Anda Karee (अंडा करी) or Egg Curry

6 Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs , cut in half

¼ cup oil

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

1 green cardamom pod, lightly crushed

3 to 4 cloves

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp paprika powder

Salt

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, pressed (or garlic scapes, chopped fine)

½ tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1½ tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

¼ + cup water (optionally, use coconut milk if you live where coconut trees grow)

½ tsp Garam masala powder

1. Boil the eggs in advance at least to allow them a little time to cool before shelling them.
2. Heat the oil; stir in the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds, paprika powder and mix in the finely chopped onions.
3. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook onions for almost 10 minutes, adding the salt, or until it is gently brown and very soft.
4. When the onion is brown add the ginger and garlic; continue cooking until the sharp smell of fresh ginger and garlic sweetens and smells cooked, about a minute or two.
5. When the garlic and ginger are fragrant, add turmeric, cayenne, coriander, and cumin powder, mixing well. Add the water so that the spices do not burn and are nicely mixed, cook until fragrant (if using the optional coconut milk add now).
6. Increase the heat to medium and boil the sauce for 5 to 8 minutes, covered, then cooking down to achieve the desired sauciness.
7. Add the garam masala and stir it in.
8. Immediately afterwards, cut the eggs in half and add them to the pan, spooning over the sauce, and cook a few more minutes, just to heat through.
9. Serve immediately with the cut side facing up. It's recommended to serve with a raita or plain yoghurt.

Spiced Porridge Cake with Caramel Icing

This recipe came together so quickly! The spicing complements the caramel icing so well. It is so very strongly recommended that you wait at least 1 day, preferably 2 days before eating it. The flavors mature slowly and the result is well worth the wait.

Optional to the recommended spicing is to add one or two tsps. of cinnamon. This would be good, but honestly, for a superlative cake, use the Ayurvedic Oatmeal.

1⁄2 cup (4oz/114gr) butter

2 cups (15oz/420g)white sugar

2 eggs

2 cups (520g) cooked Ayurvedic Porridge (about 1 recipe)

2½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1¼ cup (185g) flour

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar. 
3. Mix in the eggs and cooked porridge. 
4. In sequence, add the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour.
5. Pour into a greased and floured spring form pan.
6. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick or knife.
7. Once baked, allow it to cool completely, and refrigerate, preferably for a full day. A cold cake will be key to making the icing stick to the cake. The other upside to this is that the flavour of the cake complexifies the longer it sits.

For the Icing: 

¾ cup (169 g) butter

1 cup (200 g) packed brown sugar

2 tsp (15 g) golden syrup

⅝ cup (150 g) milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp fine salt

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Add the brown sugar, golden syrup, salt, and milk. Stir continuously until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth, about 4–5 minutes. Avoid letting it boil vigorously during this stage.
3. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Once it reaches a steady boil, cook for 2½–3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until a candy thermometer reads 230°F.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool. The longer it cools, the thicker it becomes. If it's too hot, it will be too liquid and just pour right off the cake, but completely cold and it will be difficult to apply. Be patient and wait. When it’s at your desired consistency, remove the cake from its mold and drizzle the icing over the cooled cake, pooling it on top until small dribbles come down the sides.
5. Wait at least one more full day before serving for the best flavour and texture.

Olde English Blacke Berrie Pie

Adapted from a recipe in the classic Food in England by Dorothy Hartley, this is a surprising pie with a very thin crust. The apple thickens the filling so that when it is completely cooled, it creates a lovely silky loose jammy texture. If you've made Blackberry Liqueur, try cutting in about a cup of the boozy fruit with regular fresh berries for a little kick. If you pick your own blackberries, there is a difference in flavor depending at what time of the season you pick them. According to Hartley's research, the first berries should be eaten fresh, the mid-season berries used to cook with, the late season berries used to cook with and augmented by spices, such as ginger or lemon zest (brief notes in the recipe on this).

2 medium apples (364gr) peeled, cooked and mashed

1 Sweet pie dough recipe, rolled extra thin and the edges rolled up to be a bit thicker

A little oil

½ cup sugar

3 cups (432gr) blackberries (or substitute 1 cup with leftover blackberries from making liqueur)

¼ cup (2oz/58gr) butter

For Late Season Berries

- 2 tsps fresh grated ginger

- zest from ½ lemon

1. Peel and core the apples. Steam with a little water to get perfectly soft, then mash fine. Mix in the sugar and allow the sauce to cool completely before mixing with the blackberries and before putting in the pie shell to avoid melting the butter in the shell. 
2. If you have late season berries, now is the time to add the ginger and lemon to the apple.
3. As the apple sauce cools, roll out the dough quite thin, ¹⁄₁₆" or about the thickness of a nickel. 
4. Put in the pie plate and, to avoid soggy crust syndrome, brush the bottom with a little oil or melted butter to help seal it against the liquid of the blackberries. 
5. Do not trim the crust. 
6. With a wooden spoon, very gently combine the blackberries and the applesauce. Spoon the mixture into the pie shell, then dot the top with bits of butter. 
7. Instead of cutting away the excess, fold over the crust, wet the edges and pinch together.  The extra crust should fold over the pie leaving an open center with irregular edges. Pop in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 15 minutes.
8. When you're ready to bake, turn on the oven to 400°F. Brush the top of the pie with a little more oil and put it on a parchment-lined baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown.
9. Allow to cool completely before serving to allow for the juices to set.

Gruyere and Sausage Omelette

Butter, for greasing baking dish

2 Tbsps olive oil

1 small onion, diced

8oz to 1lb pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed

8 large eggs

½ cup whole milk

½ to ¾ tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 + ½ cup (4oz) grated Gruyere cheese

1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley or lovage (optional: + 2 Tbsps to sprinkle on top) 

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly butter an 8 by 8" baking dish.
2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the sausage and cook until starting to brown. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of Gruyere cheese and ¼ cup of parsley. Stir in the onion mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Sprinkle with remaining parsley before serving.

Salade de carrottes (Carrot Salad)

This has become one of my go-to salads instead of leaf lettuce. Sometimes I'm looking to pair a different flavor, and sometimes it's for the colour. Seasonally speaking, it's also a way of having a crunch salad when leaf lettuce isn't available.

1 lb carrots, peeled and grated

2 Tbsps minced chives or chopped green onion (15g)

2 Tbsps minced fresh parsley

Dressing

3 Tbsps. (36g) fine olive oil*

2 Tbsps. (27g) lemon juice

2 tsps. (14g) honey or maple syrup

1 tsp (7g) Dijon mustard

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp salt

1. In a large bowl combine the carrot, chive or green onion and parsley.
2. To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until emulsified.
3. Pour the dressing over the carrot mixture and toss until the carrots are evenly coated. 
4. Allow the salad to marinate for at least 20 minutes before serving. Toss again before serving. 

*I don't usually talk about 'using only the best' of anything, but I did bother to point out that a fine extra-virgin olive oil would be choice in this instance. Regular olive oil is mainly for cooking and doesn't have much in the way of flavor. However, in a salad dressing of this kind you want to taste the olive oil, which is why a real cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil, preferably unfiltered, is best for a really tasty dressing but, if you don't have any, it'll be just fine.

Skirlie

This recipe puts me in mind of a traditional Scottish kind of gomasio. A crunchy and salty topping and snack food with plenty of flavor. It's good on all sorts of things but lends itself particularly well to Rumpledethumps.

¼ cup (2oz/58gr) butter (or bacon fat or beef suet)

1 onion (6oz/170gr) finely chopped

4 oz pinhead (synonyms: medium or steel cut) oats 

¼  to ½ tsp salt, or to taste

Pepper, to taste

1. Melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the onion until lightly browned.
2. Add the oatmeal and stir slowly until all the fat is absorbed; the onion should become dark and just crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Rumbledethumps

A very starchy, fatty dish with vegetables, therefore it's good for you. Nah, I'm not like that. If you have ingredients that are grown naturally and with care, it's all good for you. And this traditional English recipe is particularly good when served with the superlative Scottish condiment, Skirlie. In fact, the recipe below includes when to start the Skirlie so it's ready in time to eat with the Rumbledethumps. If nothing else, I get a kick of announcing that we're having Rumbledethumps with Skirlie for dinner!

4-5 servings

2lbs potatoes, cooked and mashed

20oz turnip or rutabaga or kohlrabi, cooked and mashed

⅓ cup (5oz/76gr) butter

24oz cabbage or Kale, sliced very thin

1 tsp salt 

Pepper to taste

3 oz cheddar cheese

1 recipe of Skirlie

1. Preheat the oven to around 350°F. 
2. If you have to boil the potato and turnip to make this, boil them together.
3. Melt all the butter in a frying pan and braise the cabbage or kale until softened (do not brown). 
4. Add the mashed potato and turnip to the cooked veg and combine thoroughly to incorporate all the browning and butter from the pan. 
5. Put the mash in an oven-proof baking tray, cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbling. 
6. While baking, make the Skirlie.
7. Remove the lid, sprinkle the cheese on top and cook until golden brown, another 15 minutes.
8. Serve with Skirlie on the side for each diner to sprinkle on top as needed.