February Food 'N Flix: Today's Special: The Roundup!

What a treat to host February's Food 'n Flix and introduce some foodie-movie-loving friends to Today's Special, a great little independent, food-filled film. (You can read about the plot here.) As you'll see in the roundup below, Food 'n Flix participants took inspiration in the delectable Indian cuisine featured in the film.

Elizabeth of The Law Student's Cookbook changed up her curry experience by randomly selecting a recipe from the Best Ever Indian Cookbook and says the Chicken with Spicy Onions she made is "...a different curry than I’ve ever tasted before. It was pretty easy also. ... This recipe called for a lot of onion. I love onions, so that was not a problem. The sauce was delicious. It wasn’t quite the same flavor of curry I usually have. It was slightly sweeter."

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor says, "I liked the movie, but my experience with Indian cuisine was not as pleasant." Choosing to partake of a local Indian restaurant for her Food 'n Flix meal rather than risk making something she wouldn't like and ended up with a plate of "...a noodle based vegetable toss, basmati rice and some incredible naan." Unfortunately, the spice level was dialed quite a bit too high for Tina, and her husband just wasn't a fan of the flavors. At least they still enjoyed the movie and the cultural experience!" ;-)

 
We picked up a new foodie movie fan this month! Please join me in welcoming Orly from Yumivore, joining Food 'n Flix for the first time and creating a whole evening's menu of wonderful Indian dishes and tips for serving them. Orly says, "The film was thoroughly entertaining, and had me craving Indian food by the end of it. Luckily there’s an abundance of Indian restaurants and markets within reach here in Silicon Valley. Even our farmer’s markets on the weekend host stalls with fresh made Indian curries and hot naan bread. Here’s my recipe for a fun evening and great way to enjoy the film."

My pal and creator of Food 'n Flix, Heather at girlichef, made these gorgeous Aloo (Potato) Samosas that look like the ultimate comfort food. She says, "There is a moment in the movie in which Carrie asks Samir the first food he remembers making.  With only the comfort that fond memories can bring, Samir recalls making samosas with his brother and an old cook in the restaurant kitchen when he was a boy. That is where I drew my inspiration for these Aloo Samosas. ... I chose a traditional filling of potatoes, peas, and spice (coriander seed, garam masala, and cayenne). One bite and I was transported to another place."

 
Finally, here at Kahakai Kitchen, I was inspired by the idea of fusing French and Indian cuisine and created this Indian-Inspired Ahi Nicoise Salad with Curry Aioli Dressing. Full of flavor and exotic Indian spice in the chickpeas, cumin-roasted potatoes an curried dressing and served with grilled nan, this was one delicious salad if I do say so myself. (And as I fed my visiting 81-year-old mom the leftovers for dinner and she loved it, I can safely say that this salad is "mom-approved!") ;-)

 
Mahalo to everyone who joined in this month! (Follow the links and pop by the participant blogs to check out their posts for the full details and recipes of their dishes.) If you missed the deadline for this month's Food 'n Flix, March's movie pick is the romantic comedy How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days, hosted by Tina at Squirrel Head Manor. Come join in the fun!