Important Note.

I've been down for most of a week with food poisoning resulting from a cup of clam chowder purchased from Cafe 251 located at 251 N. Illinois Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. I ate there for lunch on Tuesday, missed work Wednesday and Thursday, attempted to go back Friday, but only lasted until noon.

I am now aware that at least six people from my company alone have gotten sick from eating at that establishment in the less than two years since we have been at this location.

If you are in the area and the idea should arise, DO NOT EAT THERE.

I will be contacting the Board of Health.

... So, after sleeping for the majority of what remained of Friday, and sleeping until 11:00 AM or so yesterday, I attempted a grocery shopping trip. It went reasonably well, though I did take a nap afterwards, and I actually ended up cooking last night.

And eating!
A lot!

I made Indian-spiced pork chops. :-)

I got the recipe from a suburb addition of our local paper, which regularly provides five easy week-night recipes. This week's were from a recently updated edition of a 1972 cookbook titled "The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook."

Here's what it says to do:

(serves four)

2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 boneless pork chops (5 oz each)
4 tsp vegetable oil

It says to mix all the spices together, pat the mix on both sides of the pork chops, then brush them with the oil and stick them under a pre-heated broiled for 3 minutes per side.

The garam masala I have is already in an oil-based paste form, so I just added a couple of tsp of oil to the whole mix and smeared it on 3 bone-in chops. There's only two of us, after all.

I cooked as suggested, flipping and adjusting cooking time slightly until the part near the bone measured 140 Fahrenheit.

No pics, unfortunately.
Sorry. I'm better, but not THAT better. :-/

Anyway, this was delicious. Despite what newspaper reviewer Joanie Fuson says. (And I quote: "The flavor was a bit overbearing for the kids. Consider cutting the rub ingredients in half.")

What the hell, lady? Maybe you should just teach your kids to use their taste buds. I know we're in Indiana, but you could at least pretend to have a cultural palette. If this had been any more mild, it would've just been salted pork chops. It had a lovely flavor - unique and very fragrant. If your kids don't like it, make them try it some other time.

I served it with baked sweet potatoes, Indian whole milk yogurt, and spicy cilantro relish. We had galub jamun for dessert. And coffee! I hadn't had coffee since Tuesday morning!

Tonight is either spaghetti squash or risotto, depending on what I feel up to doing.

(I actually got hungry around lunchtime today! I had asian soup!)

... and I promise to update you on how we came across all of these Indian ingredients in the first place. But seriously, DO NOT EAT AT CAFE 251.