Indian Spices R Us
The Naughty Curry Project is a creative rebellion against blandness. It's about applying the spice techniques of Indian-related cuisines to enhance anything from last night's leftovers from a garden-variety chain restaurant to those instant mashed potatoes from your otherwise-empty pantry....
It's fun.
Below are the NC cast members:
Courtney Knettel: The voice of the NC, I front this operation. I have been fascinated with "magic sprinklies" since I was a wee lass, and now at 28 years of age, it has escalated into obsession. I gobble up every bit of spice info that I can. Then I pass it on. Think of me as a gateway. A guide. A gigahertz. (Kidding about that last one.)
In the words of Sir Mix A-Lot: "Use me. Use me. I'm not your average groupie."
Drop me a line (or a funny story, recipe, idea, comment, what-have-you) at naughtycurry at hotmail dot com. Be bold.
Trobee: (Also commonly known as 'Super-Tro,' 'Coach Tro' and sometimes just plain 'Flo.') She is the chief cook and drill sergeant. She makes it real and keeps it real. She even gots muscles.
Somewhere on a desert highway, she drives a Harley Davidson, her long brown hair flying in the wind.
Her flavor profile: hot, tangy, loud, mighty. Just like her.
Trina: Although she has vacationed in the notoriously chile-hot city of Hyderabad, she insists on soft, lightly aromatic spicing.
Remember that old nursery rhyme about how girls are made of ' spice and everything nice'? Well it was talking about Trina.
With Katrina, 'something' is definitely needed, but less is more. (In short, the opposite of Trobee.) Pink is her favorite color, and she actually enjoys baby showers. But don't be fooled by her seemingly delicate nature-- she can be a saucy little minx.
Ruthie: A teacher of music, Ruthie is music. She's always humming something, whether or not she even knows it.
While Trobee flies around the kitchen, Ruthie floats. While most of us possess a 'sweet tooth,' all of Ruthie's teeth are sweet.
Spices put a spell on her. It's fun to watch. When a dish is particularly agreeable to Ruthie, she does the following: She stops, dreamily holds her left hand before her (palm outward) with the fingertips extended, and says, "Now that... is... good!"
Flavor Profile: Though Ruthie revels in the full flavor spectrum, we tend to have her work with recipes that fit a more 'North Indian' spicing style (i.e. recipes that emphasize the sweet-hued spices such as cloves, coriander and cardamom). That being said, she relishes just about any well-spiced dish--even if it's spicy-hot, she'll proceed to eat it with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Vanesa: When I read a newspaper article about Vanesa Littlecrow and her bohemian attitude and lifestyle (of which creative cooking with globally-influenced cuisines played a part), I knew I had to meet her. Two years later, she can best be described as the NC's 'creative consultant' (often over tea and a 'chatty').
A native of Puerto Rico, Vanesa's experiences and credentials seem as boundless as her madcap trains of thought. To catch a glimpse of her multifaceted world, which at times can border on surreal, enter her website here. Shout out to Loki Kaspari for the photo
Peter: A charming devil. A wild card. He eats it. Or he doesn't.
--
....and extra-special thanks to Mo Digital, who shoots our stuff (with her camera) free of charge, only because she's cool like that. Mo, you dig okay!
