Tis the Season

The illustrious pomegranate (obliquity65.com)

Come fall, I eagerly hunt for huge, ripe pomegranates at my grocery store. At their peak from September to January, they are delicious and make my slap-dash cooking somehow more exotic and upscale. Mostly I love to eat them plain, though, with a little bit of pepper, as my husband’s family does in Pakistan.

According to the Hindustan Times, pomegranate exports have increased 100 percent in the last three years with the popularity of pomegranate juice. The Indian government plans to promote the pomegranate as the partner to the illustrious mango. (Maybe it will become the fruit of choice for cheesy Indian lit paperbacks.)

I plan to become the Indian Martha this season by whipping up this easy pomegranate chutney. If I’m feeling adventurous, maybe I’ll even try this recipe for Aloo Anardana.

Happy Cranberry-Colored Holidays

Cranberry harvest. (British Columbia Cranberry Growers Association.)

As a fruit indigenous to North America, the cranberry was around long before Thanksgiving. It’s a berry that adds color and flavor to some of the holiday’s traditional foods. And to some not-so-traditional foods. My mother has been known to stockpile bags of the berries in the freezer this time of year in order to create some colorful dishes like her cranberry take on pulihara. (It was tangy enough to compete with the likes of gongura, in my opinion.)

You may already know about the many health benefits of the tiny berries “rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients. Research indicates they may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, urinary tract infections, gum disease and ulcers. They’re also high in vitamins A and C and in potassium.” (NPR.)

Further research into the “health-giving” properties of the cranberry will be made possible by a $2 million gift to the University of British Columbia from the heirs of cranberry farmer Rashpal Dhillon (half of the gift will be used to fund research into pulmonary fibrosis, the fatal lung disease he died of). Dhillon was B.C.’s first Sikh police officer in 1954 and pursued cranberry farming before Ocean Spray became a household name.

More information: The Vancouver Sun

G(aram) Love and Special Sauce

Maya Kaimal’s delicious sauces.

When we first wrote about Maya Kaimal (award-winning cookbook author and culinary personality) last year, her gourmet sauce company was still a relative newcomer on the condiment scene.

Since then, Maya Kaimal Fine Indian Food has made it to the major league of marinades.

In July of 2005, Kaimal added a fourth product to her line, grabbing the attention of executives at high end foodie-haven Williams-Sonoma. Introduced in stores nationwide earlier this year, Kaimal’s Indian simmer sauces have been flying off the shelves, prompting Williams-Sonoma to triple its order.

This year, company sales are expected to hit $1.5 million.

For more infrmation–including recipe ideas and where you can buy Maya’s marinades–visit http://mayakaimal.com.

Who Knew Kulfi Could Be Style(.com)ish?

Saffron-flavored kulfi from Kool Freeze.

I’m probably going to get in trouble for saying this, and my authentic “desi-ness” is likely going to be questioned here, but I don’t like kulfi. I never have. I don’t know, something about it is too salty-milky-not-in-a-good-way to me. And kulfi doesn’t come in chocolate. Give me some Stroh’s Bumpy Cake and Cream ice cream (a disappearing favorite) over pistachio kulfi or faluda any day.

Still, I was amused to see Kool Freeze’s Kulfi Bars featured as Style.com’s Item of the Week. The Canadian company describes its feature product as a “deliciously rich and creamy … exotic frozen dessert that has its origins in southern Asia” and explains that the Mughal emperors introduced kulfi to the subcontinent. I guess they’re carrying on the tradition and introducing it to the West? And I may have to try this one myself—the Kool Freeze bars come in eight flavors, including mango, saffron and strawberry. Is anyone else with me?