Welcome to Players by the See Opening Night Food Blog!! This is where I'll post the recipes I make for each opening night play, tell of upcoming ideas for food to match the plays, and get some input and ideas from others. I hope you like it!!

I am backtracking to try to include all of the previous food that I did, so I may omit some of the dishes that I made. Not intentionally, of course, I may have forgot what I served, or forgot where I got the recipe. Enjoy!!

A PERFECT GANESH

by Terrence McNally

A somewhat sad play about 2 best friends from Connecticut going on a vacation together for much needed rest. Both women are still suffering the loss of their first born sons. What they find on this vacation is much more than spiritual healing. A great show with great actors! Terrence McNally once again weaves AIDS awareness into his script, in a way that makes us think, without throwing the subject in our faces. Brilliantly written and acted by some outstanding members of Players By The Sea!

OPENING NIGHT RECIPES: A Perfect Ganesh August 21, 2009

CHICKEN BIRYANI

4 TBS vegetable oil

4 small potatoes peeled and halved

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBS. minced ginger root

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt

2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 TBS. plain yogurt

2 TBS. chopped fresh mint leaves

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1 (1/2 in) piece cinnamon stick

3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken pieces cut into chunks.

2 1/2 TBS. vegetable oil

1 large onion, sliced

1 pinch powdered saffron

1 tsp. caramom seeds

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 lb. basmati rice

4 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1. In a large skillet, in 2TBS. vegetable oil, fry the potatoes until brown. Drain and reserve the potatoes.

2. Add remaining 2T of oil to the skillet, and fry the onion, garlic and ginger until the onion is soft and golden.

3. Add chili, pepper, turmeric, cumin, salt and the tomatoes. Fry, stirring constantly for five minutes.

4. Add yogurt, mint, cardamom and cinnamon stice. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally untio the tomatoes are cooked to a pulp. it may be necessary to add a little hot water if the mixture becomes too dry and sticks to the pan.

5. When the mixture is thick and smooth, add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat them with the spice mixture. Cover and cook over very low heat until the chicken is tender, approximately 35-45 minutes. There should only be a little very thick gravy left when chicken is finished cooking. If necessary, cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the gravy.

6. Wash rice well and drain in colander for at least 30 minutes

7. In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil and fry the onions until they are golden. Add saffron, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger and rice. Stir continuously until the rice is coated with the spices.

8. In a medium-sized pot, heat the chicken stock and salt. When mixture is hot, pour it over the rice and stir well. Add the chicken mixture and the potatoes. Gently mix them into the rice. Bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan tightly, turn heat to very low and steam for 20 minutes. Do not lift lid or stir while cooking. Spoon biyrani onto a warm serving dish.

**My mistake on this recipe was that I did not rinse the rice well enough. No matter how long I cooked it, it still had an annoying crunch!! I had to cook the heck out of it, which could have been avoided if I would have rinsed it for a much longer period of time!!!

BANGALADUMPA VEPUDU (Potato fry)

3 large potatoes, washed, boiled, peeled, and cubed

1 large onion, quartered and sliced

pinch of turmeric powder

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. coriander powder

1/4 tsp. cumin powder

salt to taste

1 TBS. oil

SEASONING:

1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

1 tsp. urad dal

3 cloves crushed garlic

1. Heat oil in a pot. Add the mustard seeds, and as they crackle, add the urad dal and all it to turn red. Add crushed garlic, and sautee for 20 seconds.

2. Add the sliced onions and saute for 8 minutes or until they turn transparent. Add the chili powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and salt and combine well.

3. Add the boiled potato cubes and combine nd cook on med. low heat for 9-10 minutes, stirring in between and scraping the sides and bottom.

4. Stir-Fry on medium heat for 3 minutes, tossing until they turn a goiden brown. Serve with Chicken Biyrani

**Delicious!! I really liked the consistency of the potatoes, almost ready to be mashed, but still with a little tooth to them. YUMMY!! I added extra salt for more flavor too!

KHEER (Indian Rice Pudding)

1 cup cooked basmati rice

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup chopped pistachio nuts

1. In a large non-stick saute pan over medium heat, combine cooked rice and whole milk. Cook until mixture begins to boil.

2. Decrease heat to low and cook to a simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to thicken, approximately 5 minutes.

3. Increase heat to medium, add heavy cream, coconut milk, sugar, and cardamom. Continue to cook until mixture just begins to thicken, approximately 5-10 minutes. Use a whisk to prevent the cardamom from clumping.

4. Once mixture begins to thicken, remove from heat and stir in raisins and pistachios.

5. Transfer the mixture to individual serving bowls. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

**This rice pudding was AWESOME!! I did not use almonds at Players By the Sea, and I mixed the pistachios right into the rice pudding as soon as it was done. People raved about this recipe!