maeve66 | (Reply)

From:

Oh, thank you for including the question with the number!

#54, holiday decoration -- decorate the HOUSE? Only for Xmas, and only a tree and sometimes a wreath of jingly bells on the front door. But I go to town (or my nieces do on my behalf) on decorating the tree. My sister and I split our childhood ornaments, and I just got more and more over the years. I used to open December by going to Cost Plus/World Market and buying a couple (or more than a couple) new ornaments. I cannot possibly put them all on the (live, or just recently dead, I guess, noble fir) tree now. Also, I am batshit insane for colored lights, and have many, many strings on every year's tree.

#55 -- favorite high-effort meal. This one isn't hard, because it's been the same meal since my early 20s. Madhur Jaffrey recipes, all of them.

1) masoor dal with cumin and coriander

2) rice pullao with garam masala, mushrooms, garlic, onions, chicken broth

3) cauliflower with fennel seeds and black mustard seed

4) grated carrot salad with salt, lemon juice, and black mustard seeds sizzled in oil.

DELICIOUS, every component. When I was younger I sometimes went even more cuckoo and also made keema matar, which is ground lamb in a peas-onions-garam masala, etc. curry. Lots of lamb. Lots of peas.