Dinner for Four - Casa Manoj

As I drove home from the grocery store this afternoon, I heard the radio announcer say, "This is a very big evening for the Seahawks. If they win, it will be the first time in franchise history that they make it to the Superbowl." I felt one with the Seahawks because it was going to be a high pressure evening for me too, a first time for me actually. It was the first time that Karan's mom was going to visit my apartment, and I was going to cook dinner...

I started preparing for Sunday night bright and early on Saturday morning. It was the afternoon actually by the time I jotted down a list of things to buy and started cleaning up. Good thing I started a whole day earlier coz I had so much to do - vacuum, clean the floors, clean the bathroom, clean the kitchen, clean the ...

Dinner at Ameen/Deep's was the break I needed from all that scrubbing. Ameen is a great cook and last night's meal was no exception. Her specialities are continental and european dishes, the kind that I rarely get a chance to experience - the anticipation of tasty treats makes the 25 mile drive worthwhile. And what better way to top of a Saturday night than with drinks at Kell's?

Sunday morning and early afternoon were all about procuring ingredients. The Indian Store, QFC, Trader Joe's, "Amruta's kitchen"! Amruta did a lot of the cutting and was the official taster as I laboured over the stove. Here is what ended up on the table:

The Appetizer
Tender Egg Plant Rolls
A mixture of sun-dried tomato pesto and goat cheese rolled in grilled, tender Egg Plant Wafers. Served warm with a sprinkling of oregano and paprika.

The Main Course
Paneer in creamy, Cilantro gravy
Lightly roasted cubes of paneer in a creamy gravy made from a blend of fresh Cilantro leaves blended, cashews and pine nuts. A faint aftershock of green peppers ensures that the taste of the gravy stays with you as you swallow.

Good ol' Black Dal
The no frills, great tasting classic Dal that compliments every Indian meal. Served warm and with a touch of butter.

Roti and Black Bean Pulav
'Nuff Said.

Dessert
Dollops of ice-cream served over a slice of cake

Affagato
A shot of espresso poured over 2 scoops of Vanilla ice-cream - belle!

Karan brought the alcohol and made great martinis. Thanks are due to him and Amru for helping me put stuff together for the evening. I could repeat everything Aunty, Amruta, Karan and Monu said about the evening but I won't. Instead, I'll just say that I made a good impression. About time, eh?! Phew!!