Dinner

Pumpkin or Hubbard Squash Cooked with Bengali Seasonings

Bangali Kaddu – Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian

I make this with both pumpkin and Hubbard squash. From a 3 -pound segment with skin, I am usually left with about 2 pounds of seedless, skinless flesh.

You may serve this with most Indian meals. For a more elaborate meal with an international feel, I like to put this dish together with Palestinian Rice with Lentils and Browned Onions (page 404), Sliced Tomatoes in a Tomato Sauce (page 303), some greens, such as Sautéed Spinach with Dill and Onion (page 225), and a yogurt relish or cheese dish.

Indian
Vegetarian

Trinidadian Mango Curry

From Tiffin's, Port of Spain

Somewhere between a curry and a sweet chutney, this dish may be served with all South Asian, Malay-style, and Middle Eastern meals.

You need half-ripe mangoes here. Since these are what most commonly pass for mangoes in the Western world, they should not be hard to find. Each mango should be hard with yellow or pale orange flesh.

For the curry powder, I like to use Bolst's hot version. Ready-made amchar masala is sold by Caribbean grocers, though you can easily make your own and store it.

Curry
Vegetarian
Indian
Trinidad

Mexican Chicken Soup

I've cooked this recipe for years now. I usually add an extra quart of water for more broth. I've been known to substitute pickled sliced banana peppers for the jalapeño peppers. Found this recipe at the St-Laurent library in Montréal, and later re-discovered this "new" book of Natural Foods at a garage sale in Ottawa.

Soup
Mexican
Comfort food
Colds

Beany Linguine

Serves 6 

Sesame seeds are packed with protein; toasting brings out their nutty flavor. Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds with a consistency similar to peanut butter; look for it in the Asian section of your grocery store.

Pasta
Dinner