Punjab It!

     In my family, if you are in the car and you hear someone scream, "Punjab it!", that means you need to slam the accelerator to the floorboard and get out into traffic. I don't know where that tradition ever started in my family, but it makes a fantasic illustration for this post. As soon as you can you need to, "Punjab it!" over to Curry Kitchen!

     Papa Moon knows all the goings-on around Muskegon. He's got "people". So, one day he gets this fiesty smirk on his face and says, "Get in the car. I'm taking you someplace special." Spending some time in London, Papa Moon knows his curry. (Hey, maybe that's where the idiom comes from!)

He took us to 1141 3rd Street, downtown Muskegon, home of Curry Kitchen.

All of the food that we have tried at Curry Kitchen is exceptional. If we are anywhere near downtown Muskegon now, this is where we go, the Queen speaks and it is beyond contestation.

Actually, no one argues about it. 

     First, a warning: Most of the menu at Curry Kitchen is prepared as spicy as you order it.

There is a scale, 1-5.   If you are at all wimpy, you'd better stick to a 1.   If you want to open up your sinuses and get some detoxing, a 3 will do it.   If you want your memory erased, order a 5.

     A list of favorites:

For an appetizer: Chicken 65. Simran tells us that according to the folklore, there is 65 ways to make this dish in India. It's like popcorn chicken, but it's in this tangy, spicy sauce that is just yummy.

     Beef Curry. When Papa Moon and I were dating, we lived in Tokyo, Japan. We used to go to a restaurant in Fussa called The Coffee and Curry House and get crazy good curry. What made that curry so good? Maybe it was the falling in love. Curry is all over the world, and we've had it everywhere, but that curry has never met it's match for me. Until now. Curry Kitchen has a Beef Curry that takes me back to that little restaurant in Tokyo. I think it's the endorphins.

They put endorpins in their curry that make me crave it fortnightly!

     Butter Chicken. How do I describe this? With mere words? Creamy, smooth, buttery, spicy, chicken-y...my brain keeps going back to yummy! It has a creamy tomato sauce on it, but it's not very tomato-y. If you are shy about the spicyness of the food, the Butter Chicken is a great choice because the creamyness of the sauce tempers the spices. You will want to eat this by the pound!

   Chicken Vindaloo. For whatever reason, the vindaloos get their own scale of spicyness. 3-11.

We ordered a 3, and it was wonderfully painfull. I can only guess that if you order an 11, you may spontaneously combust.

     Garlic Naan. You'll want to order plenty. They will bring you naan, complimentary, but you haven't lived until you've had the Garlic Naan at Curry Kitchen. So garlic-y!

Following is a picture of naan cooking in the Tandoori (the special oven). Very cool!

 

      This is Simran tossing some naan to shape it before he puts it into the Tandoori.

   Curry Kitchen has a generous lunch buffet with a different variety of food daily. 11am until 3pm weekdays, then they open for dinner again at 4pm. On the weekends the buffet runs from Noon until 3pm. They close most days for an hour from 3-4, if you show up and it looks closed, take a walk and come back!

     Curry Kitchen is a family-run business. I love that. I love to see a family doing something they love together. This family puts a lot of love into their food. You can taste it!

http://www.currykitchenmuskegon.com

A chicken in lederhosen?

     Frankenmuth, Michigan. The Cheese Haus, Stollen, Fruitcake...it's Christmas any time of year. And I like my Christmas without snow, so I took a trip there last weekend. Ok, I'll admit it, I'm not really that cultured; I actually went shopping at Birch Run. But Frankenmuth is about 7 minutes away, and why on Earth would you settle for the mall's food-court when you can eat at Zehnder's?
     Eating fried foods makes me feel a little self-destructive, but Papa Moon always says, " If you can't be good, be good at it." Zehnder's family-style chicken dinner is like having a picnic that comes with servants! Fried Chicken and all the fixin's.  There is cranberry relish (my favorite), cottage cheese, coleslaw, mashed potatoes and gravy, Stollen and liver pate (if you're into that sort of thing.) So, next time you find yourself heading toward Birch Run, don't forget to wear your dirndl or your lederhosen and perhaps bring a piano dollie, you may need it to get back to the car!

The Biscuit Cafe

     What's better than breakfast all day? Chorizo breakfast all day!! Every year, we take our cute little Granny to see the tulips in Holland. We drive circles around Tulip Lane, and every year we get lost somewhere around the pickle factory. Granny always knows where we're at, but she forgets to tell us, because she's too busy talking about all of her old Dutch friends.
     In our wanderings, Granny wants to show us Washington Square (again). Washington Square looks exactly like Roseville, Virginia. Like stepping into the 1950's but without bowling shoes.
 By this time, our blood sugar is so low, even Granny starts slurring. In between stories about tulips, wooden shoes, and aprons, we hear Granny blurt, "Let's get some lunch." Then we see a sign we didn't see on last year's tulips trek. It read 'Breakfast All Day'.
You know that's right.

     The Biscuit is a contemporary food spot in Washinton Square. They have more chorizo than a Mexican Christmas. And we don't take chorizo lightly. The day we were there (Sunday) they offered two daily specials, pancake and scramble. 
     Bella had the pancake special, which involved peanut butter, caramel, strawberries, bananas, and homemade whipped cream. You heard me. I said homemade.
It's like having a banana split for breakfast, legally.

     I had the breakfast tacos. Lots of chorizo, these seemed to me like a breakfast taco married a tamale. The breakfast tacos I am used to have pulled pork, but I think I could have the Biscuit's breakfast tacos every day for at least 3 months and not tire of them.

     Granny had the pulled pork hash omlette. With bacon (love) and basil (love), this is also available with chicken-apple hash. That's like trying to decide between having X-ray vision or being able to fly. Granny wants X-ray vision. She loved the diced potatoes, perfectly seasoned; are there sweet potatoes in there?
Very generous portions all around. 

     For those of you who prefer a gluten-free breakfast, The Biscuit has gluten-free options. The Chinese Five Spice Rice Patties were light and flavorful, and the spices worked wonderfully.  A bowl of fresh fruit and syrup to drizzle on top rounds out this dish. These have no dairy and no sugar.
Even sugar-free syrup is available.

     Cranberry-Walnut Focaccia, whole wheat pancakes, homemade granola... The coffee is from Uncommon Grounds in Saugatuck. The tea is loose; one option, blood orange! They even keep raw sugar on the table. What restaurant have you been to lately that has lemon curd and homemade onion jam with fresh made biscuits? Check out their website ( www.thebiscuitcafe.com ) and find the Spanish Bennies: chipotle Hollandaise sauce? I'm not waiting for tulips to try that!
      The food at the Biscuit is a cutting edge blend of classic favorites and innovative culinary craftsmanship. Washington Square just became part of  Tulip Lane. Someone make a detour sign!
Check out the slideshow, eat at The Biscuit, and tell us which was your favorite!

         

Chocolate "Chips"

So, ready for a mid-dusk snack? Me too. Chocolate chips deserve their own food group and I know the best kind. Enjoy Life Chocolate Mega Chunks! You can purchase these heavenly wonders at luckyvitamin.com or Meijer. They are not really chips per se, but blocks. Similar to Legos, you can build towers or the Great Wall of China, if you wish. Of course, if enemy forces attack, as they are prone to do, you can eat what falls over. Enjoy Life brand does not use soy at all. It's important to stay away from soy if you want to have healthy offspring or a healthy retirement. My idea of a healthy retirement would be laying in a hammock on a tropical island eating chocolate chunks straight out of the bag!

What a latte hooey!!

     My kooky mother and I are cleaning our basement when we got a sudden craving for a good mocha. We think you have a right to know where (and when) you can find the best mocha on the PLANET. And we don't take the planet lightly.
     The Where: Brooklyn Bagels on Henry street in Muskegon, MI. This is an urban-style coffee shop with charismatic baristas and artsy decor. The ambiance is lively and the smell is euphoric. Like putting Juan Valdez and Ryan Reynolds in a hot tub.
      The When: These mochas are amazing every day of the week, Friday is reserved especially for these melty (or frozen) marshmallow-y fluffs of bliss. On Mocha Friday, a large mocha is only $2.50. All day long. Mochas come hot, frappe-style, and on the rocks. You can even get a white chocolate mocha (the baristas are gymnast-flexible.). This has often been the highlight of our week.
     So next time you get a basement-cleaning-craving for mochas, you'll know how to reward yourself. (and be sure to do your basement-cleaning on a Friday.

http://www.brooklynbagelsonline.com/





    

Don't Eat With Your Mouth Full

My wacky mother and I love food. And voicing our opinions, sometimes quite loudly. We finally decided to combine our two favorite things in an extreme flavor explosion.

And so, FoodieBucket is born. 

(cue dramatic music)