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So you might have wondered what I posted for Teaser Thursday. I finally got around to making my own curry paste. It had been on my to-do list for such a long time and I was very happy to finally have a go at it. I do plan to use the paste for more traditional curry-based dishes but I did have a specific dish in mind for this batch. Stay tuned for the upcoming post! Homemade Curry Paste * From Cindy Pawlcyn’s Mustards Grill Cookbook For about 1/2 cup of paste, you will need:- 15 dried arbol or cayenne chiles, stemmed
- 4 white cardamom pods (I used black)
- 6 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 4 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 3-inch piece cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
- 4 allspice berries
- 3 tablespoons turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup peanut or safflower oil
Liren says
What an adventure! Thank goodness for Clif Bars and stunning blue seas to motivate you on your ride. It looks like an amazing time. And wow – love that you made your own curry paste! I’ve never tried that before, it looks fantastic 🙂
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
I haven’t been to Catalina in a while. It’s a beautiful place, but I never got a chance to really explore it like you guys though. Sounds like you had a memorable experience with those bison!
lemonsandanchovies says
Sylvie, memorable indeed. After relaying our experience to a friend, he clued us in about bison attacks published on youtube. Though there’s only been one known attack on the island, I’d say we were very lucky. 🙂
Jackie says
What a beautiful post, Jean – look at that blue sky! I’m terribly jealous!
I love the look of your curry paste, too, definitely one to try out =)
Jax x
Belinda @zomppa says
Oh boy!! I was with you through this adventure…gorgeous beaches but I can only imagine how fast your heart was pounding with such large and beautiful animals so nearby. I LOVE this homemade curry – looks like a perfect curry.
lemonsandanchovies says
Belinda, we were just glad they were all in a good mood that day. We had no choice but to try to pass them as that was the only road to the airport. 🙂
foodwanderings says
Love your trips and you sharing them with us Jean!! What a wonderful weekend and beautiful scenery with a touch of bison suspenseful excitement. Love the curry paste you made. Nice base for many Indian dishes!!
lemonsandanchovies says
Shulie, I’m so happy to finally have made my own. Now I can’t stop dreaming about curry dishes. 🙂
Lisa { AuthenticSuburbanGourmet } says
Jean – what a great adventure! I love Catalina Island. I bet it was a beautiful flight down and the bike riding was stunning with your lovely photos. The curry paste looks simply divine. I have the Mustards book and over looked this wonderful recipe. Have a great week ahead!!! 🙂
lemonsandanchovies says
Lisa, the Mustards book is the one of the first I ever bought. It’s a shame it took me so long to use it but it was worth it with this recipe. 🙂
Stacey Rider says
I can close my eyes and imagine how wonderful this must smell! Will try this one!
tasteofbeirut says
Great tour of Catalina! I have been to this little island before when I lived in Los Angeles but never bothered to explore it! Now I know it was a shame! Your curry paste looks perfect and will last you a while I am sure~
lemonsandanchovies says
Joumana, we were so pleasantly surprised by how pretty it was on the Two Harbors side. We definitely want to return. 🙂
tiffany says
Awesome pictures! And great looking curry paste!
fooddreamer says
Gorgeous, looks like a great trip. And a great homemade curry paste recipe!
Trish says
What a lovely, remote place. Seems like you enjoyed yourself. I’ve never been there but would love to visit some day. Beautiful photos. And your curry paste sounds delish. There are a couple of ingredients that I would have thought about adding but can bring a lot of flavor to curry. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Kathy Diaz (foundbaking) says
No breakfast or lunch before a rigorous bike ride? OMG, I would have passed out. Two Harbors is a quaint little town. I love the pictures! I like outdoorsy photos. It gets me so inspired and be one with nature. 🙂
High-five on the homemade curry paste!
Sara says
So glad you posted this. First of all for the amazing curry paste…boy does that look delicious. But also because we were trying to figure out where to go for a few days over my springbreak and after seeing your pictures I think I now know! Wonderful place. I bet you had a blast despite the fatigue of the bike ride.
lemonsandanchovies says
Sara, did you get the info I sent you last week?
kitchenarian says
I love your pictures; it looks like a such an incredible spot to visit. And this curry sauce…I think I would put it on everything. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
Pachecopatty says
Beautiful scenery all the way around your Catalina Island adventure;-)
Thanks for sharing the pretty photos, looks like a wonderful getaway.
Your homemade curry paste is intriguing, I’ll be curious to see what you’ll make with it 🙂
Nami @ Just One Cookbook says
I heard about this place but never been there. It’s so beautiful… I enjoyed reading your today’s post. And the homemade curry looks tasty, too!!
sippitysup says
You guys live the life. Yes you do! GREG
Jill@MadAboutMacarons says
What gorgeous scenery and my hat goes off to you for enduring such a long bike ride. But you look so happy all the time! Great healthy trip. La vie est belle! Oh, and that curry paste is definitely dynamite.
lemonsandanchovies says
Hi Jill,
The thing is, normally that wouldn’t have been a long bike ride at all. It was just silly of me not to have eaten beforehand. The #1 rule in cycling is to fuel up first–boy, was I sorry! 🙂
Judy / Bebe Love Okazu says
Wow, Jean! I can’t believe you biked w/o eating and survived! I would have ended up in the ER. 🙂 Sounds like you and your husband had a great time on Catalina. That’s great that you can fly there. I don’t think I’ll ever make it out to the island again, despite the fact that it’s so close, because I can’t handle the boat ride. The last trip I was so sea sick. As for your curry paste, it looks amazingly aromatic. I’m so lazy… I use S&B curry powder. I’m sure your paste will taste incredible!
lemonsandanchovies says
Judy, now I think it’s funny but seriously, I was so tired that at one point when hubby was a few switchbacks ahead of me, I thought hmm, maybe it won’t be so bad to stay the night here (on the side of the road), haha!
Diethood says
Breathtaking! Thank you for sharing… it’s a place that I want to visit, and can’t wait for that to happen! 🙂
5 Star Foodie says
Beautiful pictures, sounds like such a fun adventure! Homemade curry paste recipe is fantastic, awesome flavors!
A little bit of everything says
I’m all WOWed by the beautiful photos. the blue water, the clear blue sky – a dreamland. Definitely worth the trip only for the view.
Thanks for sharing Jean.
Congrats on making your own curry paste, looks great
Jun Belen says
What a lovely trip! What an awesome adventure! I have always wanted to visit Catalina — thank you for taking me there! Lovely photographs. You actually gave me an idea for our B&B, where did you stay, if you don’t mind me asking.
lemonsandanchovies says
Jun, there is only one B&B on Two Harbors, Banning House Lodge. If you do go, the best room (wasn’t available when we were there) is called Crow’s Nest. You get a nice view of the main harbor from your balcony. If you want more info, I’ll share with you. 🙂
The Cilantropist says
Wow wow your curry paste sounds AMAZING, and I am super impressed at how you made it. And your photos of Catalina take me right back to when my boyfriend and I visited a few years ago. The coast line is totally beautiful, and the water is SO blue. Once I tell my boyfriend you saw a bison he will be extremely jealous! 😉