Coffee Date that Ran Late

After work today (I teach Nutrition classes at an elementary school with Food $ense), I met my dear friend Lydia for coffee at the Woods in Ferndale, WA. I really like The Woods Coffee , it's a local, green business with locations in Bellingham, Lynden and Ferndale. It has a cozy "Woods" atmosphere, and their drinks are uncompromising. Considering the evergreen tree was a major element of our wedding decor, the tree theme is particularly appealing to me.

This is their Ferndale location - right off of Main Street.

However, their best location by far is the one in Boulevard Park in Bellingham. Right on the bay! 

As it was getting dark and the rich conversation was turning to our future evening plans, we discovered that both of our husbands were off doing other things - mine, watching the BCS National Championship Game, and Lydia's... running an errand to the south of Seattle. So, on a whim, we decided to also enjoy dinner together at the Curry House - just a short walk from The Woods!

(As it was dark...this photo is courtesy of urbandspoon.com)

The food was absolutely mouth-watering! These pictures just don't do it justice... I did not have my camera with me today, so these are all from my phone. I am not thrilled about the quality of the pictures, but since I was thrilled about the quality of the food and service, I do have to share! 

If you love Indian Food, or ethnic food at all, you absolutely must go eat at the Curry House. 

 Beautiful paintings on the walls!

Vegetable Samosas - crisp, hot, filled with spices and potatoes.

 A simple vegetable and bean soup.

This was Navaratan Special Korma - Vegetables and house-made cheese and nuts in a creamy sauce - so tasty with a nice spicy flavor. 

Followed by Began Bharta - a mesquite smoked eggplant with cooked onion, tomatoes, and spices. The smokey flavor was strong and welcomed! 

And my favorite part - the BREAD! 

Allu Partha - whole wheat bread stuffed with potatoes. 

And Garlic Nan. 

I have been looking a some soup recipes that called for Saffron threads - which I found at the Food Coop. Turns out I want looking for the most expensive spice in the world! $15.00 for a 1/8 oz! However, tonight at the restaurant I noticed that some of their dishes included saffron - so I inquired about where their purchased their spices. Turns out there is a wholesaler on Meridian where you can buy it at a much more reasonable price... I will have to investigate! 

source

 These are what saffron threads look like, and they come from this flower, the saffron crocus. 

Because the journey of saffron from field to spice is fascinating, I wanted to share this link (where I found the photo) to a website that will tell you all about saffron - the history, culture, and blood shed over this spice. Be sure to read Parts I, II, and but mostly III. 

Well - I suppose that is all for tonight. One thing for sure - I will be looking for a homemade Nan recipe to try out soon, can't wait to share it with you!