Chicken Tikka Masala (Andrea Tortures Indian Food)

So, on Tuesday I made some Chicken Tikka Masala, the national dish of Britain. It didn't go so well. I even used a recipe (from 660 Curries), which is worse. Let's go over where it all went wrong. The sauce--- The sauce is supposed to be a chunky, nutty, spicy, tangy sauce (really spicy-- it should burn). I failed at the spiciness. Next time, I will look harder for the cayenne pepper. The sauce failed at the flavor part. Next time, I will add more salt. The chicken--- Due to time constraints, I did not trim the chicken thighs, which was a huge mistake. The little bits of fat left were chewy. Overall: Edible (2.5 on Andrea Food Scale)

Chicken Bahn Mi-- Andrea Food Review

In the Andrea Food series, I will be reviewing my cooking for mistakes and suggestions for next time. So, the first review will be of the Chicken Bahn Mi I already posted. How it was: Pretty goood What went wrong: The baguettes--- I should have used a better starter to get a better flavor. The proofing was all sorts of messed up. I really struggled with the shaping and proofing. The slits I made squished the baguettes. Also, I put too much water into the steam pan, so the second batch didn't cook. The first batch I over-cooked. The chicken--- It was juicy, but I think next time I will reduce the amount of fish sauce. It was over-powering. The pickled vegetables--- I made these too far in advance, and I think I messed up the proportions in the pickling. Overall review: It gets a 3. This was just above "Andrea Food." It was slightly better than edible, but not quite up to enjoyable. Better baguettes would have really helped (and some mayo).

Andrea Food-- AKA How Not to Cook

So, I love to cook. I love to go the Farmer's Market, pick out the best looking fresh produce, bring it home, and create something with it. However, this something usually turn into just barely edible food, if I make it all by myself. So, how does someone who has been cooking for years not know how to make delicious food, or even the timing of cooking? Well, I've been a chopper since after college. I chop, and my husband does the timing, seasonings, etc. He tells me what we need and when, but I never know what we're making until we're through. Now that I'm in the kitchen on my own, I will start chronicling my culinary mishaps in the hopes that I (and maybe you) learn something. My hope is that I can improve from "edible" to dericious.

Chicken Banh Mi

Yesterday, I made Chicken Banh Mi from scratch using this recipe:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/grilled-chicken-banh-mi. Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that has some great French influence. I typically make it with chicken. This is a time-intensive process. I don't judge for getting a $4 banh mi from a small Vietnamese restaurant instead.

Banh Mi consist of a few parts:
The dough-- it should be crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside
Chicken Thighs-- chicken should be moist and generously marinated in a salty/sweet/spicy concotion
Pickled Vegetables-- daikon (radish)/carrots/cucumbers should be tangy, sweet, and salty
Fresh vegetables-- cucumber, jalapenos, Thai basil, cilantro, mint
Condiments-- sriracha sauce and mayo

For the dough, I used a basic Pain au Levain recipe from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day. 

I shaped it into a ball to let it rest, and eventually shaped it into mini baguettes for baking:

Baguettes proofing

While the bread is rising and proofing, I marinated the chicken using the above recipe. I made one small change. Instead of using lime juice (we were out), I substituted Greek yogurt for tang.

 After marinating for 3-4 hours, broil the chicken and bake the bread. (These are a little over-done, by the way. But still delicious.)

 Next, slice the vegetables. I used fresh jalapenos, fresh mint, Thai basil, and cilantro and Serrano peppers.

 Slice chicken after resting.

 Assemble sandwich using all ingredients (Don't forget about your pickled vegetables!).

Add sriracha sauce and mayo (if, using).