal, a rhizome, is sometimes called Thai ginger. It is grown in Java and Malaysia, and has a somewhat camphoric flavor. Available in Asian markets.

***Madras curry paste is a southern Indian blend that often contains curry leaves, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, chili pepper, bay leaves, fenugreek, allspice, mustard seeds and black pepper. Available in Indian markets.

****A brand that contains coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, corn flour, salt, cumin, ginger, allspice and nutmeg. Available in Indian markets.

RELATED ARTICLE: Curried Candy Corn with Citrus and Thai Basil Salad (Serves 4)

PINO MAFFEO

Veuva Clicquot

"La Grande Dame" Rose

Reims, France 1996

directions

For the citrus and Thai basil salad: Combine all ingredients and let sit one hour at room temperature.

For the curried candied corn: Heat oil in saucepan with lid over medium heat. Add popcorn, stir with wooden spoon to coat kernels and cover. When popping begins, reduce heat to low. Cook one minute then remove from heat. Hold lid and shake pan. Discard unpopped kernels and remove brown center from each piece of popped corn. Place popcorn in bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade and process one minute. Stain through colander. Return to food processor and repeat procedure three more times. In bowl, combine popcorn, curry leaves and Pop Rocks[R] and mix well.

To serve: Divide curried candy corn among four test tubes. Place one test tube in each of four tall shot glasses and pour rice around test tube so that it stands up straight. Divide citrus salad among four ceramic spoons. Serve immediately.

ingredients

For the citrus and Thai basil salad:

1 tangerine, peeled and segmented
1 navel orange, peeled and segmented
1 pomelo, peeled and segmented
4 sprigs micro Thai basil
Grated rind of Buddha's hand lemon, to taste*
1/4 teaspoon honey
2 drops organic orange essential oil
Salt to taste

For the curried candy corn:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup popcorn kernels
4 dried curry leaves, ground to powder
1 1/2 ounces Pop Rocks[R] fruit punch flavored candy, lightly
crushed**

For garnish:

1 cup white rice
1 cup white rice, dyed red with food coloring

*Buddha's hand lemon is a large yellow citrus fruit resembling a multi-fingered hand. It has an intense fragrance and is composed entirely of rind. Available through Melissa's World Variety Produce, [phone] or www.melissas.com.

**Flavored candy pellets that contain pockets of carbonation, which create a popping effect when ingested. Available at candy stores or through Pop Rocks Candy, [phone] or www.poprockscandy.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Massaman Curry Broth with Aromatic Tea Bags (Serves 4)

PINO MAFFEO

Chateauneuf du Pape "Mas de Pape Blanc"

Domaine de Vieux Telegraphe

Bedarrides, France 2003

directions

For the Massaman curry paste: In small saute pan, heat oil over high heat and add shallots. Saute until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and place in spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Add all remaining ingredients and grind to medium paste. Note: makes more than necessary for recipe. Store excess in airtight container.

For the Massaman curry broth: In large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat and add bones. Toss to coat with oil and cook over high heat until browned. Stir in onions, lemongrass and ginger and cook until onions are soft and slightly browned. Add curry paste and cook two minutes, then stir in fish sauce. Cook four minutes, then add coconut milk, chicken stock and salt and pepper to taste, reduce to simmer and cook one hour. Add lime leaves and basil and cook 30 minutes, occasionally skimming oil from surface. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and keep warm.

For the aromatic tea bags: Fold each cheesecloth square in half three times. Divide ingredients evenly among packets, roll each around ingredients into tight ball and secure with twine.

To serve: Bring broth almost to boil. Place one tea bag in each serving bowl. Pour broth over tea bags, let steep two minutes and serve.

ingredients

For the Massaman curry paste:

1/2 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 shallot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted
1/2 dried red chili, toasted
2 cardamom pods, toasted
3 Kaffir lime leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 sprigs cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped galangal*
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemongrass
1/4 cup peeled and finely chopped ginger

For the Massaman curry broth:

2 tablespoons canola oil
3 pounds chicken bones
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped lemongrass
4 inches ginger, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Massaman curry paste, from above
1 cup fish sauce
3 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 quarts chicken stock
20 Kaffir lime leaves
1 bunch Thai basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

For the aromatic tea bags:

4 9-inch squares of cheesecloth, rinsed under cold water and squeezed
  dry
1 ounce green tea leaves
Zest of 1/2 tangerine, finely chopped and dried in oven
1 teaspoon sliced lemongrass
4 whole cloves
4 slices young ginger
4 pink peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick, broken into 4 even pieces
4 8-inch lengths cotton twine

*Galangal, a rhizome, is sometimes called Thai ginger. It is grown in Java and Malaysia, and has a somewhat camphoric flavor. Available in Asian markets.

RELATED ARTICLE: Cotton Candy with Madras Curry and Roasted Pumpkin Seed Dust (Yields 16)

PINO MAFFEO

Veuve Clicquot

Demi-Sec

Reims, France NV

directions

For the Madras curry mixture: In saute pan over medium-high heat, toast coriander, bay leaf, cumin and allspice until fragrant. Transfer to spice grinder, add remaining ingredients and grind to fine powder. Note: makes more than necessary for recipe. Store excess in airtight container.

For the roasted pumpkin seed dust: Place pumpkin seeds in saute pan over medium heat and toast until golden brown. Let cool slightly, transfer to spice grinder and grind to fine powder.

For the cotton candy: Combine sugar and curry mixture and transfer to cotton candy machine. Run machine according to manufacturer's instructions. When cotton candy begins to form, sprinkle with a few pinches of pumpkin seed dust. Wrap cotton candy around each of 16 5-inch paper cones.

To finish: Sprinkle each serving with curry mixture and pumpkin seed dust to taste. Serve immediately.

ingredients

For the Madras curry mixture:

1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 allspice berries
4 whole cloves
1 teaspoon turmeric
4 curry leaves, dried in oven until brittle*
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

For the roasted pumpkin seed dust:

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

For the cotton candy:

1/2 cup large grain granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon Madras curry mixture, from above
Roasted pumpkin seed dust, from above

To finish:

Madras curry mixture, from above
Roasted pumpkin seed dust, from above

*Available through SidWainer & Son[R] Specialty Foods, [phone] or www.sidwainer.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Tres Leches Cake with Coconut Curry Emulsion, Pears and Almonds (Serves 4)

JEHANGIR MEHTA

Mombazillac Cuvee "Madame"

Tirecul-la-Graviere

Bergerac, France 1997

directions

For the tres leches cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, whip eggs with whisk or electric mixer until thick and foamy. Using spatula, fold in sugar and flour. Transfer mixture to half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake in oven 20 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.

For the tres leches soaking liquid: In bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour mixture over cake and let soak one day in refrigerator.

For the pears and almonds: With melon baller, form as many balls as possible from pears. Melt butter in small saute pan and add jaggery. When jaggery is dissolved, add lime juice and pears. Toss over high heat two minutes, then add almonds. Swirl over heat for a few seconds, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

For the coconut mixture: Combine all ingredients in large spice grinder or food processor and puree to form coarse paste. Note: will make more than needed for recipe. Store excess in refrigerator.

For the coconut curry emulsion: Whisk together all ingredients until slightly frothy.

To serve: Using 2-inch ring cutter, cut circles from cake. Place in center of plate, surround with coconut curry emulsion, garnish with pear and almond mixture and serve.

ingredients

For the tres leches cake:

5 eggs
4 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour

For the tres leches soaking liquid:

7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
5 ounces evaporated milk
7 ounces coconut milk
3 1/2 ounces Malibu[R] rum

For the pears and almonds:

2 pears, peeled and cored
3 1/2 ounces butter
2 ounces jaggery, shaved*
Splash of lime juice
1 cup Marcona almonds**

For the coconut mixture:

2 ounces fresh coconut
2 ounces cashews
1 ounce poppy seeds
1 ounce toasted coriander seeds

For the coconut curry emulsion:

1/4 ounce coconut mixture, from above
3 1/2 ounces coconut milk
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 ounces pineapple juice
1/2 ounce confectioners' sugar
2 ounces heavy cream

*Natural sweetener made by the concentration of sugarcane juice. Available in Asian markets.

**Round, flat, intensely flavored almonds from Spain. Available through Chefshop, [phone] or www.chefshop.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Curry-Filled Chocolates with Saffron Mehendi (Serves 12)

JEHANGIR MEHTA

10 Year Old Maury Cuvee Speciale

Mas Amiel

Maury, France NV

directions

For the chocolate ganache: In saucepot, combine cream, milk and glucose and bring to a simmer. Combine chocolate and butter in large bowl and pour hot cream mixture over. Let sit two minutes, then whisk to melt and incorporate ingredients. Arrange 12 one-ounce cylindrical Silpat[R] molds on sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Fill each mold halfway with warm ganache. Refrigerate cylinders until mixture has become firm but is still somewhat pliable. Leave remaining ganache at room temperature.

For the curry filling: In small saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep 20 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and refrigerate until cold.

For the saffron mehendi: In small saucepan, combine water, sugar and saffron and bring to a boil. Let boil for one minute. Squeeze excess water from gelatin and place in small bowl. Pour hot mixture over and stir to dissolve gelatin. Let cool to room temperature.

To finish: Spoon or pipe small dab of curry filling atop each half-filled chocolate cylinder. Fill molds with remaining room temperature ganache. Refrigerate until firm. Gently remove chocolates from molds and roll each in paillette feuilletine to cover sides. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve: Dip clean hand into saffron mehendi and make handprint impression in center of each plate. Arrange three chocolates on each plate and serve.

ingredients

For the chocolate ganache:

2 1/2 ounces heavy cream
2 1/2 ounces milk
1/2 ounce glucose syrup
4 1/2 ounces chocolate, 66% cocoa, chopped
1 1/2 ounces butter, cut into small pieces

For the curry filling:

8 ounces heavy cream
3 ounces granulated sugar
20 fresh curry leaves*

For the saffron mehendi:**

4 ounces water
3 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 sheet gelatin, softened in cold water

To finish:

Curry filling, from above
3 ounces paillette feuilletine, crushed***

*Available through Kalustyan's, [phone] or www.kalustyans.com.

**Mehendi is the name given to a rust-red skin dye, made from the ground leaves of the mehendi shrub. In India, it is used to create intricate patterns on the hands and feet of a bride-to-be and the female members of her family.

***Available through Paris Gourmet, [phone], or www.parisgourmet.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Charentais Melon Carpaccio, Mango Chaat and Jackfruit Sorbet (Serves 4)

JEHANGIR MEHTA

Muscat de Saint-Jean de Minervois

Domaine de Barroubio

Saint-Jean de Minervois, France 1992

directions

For the jackfruit sorbet: Puree jackfruit with juice from one of the two cans. Strain through large-holed sieve, pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions, Keep in freezer until ready to serve.

For the mango chaat: Combine all ingredients in bowl and let sit at room temperature for one hour.

For the charentais melon carpaccio: Using electric slicer or sharp knife, cut melon into very thin slices.

To finish: Arrange melon slices on plates, allowing edges to overlap. Place 2-inch diameter, 1/4-inch tall ring mold in center of melon and fill with mango chaat mixture. Remove ring mold and top mango with quenelle of sorbet. Garnish with microgreens and serve immediately.

ingredients

For the jackfruit sorbet:

2 20-ounce cans jackfruit, with juice*

For the mango chaat:

1 mango, peeled, seeded and cut into fine dice
1 mango, peeled, seeded and pureed
1 teaspoon curry powder

For the charentais melon carpaccio:

1 charentais melon, peeled and seeded**

For garnish:

Micro arugula***
Micro beet greens***

*Jackfruit is a large, tree-borne fruit from Southeast Asia whose flesh resembles both banana and pineapple. Available canned through Kalustyans, [phone] or www.kalustyans.com.

**Also known as French Breakfast melon, it has grayish yellow skin and sweet, pale orange flesh and is about the size of a grapefruit. Available at specialty produce purveyors. May substitute cantelope.

***Available through The Chef's Garden, [phone] or www.chefs-garden.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Curry Leaf Panna Cotta with Candied Baby Fennel (Serves 8)

JEHANGIR MEHTA

Bonnezeaux

Domaine du Petit Val

Loire Valley, France 1996

directions

For the curry leaf panna cotta: In heavy bottomed pot, combine cream, milk and sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add curry leaves and let steep 10 minutes. Squeeze excess water from gelatin and place in bowl over ice. Strain hot mixture over gelatin and stir until cool. Divide among eight 3-ounce molds and refrigerate until set.

For the fennel syrup: In large pot, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer, Cook 10 minutes, then remove 1 cup of syrup and refrigerate. Reserve remaining syrup for candying fennel.

For the candied baby fennel: Add baby fennel to reserved fennel syrup and simmer one hour. Separate baby fennel from syrup, strain syrup to remove fronds, and return baby fennel to syrup. Let cool to room temperature.

To finish: Unmold panna cotta on chilled plate. Use microplane grater to grate fennel bulb into refrigerated cup of fennel syrup. Drizzle mixture around panna cotta. Strain candied baby fennel and arrange on plate alongside panna cotta. Serve immediately.

ingredients

For the curry leaf panna cotta:

16 ounces heavy cream
8 ounces milk
2 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
4 curry leaves*
4 sheets gelatin, softened in cold water

For the fennel syrup:

18 ounces fennel fronds
12 ounces granulated sugar
36 ounces water

For the candied baby fennel:

2 bulbs baby fennel, each cut lengthwise into four pieces
Fennel syrup, from above

To finish:

1/2 bulb fennel, cored

*Available through Kalustyan's, [phone] or www.kalustyans.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Crispy Curry Purse with Pomegranate Reduction and Vanilla Rum Ice Cream

JEHANGIR MEHTA

Pineau des Charentes

Bernard Boutinet

Cherves de Cognac, France NV

directions

For the crispy curry purse: In bowl, combine dried fruits, sugar and brandy, mix well, cover and let sit five days. Just before using, fold nuts into mixture. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush one sheet feuilles de bric with butter and sprinkle entire surface with curry powder. Place 3 tablespoons of fruit and nut mixture in center of sheet. Brush another sheet with butter, sprinkle with curry and use it to top fruit mixture. Fold sheets together to form purse. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Place purses on sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake in oven 20 minutes or until golden.

For the vanilla rum ice cream: In saucepot, combine milk, cream and vanilla beans and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep five minutes. In large bowl, whisk together sugar and yolks until pale yellow and increased in volume. Temper yolk mixture by adding one-third of hot milk mixture to yolk mixture, while whisking constantly. Whisk tempered yolk mixture back into hot milk mixture and place over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, stir in rum and cool in ice bath. Pour into ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Set aside in freezer.

For the pomegranate reduction: Combine juice and sugar in saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and reduce to sauce consistency. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

To serve: Place one purse on plate, with quenelle of ice cream alongside. Drizzle plate with pomegranate reduction and serve.

ingredients

For the crispy curry purse:

2 ounces dried apricots, finely chopped
2 ounces raisins
1 ounce dried cherries
1 ounce dried cranberries
1 ounce dried currants
1 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
6 ounces brandy
2 ounces Iranian pistachios, finely chopped*
2 ounces sliced almonds
8 sheets feuilles de bric**
4 ounces butter, melted
1/2 ounce curry powder

For the vanilla rum ice cream:

6 ounces milk
6 ounces heavy cream
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
2 ounces granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1 ounce rum

For the pomegranate reduction:

8 ounces pomegranate juice
1 1/2 ounces granulated sugar

*Available through Kalustyans, [phone] or www.kalustyans.com.

**Available through Paris Gourmet, [phone] or www.parisgourmet.com.