South Indian Cooking Class - Spice It Up!

Longing for a culinary adventure that’s chocked full of spice? Then join Chef Susan Pachikara of Cardamom Kitchen on February 5 for a journey to South India – home to coconut and cardamom. In this hands-on class, you’ll learn how to identify and work with turmeric, curry leaves, and other key ingredients. Together, you’ll prepare and taste test four of her favorite family recipes. Chef Susan will address all of your burning questions along the way. You'll walk away from class with the confidence to spice up your home menu! This class is vegetarian, and BYOB. To learn more and/or sign up, visit:

https://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50363/p/ ... _KEY=80614

Sorry to miss this, but I'm booked that evening. I love the cooking of southern India.

Too bad they couldn't have had Chef Susan at the venue I was at last night. I gave a slide show and lecture on traveling in southern India, with the history of the spices from the region. The venuebrought in someone to give a "curry demo" after my program -- and they were using red Thai curry paste. Fortunately, they did ask me to comment on their curry, so I made certain people knew that, while this was certainly a tasty and vaguely Thai recipe, it didn't reflect southern Indian cooking. Sigh.

Hi Cynthia- Were you by any chance at the Glenview Library yesterday? A couple I know went there yesterday, and said they had a good time, and got a curry powder blend, which the wife used on a chicken dish when she got home. I had emailed them Saturday about a free music program in Wilmette which I was going to, and the wife emailed me back that she was going to the Glenview library to see a program about spices, and that somebody from Whole Foods was going to do a cooking demo after the lecture. I was going to post the program here, but I never got around to it. Thanks, Nancy

Yes, Nancy -- that was me in Glenview. I wasn't going to specify the library because I thought it was wonderful that they made the effort, and I didn't want anyone to think ill of them just because they were so far from Indian curry. Really splendid people at that library, and they were pleased with the large turnout. And the Whole Foods folks were delightful, too. It would have been great if we could have done food from southern India, but it was still fun.

The focus of the cooking demo was not on authenticity, but rather on how quickly one could produce a meal, hence the reliance on a jar of Thai curry paste. But the spices they brought, so that everyone could make their own blend, were awesomely fresh and perfumed the entire room. I really enjoyed that part.

I did notice, however, that the Indian men and women who came just stayed for my presentation but not the cooking demo. (Though a woman from Kerala did come up to tell that she loved seeing her home through my photos and descriptions.)

Libraries are getting more imaginative. Tomorrow night, I'll be doing How Rum Changed the World at the Winnetka Library -- and they'll be following the presentation with a rum tasting. I'm looking forward to that.