Cuminous Cloud

Pick up this week's Onion to read an explosive conversation with Neeta Saluja, local author of Six Spices: A Simple Concept of Indian Cooking, who will be having a book release party tonight @ Whole Foods from 6-8pm. This, rather than the initial signing, is the event to attend, as Saluja indicated the stack of books will be accompanied by “aalu bhar—spicy potato and peas baked in a puff pastry. Often I serve it as an appetizer or a snack food. And also these corn fritters, makki pakoras: corn mixed with chickpea flour, Cream of Wheat and spices—and you just deep-fry that. For dessert I'm going to have gulab-jamun. It's a milk preparation, enriched: you make the dough with milk powder, and then you fry them and put them in syrup, and it's really, really good.” You’ll find the corresponding recipes on pages 134, 124, and 149 of Six Spices (Jones Books, '07)