Sun-Journal du lieu suivant : Lewiston, Maine • B5

5 Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Sunday, July 12, 2009 Eats: Mother India Mediterranean salad: a tasty summer staple As I turned my car onto street, a sense of calm came over me, despite the fact that I had three kids in the back seat, eager to get out after the 35-minute drive. Wendy is my childhood friend from upstate New York, but we have the good fortune of having both settled Maine. A few weeks ago, her parents, who were my second family, were in town and we met at her house for lunch. To simplify the luncheon, Wendy decided to order sandwiches. After my children and hers had a chance to play for a while, I left them in the care of their grandparents to help get lunch set up.

As I slapped some peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches together for the kids, I noticed the beautiful salad atop her kitchen island. Its colors and textures screamed summer, in spite of the constant rainy days of June. It was beautifully prepared with bits of spinach, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and more. The base of the salad was orzo, a rice-shaped pasta. After a couple of bites of my delicious sandwich and the salad, I commented on how wonderful both of them tasted.

Wendy said the salad is now a staple side dish. She has brought it to her book club, used it for work dinners, etc. and always gets rave reviews. Before lunch was over, I knew this salad would become my summer staple, too. I am always trying to figure out what to bring to potluck barbecues.

Wendy directed me to the Cooking Light magazine Web site, where I found the recipe. Not only did I find it, but I discovered a way to create my own online recipe box. I could organize and file all of my favorite recipes from the Cooking Light site and also add my own personal recipes by linking to www.myrecipes.com. I started my own account and began filing away some favorites. When I shared this tip with my husband, he took a peek at our overflowing cookbooks on the kitchen book shelf.

I had to let him know that although I do like this online cookbook, not ready to give away my cookbooks anytime soon. Colleen Lunn Scholer is a freelance writer living in Auburn who likes to cook with her husband and their three young children. Colleen Lunn Scholer Tasty tidbits What: Mother India Where: 114 Lisbon Lewiston Reach them: 333-6777 and www.MotherIndiaMaine.com When: Open 7 days a week, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

to 9 p.m. Why: Easy to get to, great food and fine dining at reasonable prices. Atmosphere: Welcoming and comfortable, the room is cozy and ornate, lit by beautiful chandeliers. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Prices: Lunch entrees start at $7.95 and dinner at $10.95.

T.S. Staff Writer From the moment I stepped through the door of Mother India on Lisbon Street in Lewiston, I knew I would be having a special time. The colors, lights and elegantly set tables drew me in, and the delicious smell of Indian spices wafting into the dining room from the kitchen instantly made me hungry. Rakesh Kumar, Ginni Singh and Uma Kant, owners of Taste of India in Bangor, opened Mother India, first Indian cuisine restaurant, in April. Their staff are knowledgeable and the menu reads well for experienced and novice diners alike.

Like other ethnic foods Chinese, French and Italian, for example Indian has its own tastes and a vocabulary to accompany those tastes. For instance, naan is a delicious flat bread with a yogurt-enriched dough. Various types of naan indicate the flavorings used or what it is stuffed with. Saag, in the U.S., usually means the dish has a spinach base, although it can mean other greens as well. And masala is a mixture of flavorings, often combining a variety of spices or grinding together ingredients like ginger, garlic, onion and chile peppers.

(See suggested Web links for more information.) I have been back for lunch a number of times, most recently I ordered take-out and was impressed that nothing was lost as far as the food experience goes. I was slightly disheartened that I was not able to take in the atmosphere while I enjoyed my lunch, but there will be other times. Shahi Korma is a plate of fresh vegetables with homemade cheese, cashews and raisins with ginger, cardamom, cloves and special Indian spices, and is delicious As dinner, this dish is found as Nav Rattan Korma for $10.95. I also ordered Punjabi Naan which is a traditional Indian leavened bread stuffed with coconut, saffron and sweet spices absolutely sinful. The chicken curry ($7.95 lunch) has a good blend of curry and Indian spices, and Palak Aloo (potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, light cream, cinnamon and Indian spices; $7.95) are both favorites of mine.

And if you enjoy anything mango, like both the mango milkshake (milk, mango ice cream, garnished with nutmeg and rosewater; $2.95) and mango lassi (a yogurt drink with rosewater, pistachios and mango pulp; Mother menu is full of vegetarian offerings, though their most popular dishes are Chicken Tik- ki Masala (boneless chicken marinated in yogurt and charbroiled and sauteed in herbs; $11.95 for dinner) and Chicken Karahi (boneless pieces of baked chicken, green pepper and onion made in a wok-shaped pot; $11.95 for dinner). While the menu items may not be easy to pronounce for Westerners, the waitstaff is more than happy to help patrons out. The descriptions of the entrees, breads, appetizers and desserts on the menu are easy to understand. Entree choices come in vegetarian, lamb, chicken, rice and seafood, and all meals are served with Basmati rice and chutneys. My experience is that the waiter will be glad to recommend a dish if you decide on your own.

Lunch portions are perfect for midday meals, and are offered in dinner portions under slightly different names. And forget to choose a little spice, a medium amount or a lot depending on your tolerance for hot and spicy foods. For more information on Indian cuisine try these sites: thehappysorceress.blogspot. www.j-tull.com/musicians/ www.indianfoodforever. www.naturalnews.

turmeric.htm The dinner portion of Nav Rattan Korma, which is also known as Shahi Korma during lunch, from Mother India on Lisbon Street in Lewiston. Below, Punjabi Naan, bread stuffed with coconut, saffron and sweet spices. East meets L-A as delicious cuisine finally comes to the Twin Cities Over27YearsofPersonalizedQuality HearingCare Wecanwarmupyourpoolorspa andkeepyourenergycostsdown. YoucancountonAmeriGasfor: EnjoyaDipinthepriceof yournextpropanedelivery. toyourpoolorspa.

(207)786-0671 AskaboutAmeriGaseasypaymentplanswithcreditapproval. Certainrestrictionsapply. www.amerigas.com 263LisbonStreet Lewiston 784-2916 1-800-TRY-DUBE www.dubetravel.com NewEnglandPatriots Wehavebustoursgoingthefollowing NewEnglandPatriotsHomeGames: Sept14thvs.BuffaloBills Sept.27thvs.AtlantaFalcons October18thvs.TennesseeTitans November8thvs.MiamiDolphins CallDubeTravelformoredetails andtoorderyourtickets. MusicCruises IslandLobsterBakes GroupCharters AVarietyofNarratedDailySailings Catchthenextboatoutoftown. Gotowww.cascobaylines.comforthecurrentschedule.

Orcallusat207.774.7871 SeniorandChild DiscountsAvailable ANYCRUISE (notvalidonticketstotheisland.) MusicCruises IslandLobsterBakes GroupCharters AVarietyofNarratedDailySailings SeniorandChildDiscountsAvailable FridayJuly10th ReggaeDJ Ticketsonsaleat CascoBayLines FridayJuly17th Wavelength-Variety Ticketsonsaleat CascoBayLines 933-2667 946-2463 MonmouthFederal CreditUnion Twolocationstobetterserveyouwith24HourDrive-UpATMs! Givethe PerfectGift EveryTime Givingtheperfectgiftjustgot easier withVisaGiftCards! Visitusateitherlocationformoreinformation. your gripe? Mediterranean orzo salad with feta vinaigrette Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta; about 8 ounces) 2 cups bagged prewashed baby spinach, chopped cup chopped drained, oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves 3 tablespoons chopped red onion 3 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives teaspoon freshly ground black pepper teaspoon salt 1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained cup (3 ounces) feta cheese, crumbled and divided Method: Cook the orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Combine orzo, spinach and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl.

Drain artichokes, reserving marinade. Add coarsely chopped artichokes, reserved marinade and cup feta cheese to orzo mixture, tossing gently to coat. Sprinkle each serving with remaining feta cheese. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: cups salad and about 1 tablespoon cheese) Recipe by: Barbara Lauterbach, published in Cooking Light, June 2005 My gripe is directed toward the drivers male, female, young and old, who, when traveling south on Center Street, Auburn, turn left onto the bridge using the ramp that consists of two lanes merging into one (merging being the operative word). These drivers become NASCAR racers and challenge anyone to make them take turns.

I have often been forced to the outside, and at times had to actually stop. Buying a flag may be an option! Anonymous My gripe is regarding our local Catholic hospital. When I recently saw my doctor, I was charged for an office visit (over $300) but also a which boils down to being charged for using the exam room, to the tune of over $100. This is fraudulent and is stealing from the insurance companies! Has this happened to you? Please complain about it! Anonymous Is there something that really irks you? Something about your job, your family or the stuff you have to deal with every day? Share it. E-mail your peeves to or mail them to Sun Journal, attn: section, P.O.

Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04240, and print them here. Please keep your gripe to under 60 words..