Feeding the Family

I've been craving a flavorful plate of chicken curry for ages. 

Bruce and I used to frequent this awesome little Indian place in our old neighborhood.  It was one of those places that you felt intimidated walking into because inside you were the only non-native to the cuisine.  That's also how you know the food's really good.  The set-up was great, kind of like Chipotle, where you walk up and order and they prepare it in front of you.  You can take it to go or sit at one of the few tables.  The guys who worked there would let us sample the curries by ladling them into tiny plastic cups.  Otherwise we'd have no idea.  And mmm - the naan bread.  Buttery and warm and light.

Oh, I'm sorry.  I got lost in my delicious memories there for a minute.

Anyways, I'm a big fan of curry.  Though my mother and father would cook all kinds of dishes that use curry paste as an ingredient, they never made actual Thai curries.  They, like many other people I don't understand, have an aversion to curry.  Have you ever walked into an apartment building that a South Asian may have lived in, and the smell of curry pervades?  Some people wrinkle their noses.  I go, "Yum!"

So when I was shopping at Aldi the other day, I noticed they were selling Asian spices, including curry powder.  Granted, the store is definitely not authentic and using a spice blend isn't either, but I couldn't resist.  I bought it, went home, and Googled chicken curry recipes.

I found one I wanted to make.  But I didn't know how my in-laws would feel about it.  I asked them if they'd ever had curry.  My FIL said yes, he'd had it once and thought he wouldn't like it, but he did.  My MIL had never tasted it.  They both said they'd love to try what I cooked.

So I made this recipe last night.  It was hearty and hit the spot.  My in-laws ate it up - we all went back for seconds. 

The best part is, the dish is full of onions and my FIL had no idea.  He hates onions, which kills me.  Everything I cook has onions in it.  My MIL will alter a dish to his particular tastes, but after a couple times cooking here, I've decided not to.  If he doesn't like it, he doesn't have to eat it, I say.  In the very unlikely event that somebody made something unpleasant to me, that's what I'd do!  I diced the onions really small and problem solved.

During dinner Bruce's parents laughed about how I'm expanding their culinary horizons.  They've eaten several Thai dishes now like spicy omelette and fish cakes.  Last night they had an Indian-inspired English chicken curry meal.  I'm thinking of making chop suey next.

I am proud of my in-laws for being so open to new things.  Every time I make something foreign to their table and they sit down and eat it, I feel as if they are accepting who I am.  I feel like, through food, we are getting to know each other better.  And that's very fulfilling.