Conquering my nemesis

One of the foods I have always had a problem perfecting is fried chicken, me being a large black women all my friends assumed i made fried chicken collard greens etc.. well let me tell ya I can't.
When i firs moved on my own I tried it, well it was burnt on the outside completely raw on the inside or i floured it and I didn't wait till the oil to get hot enough so all of the flour would fall off and it would be super greasy or I either over or under seasoned it.

But now after 22 years of try I think I got it! I made sure the oil was hot enough I know it was seasoned perfectly. Now I only fry things maybe once every 6 weeks I am trying very hard to lose weight. So I usually bake everything, well this chicken I recently made was absolutely delicious it was crispy perfectly season and most important cooked threw, even my son who is not a great fan of chicken loved it!

Now I didn't use exact measurements but used kosher, salt cracked black pepper, garlic and onion powder, cayenne pepper and paprika. I rubbed it into the chicken let it sit for a while then I dipped it in flour and fried it in a little less than a quart of oil, then drained on a paper towel.

I know it's weird to be of proud of perfecting fried but I am.

The Royal Taj

Well I went to the Royal Taj last Saturday to try Indian food for the first time. Now looking at it from the outside it didn't seem to promising, the J on the sign was broken but the parking lot was full. I stepped inside and the smell of curry and different spices just hits you in the face. With the smells and the music for a second I thought I was in India. they had a sampler plate came with chicken tikka, lamb tikka, tandoori chicken, seehk kabob, vegetable curry, rice, naan and a dessert.

Like I said before I'm not a fan of really hot food so to my surprise she asked me if I wanted mild or spicy, I said " Great I won't have to burn my mouth" so of course I said mild. While I waited for my food I partook in the design of the restaurant beautiful statues and objects from India.


While i was waiting for my food a beautiful Indian waitress gave me something to munch on, it was a thin crispy bread thinner than a cracker and 2 dipping sauces a mint dip and a sweet mango jam, the bread had a wonderful spice taste to it and a slight char to it that gave it that smokey flavor.

Then one by one the the food came out first the naan a delicious flat bread that had a wonderful garlic smokey flavor from being cooked in a tandoor.


The rice and the curry vegetables was next.

And finally the chicken tandoori and the lamb and chicken tikka.

I took one bite of the vegetable curry and i was like "WOW" it was very very spicy but very good I had to eat the naan to try to sooth my tongue . The chicken tandoori was surprisingly sweet but the tikkas were spicy with the taste of curry, cinnamon and lemon. Beads of sweat started to form on my forehead and I can feel my face starting to turn red, I think the waitress was noticing my reaction because she kept coming by refilling my glass with ice water. I looked around and I noticed that the Americans were using forks and the Indians were using their hands maybe I will to next time (yes I'm going back) I will try using my hands. The rice was very good I'm not a rice expert but I'm pretty sure it was jasmine rice.


To finish off my dinner I ordered the rice pudding, it was a little runnier that i'm use to but still tasty, I was informed later by my daughter " That's how their rice pudding is"

Well i couldn't eat anymore and I took the rest home in a to go container, the waitress said next time she will help me order the not so spicy dinner and urged me to please come back for the lunch buffet, I live next door so i told her I definitely will. As I was leaving the waitress slipped me a extra piece of hot naan wrapped in tin foil, that was very nice of her. By the front door was a bowl if spices I asked her what it was she said "To freshen your breath", so I a spoon full and popped it in my mouth but I failed to asked do i swallow it or spit it out. It had a wonderful licorice taste to it, when I arrived home my son gladly accepted the left overs because in our house Saturday is get your own dinner day.

Out of 5 silver spoons I give restaurant this 3 silver spoons