Being that I am a travel writer and a vegetarian food writer, I feel like a little bit of a jerk for not holding up my part of the bargain lately. I have to admit, traveling around in a car and living in a tent for a few months really took a lot out of me and has inspired me in other ways: staying grounded. So, for the last month, I've been working on setting up home base in my beloved hometown of Los Osos, CA. As much as I despise admitting it, the truth is: I've been nesting. Not traveling, just staying around the house. I can't even remember (probably because its never actually happened) the last time I did this.  I'm usually like a hot little muffin, always jumping around from hand to hand, going with the wind and seeing where it takes me. But now, it seems as if my "wind" has transformed into a subtle breeze and has left me sitting still and having time to ponder this exhistance.  At least, that was the case until my dear friends Vanessa and Charlie invited me to come visit them at their beach front chateau in Malibu. I packed my bags quicker than my dog eats avocados: FAST. And, as a polite house guest always should do, I brought some chow to cook up once I got there. Lucky for them, I had just received a huge shipment of homestyle masalas (indian sauces) my friend Basu had sent me to do a test run with. He owns a fanstastic line of vegan Indian cuisine so appropriately named "Basu's Homestyle Indian Cuisine" which offers the most delicious vegan Indian-food spread at almost 30 Whole Foods Stores in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii. We were all in for quite a treat. My friends Vanessa and Charlie lived together at the Kalani Honua Retreat Center on the Big Island. I met them as newly-weds having an extended honeymoon of volunteering at the center. It was love at first sight. Vanessa soon became my good friend and protege in the kitchen while I was a chef there. She too is a lover of all things vegetable and our conversations always evolve into an in depth discussion of what we are going to cook for dinner or the best places to get some grub in LA. When Basu said he was going to send me some samples, I was stoked when I realized Vanessa, Charlie and I would get to try them out together. I arrived at their homestead shortly after 3pm and was given the grand tour of the place. Vanessa and Charlie were blessed with the wonderful opportunity of care taking a mansion in Malibu and are living in their own quarters on the estate. They have a beautiful view of the Pacific ocean, brand new appliances, and the pleasure of baby sitting the owner's miniature dog, Coco. After kicking back and chatting for a bit, Vanna (as I like to call her) and I headed into Venice to check out the new Whole Foods there and pick up some veggies for our din din that night. As soon as we returned home, grocery baggies full and hungry bellies, we went to work. We had been fantasizing about this moment all afternoon and the time had finally arrived. Basu's Homestyle Indian Cusine, here we come! We unloaded our organic goods and the masalas Basu's son, Robin, had sent us, and went to town. Robin had been so kind to neatly package a huge assortment of their vegan masala sauces, condiments, and pilaf to try: Peanut Masala, Basil Vindaloo Sauce, Channa Dal, Traditional Masala, Tamarind Sauce, and Saffron Rice Pilaf. Being the cleaver and talented chefs we are, Vanessa and I created a game plan of the best ways to utilize their sauces, extras to go with the items Robin had sent us, and when to cook what. Here's the menu we came up with:
  • Cauliflower Peanut Masala
  • Crimini Mushroom and Green Pea Vindaloo
  • Channa Masala
  • Channa Dal
  • Tamarind Chutney
  • Goat Milk Riata
  • Garlic Naan
  • Saffron Basmati Rice Pilaf
  • And, most importantly: A nice bottle of chilled Pinto Grigio
Here's some photo highlights of our creations in the making: Wowie....we were mighty impressed with Basu and his Homestyle Indian Cuisine once we had prepared this mighty meal. This wasn't no Tasty Bite pre-packaged Indian mush. This was the real freakin' deal. Basu's recipes are superb, packed with flavor, and best yet: are totally vegan. Each sauce is authentic, fresh, and made with lots of love. He really has done a fantastic job of bringing his homestyle flair to the mainstream public without sacrificing traditional flavor. The other best part about Basu's Indian grub is you don't even have to make it yourself because Whole Foods will make it all for you. Like I mentioned earlier, Whole Foods offer's Basu's Homestyle Indian Cuisine in their hot bar in 4 states, mostly in California. They'll lovingly prepare Basu's delicious creations and all you have to do is show up, scoop whatever you choose onto your plate, make your purchase and enjoy! Basu's Homestyle Indian Cusine gets my "Yummylicious Stamp of Approval." Fo sho. Thanks Basu for letting us play with your tasty creations! We very much enjoyed the experience! Info: Here's a list of Whole Foods Stores which offer prepared Basu's Homestyle Indian Cusine: Whole Foods Stores Basu's Homestyle Indian Cusine website Kalani Honua Retreat Center, Big Island, Hawaii Related Articles: