The moment my toes met carpet this morning, I could feel 12,035 pounds of depressing cloud cover whoosh toward my home and settle in above my tangled mess of hair. I should have just made myself a Bloody Mary, grabbed a bag of peanut M&M's and retreated back to bed. But I knew it was over. I had an out-of-control problem and needed to address it head on.
Sigh. "I'm sorry, Emeril. I've got to give you up, baby."
What I once called a "collection" had turned into an embarrassing epidemic. Cookbooks covered my kitchen counter, littered the floor like a trail of cookie crumbs leading from bed to bookshelf and completely enveloped every available dry, horizontal surface in my home. Every day at 5 p.m., it was the same routine — shuffle books from counter to dining table to make room to cook. Then shift the volumes back to the kitchen for dinnertime. Just last night, I spent two hours searching for my laptop, only to find it wedged between the Bread Bible and three years of Food and Wine.
But oh how I love my companions! In the late hours of the night, I caress Tyler, Giada and even Raichlen's glossy photographs of beautiful, lusty food. My husband is secure enough in our relationship that he lets Rocco hang out at the edge of the nightstand, just inches from my sleeping head.
No, I had to let go. It was time to de-clutter. Wiping mascara streaks off my cheek, I cradled Nigella and whispered, "Honey, it's better this way. Your coconut macaroons never really came out that great anyways." With a single deep breath, I looked away and turned her face down.
All I can say is that old habits die hard, and within 45 minutes of the purge, I heard a dull "thump" at the door. It was my trusty pal Amazon coming to the rescue, quickly snapping me back to my old ways with the rrrriiiipppp of packing tape torn from cardboard. Dreamy Hari Nayak and his Modern Indian cookbook. It's not enough that Hari seduces you with exotic combinations of spices like cardamom, cinnamon, coriander and cloves; he has to nudge you closer with innovative ways of cooking, like dry-toasting saffron threads for a smooth, creamy dessert.
Quickly glancing back at the Tetris-like pile of books, I smiled sheepishly. I'll try again tomorrow.
So smitten was I with Chef Hari's book, I e-mailed him for a free, signed copy just for you. I know it sounds like I'm trying to clutter your home with another cookbook just so I can feel a little better about my situation. And yeah, I'll admit that's part of it. But how can you resist recipes like Marsala Mashed Potatoes, Tamarind Rice with Roasted Peanuts and Pink Peppercorn Chocolate Truffles? To enter the random drawing, e-mail jaden@steamykitchen.com with "contest" in the subject line.
Sweet Yogurt Sundae with Saffron and Pomegranate
adapted from Modern Indian
serves 8
4 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 pomegranate
2 kiwis
large pinch of saffron strands
1. Line a large sieve or colander with cheesecloth. Place colander over a bowl. Place yogurt in colander to drain for two to three hours in the refrigerator. Discard the liquid. Pour the yogurt into a bowl and mix in the honey, nutmeg and cardamom.
2. Lightly toast saffron strands in a small dry skillet over medium heat until brittle. Let saffron cool on plate, and, with your fingers, finely crush the strands. Cut the kiwis into small pieces and remove the seeds from the pomegranate.
3. Layer yogurt, fruit and saffron in dessert cups.
Jaden Hair blogs at steamykitchen.com.
This article appears in Nov 21-27, 2007.