History has seen its fair share of queens. The Elizabeth’s never intrigued me; even with the recent flood of repetitive, cinematic tributes to them, I remain uninterested. The “Elizabeth’s” seem cold, brutal and rough. I like my queens strong yet soulful and soft.

Growing up there was a couple of queens that I was mesmerized by. The first was Farah Diba, the wife of the Shah of Iran, who truly epitomized all that is fabulous in a queen. The second went by the name Latifah, who spit rhymes in a flow that truly epitomized my love for Hip Hop. Time has brought with it new queens whose style and contribution to the world continue to intrigue me. The beautifully modern Queen Rania of Jordan is my new Farah Diba. She’s elegant, sharp and effective, so much so that I follow her on twitter.

The other new queen that has captured my attention for the past 12 years is the one and only Ms. Erykah Badu. How and where do I begin to express how much this woman has fed my soul? I can’t think of any other singer of my generation except for Sade who moves me as deeply as she does.  Sometimes while I’m listening to her it hits me that if I could be any singer, without a doubt I would be Badu.

With her honey colored eyes, raspy voice and a head wrapped with skills, the woman is more than a singer. Ms. Badu is the definition of a true artist and poet. Between the jazz notes, her talking about her cipher and that Southern charm, her songs have been spinning on rotation for a long, long time.

These photos of Ms. Badu were taken by my friend Shanon Mc Collum. Shannon is a tall, sweet and talented Atlanta based Photo Journalist and is often referred to as the “Gordon Parks” of Hip Hop. If you don’t know who Gordon Parks is, Google him.

Sometimes when I’m in the kitchen working away and daydreaming, I imagine that if I had a choice of a famous dinner guest, who would it be and what would I cook? I’ve given quite a bit of thought to this and many people have made the list. For my fist guest I decided to start with a woman who has become the queen of my soul.  It only seems appropriate that I pair this queen with a king. The king of my palate is Indian cuisine. There is no food that I’ve experienced yet that plays with my senses the way Indian food does. There is no food that I enjoy eating as much as Indian food. I truly feel changes in my body and its chemistry when I eat it. I get high with each bite and fall into a sensory overload. The crunchy and soft textures paired with sweet and spicy flavors sing and dance endlessly on my tongue. As my imagination runs wild, I can see myself sitting across her on the grass in my front yard. Dividing us would be my wooden table adorned with flowers, candles and a cornucopia of vegetarian Indian dishes. What would I ask her, where would I begin? The music, the poetry, our love for Dilla, home birth, astronomy, or the future of Hip Hop a.k.a. Jay Electronica? The food would have to compliment her personality and showcase my own, quirky, spicy and full of soul. In an ideal setting the stars would be perfectly aligned in a harmonious meshing of our two worlds through food and song. Knowing me, I would probably feed her into a food coma in an attempt to thank her for blessing the universe with her voice.

Badu is who she is because of her uncanny swagger. Talent is not enough to get me. She got me because her words weave a blanket for my soul. She sings the way I feel.  Methodically metaphorical, she doesn’t just write about love or life, she leaves you content with it. They say it’s not what you say but how you say it. Her flow is ethereal, free and dangerous and she can sing the hell out of a Chaka Khan and Roy Ayers song. I’ve spent countless evenings throughout the years by myself or with friends cooking, drinking wine and blasting Badu through the walls. To feed my hunger, I make sure to see her live every couple of years. However this evening, and in my imagination, she’s coming over for dinner.

So what will the dinner table look like? For starters, we will have vegetarian Samosa’s with a South Indian cilantro, lime Chutney, followed by a spiced Sweet potato and coconut Soup. The main course will be Basmati rice with a spicy eggplant and lentil Curry served with Garam Masala laced Cornbread.  For dessert, I hope to sweeten her soul with Cardomom tea and a Saffron-Rosewater, almond Tapioca.

In my crazy head the evening will be nothing short of an ethereal experience. Most importantly Ms. Badu will love, love, love my Indian feast and will take the leftovers home for her kids. If I’m really lucky, she’ll play the guitar and sing a song as wisdom bounces off those pillow lips and into the sky. So with this story dear reader, please try not to question my sanity as I have on many occasions. I only ask that you simply entertain my imagination. Send me some positive energy so that maybe one day this queen might actually get a chance to read this little piece. In doing so, I hope she will find a little bit of inspiration in my silly Samosa’s as I have in her soulful songs.

This recipe is for the Vegetarian Samosa’s and the South Indian cilantro, lime Chutney. The dough recipe is a simple one, but you can also use wonton wrappers as a substitute. The chutney can be spicy so those with sensitive tongues, deseed the jalapeños. When using spices like coriander, cumin, curry etc. I always prefer to use the seeds or leaves rather than the powder. When you toast the seeds, this incredible aroma takes over the house, imagine what it does to the food? Links are provided for the seeds in case Indian stores are not readily available.

Cilantro-Lime Chutney

Yield 2 cups

½ tsp. cumin seeds or cumin powder

1 tsp. Chaat Masala

1 jalapeño chopped

4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 bunch green onions, green parts only

3 cups firmly packed fresh cilantro, including soft stems

½ cup fresh mint leaves

3 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. kosher salt

1. Toast the cumin seeds.
2. In a food processor, blend together jalapeños, ginger, green onions and bell pepper until minced. Add the cilantro, mint process and scrape the sides with a spatula.
3. Add the lime juice and olive oil through the feeder tube then add the cumin seeds or powder, Chaat masala, honey and salt and process.
4. Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Vegetarian Samosa’s

Yield 6 servings

Pastry Dough

1 cup flour

3 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil

6-8 tbsp ice water

Kosher salt to taste

Stuffing

3 large potatoes, cubed, small dice

1 cup shelled green peas or frozen (thawed)

1 cup corn, fresh or canned

¼ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp cumin seeds or ground

½ tsp coriander seeds or ground

½ tsp brown mustard seeds

½ tsp spicy Garam masala

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 tbsp cilantro finely chopped

2 green chillies deseeded, chopped fine

kosher salt to taste

3 tbsp oil and oil for deep frying

1. For the dough, sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Mix in the ghee / oil. Add water little by little while mixing with fingers to make a stiff dough. Set the dough aside and keep it covered with a damp cloth for 15-20 minutes.

2. Cook the peas in boiling salted water for about 10 minute(s) or till soft. Drain refresh in cold water and drain well.

3. In a large skillet heat 3 tbsp of oil. Toss in the cumin, coriander and mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add the green chillies and ginger. Fry briefly.

4. Add the potato cubes, salt and Garam masala powder. Sprinkle with some water, cover and cook on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Mix in the cooked green peas and corn and let cool. down for 5-7 minutes. Mix in the coriander leaves.

5. Divide the dough into 16 equal balls. Apply a little dry flour to each ball and on a flat, lightly floured surface roll each ball into a 5” circle diameter. Cut each circle into two and lightly dampen the edges of each semicircle with water. Place a spoonful of the potato-pea filling into the cone and seal the edges well (apply some water on the edges if they do not seal well).

6. Deep fry samosa’s in medium-hot oil until crisp and golden brown. Remove onto a paper towel. Serve immediately with the Cilantro Lime Chutney.

Being a creature of habit, I have developed weekly and monthly food rituals. Many of them revolve around ingredients, preferably meats, that are found between two pieces of bread. I can very easily consume more than half a French baguette in less than twenty minutes. I’m a bread freak, I love the feeling at the tip of my fingers when I scoop my food into a piece of Lavash, tilt my head back, drop it in my mouth and chew. So it should be no surprise that on a weekly and monthly basis, Carne Asada burritos from Yuca’s, Salami and Pecorino sandwiches from Nicole’s, and Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches from Philadelphia Sandwiches fortify these little “habits.”

Philadelphia Sandwiches was an accidental discovery while driving on Magnolia Blvd in North Hollywood one day. Upon returning for the fourth or fifth time, while standing in line waiting to order, I overheard the owners arguing in what I was sure was Russian. Behind the counter, a petite, red headed woman with alabaster skin and bright blue eyes went back and forth with her husband. I couldn’t help but stare, the husband, just a little taller than his wife, raised his thick man hands in the air as he tried to make his point. I placed my order, got my number, and went to the corner still staring as I flipped through pages of the L.A. Weekly. For some reason it was odd to me that an older Russian couple owned a Philly cheesesteak joint. Ten minutes later Mama Philadelphia-Russia called my number and as I picked up my to go sandwich, I looked at her, smiled and said, “Spasiba.”

“Oh, spasiba to you,” she replied as her eyes widened, and ever since then that has been our polite exchange. After some time instead of getting my sandwiches to go I started eating them there instead. Every couple of weeks, I make my way over to NOHO (North Hollywood), say hello and spasiba to the Russians and eat a Philly Cheesesteak. I order the same thing each time, a small Philly with everything, extra cheese and a side of hot peppers. I then pick up my sandwich as well as that week’s issue of the L.A. Weekly, and go to the back room where I sit in my seat, eat and read. Yes, I have my own seat, booth to be exact.

The mom and pop feel of this place brings not only sandwiches to mind but Jonathan Gold as well. For those of you unfamiliar with the illustrious Mr. Gold, he is the first and only food writer to receive a Pulitzer Prize and is the granddaddy of L.A. food writers. Unlike most food critics, like the feared   S. Irene Virbilla of the Los Angeles Times, Mr. Gold of the L.A. Weekly, is pragmatic and down with the people. This is not to say that Ms. Virbilla lacks those qualities but she’s just a little more bourgie, if you will. His niche on the other hand is to push the mom and pop restaurants that I love so much, particularly the ethnic ones. Every Wednesday as I open the food section of the Times, the same sentence plays in my head “lets see who Irene is going to discreetly rip into this week?” If S. Irene Virbilla is the Roadrunner plowing through Los Angeles leaving a culinary dust trail, Jonathan Gold is a tamer Bugs Bunny, hopping from neighborhood to neighborhood nibbling on the good stuff while leaving behind pebbles for us to follow. I like to think of Ms. Virbilla as a food critic and Mr. Gold as a food informant. He knows the crevices of Los Angeles and is finely in tune with all the hole in the wall places that so many of us love to frequent.

My cheesesteak sandwich habit has been going on for quite a few years and has no geographical boundaries. In Los Angeles it is Mr. Gold’s weekly reviews and the Russians. While living up north it was Jay’s Cheesesteak, mostly on Sunday afternoons with the church folks. I liked Sundays because a lot of people would come straight after church. The place would get packed with ladies in colorful hats and men looking dapper in their suits while standing in the long line waiting to splurge.

After all these years of eating these filling sandwiches, I recently realized that it never once occurred to me to make them myself. So a few days ago I made my first Philly cheesesteak sandwich. I made it with Rib Eye steak, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, paprika, Provolone cheese and layered it between the delicious rolls I got at the Italian deli.

I did some needed research to find out a little more about the history of this sandwich and its origins in Philadelphia. Unfortunately I’ve never been to Philly and the only things that come to mind when I think of Philly are The Declaration of Independence, The Roots and cheesesteak sandwiches. The story goes, that 1930, in south Philly, brothers Pat and Henry Olivieri made the first Steak sandwich and sold it for a nickel each. Thirty years later, cheese was added to the sandwich, Cheez Wiz to be exact and the Philly Cheesesteak was born.

Cheesesteak aficionados insist that the most important part of a good cheesesteak is the meat and the bread. According to most recipes the best meat is Rib Eye, shaved very thin. Rib Eye has good marbling without too much fat. Either have your butcher slice it thin or freeze it a bit to make it easier to thinly slice at home. As far as the bread, a good roll is required, usually a Hoagie roll is used, but I also like the extra crunch from a French baguette. For seasoning I added a little bit of garlic powder and paprika without overpowering the taste of the meat. I was definitely pleased with the outcome it was fast, easy and oh so juicy. So there it is, with just 30 minutes of effort in the kitchen, you can be transported to south Philly not by a plane but by a sandwich. Most importantly if you’re cool like me you will bop your head to Illadelph Halflife when you do.

Taking time to eat by myself is so essential to my week, it’s my time to chill, read a magazine and eat in peace. Sometimes it’s not so peaceful though, last Friday I had to control myself from spitting my food out from laughter. The guy sitting behind me kept going on and on about how his ex wife was a bad mother and a whore, and after divorcing her he had finally found Jesus. He said he felt “blessed” for having been “saved,” but was scared he might die anyway if his new, non-whore, Christian wife found out he was eating a Philly Cheesesteak. When eating and reading, I usually have a pretty good ability to block everything out. However, being a curious cat I also enjoy eavesdropping, it’s amazing some of the things you “accidently” overhear. Since discovering this place, I truly look foreword to my rendezvous with Mr. Gold’s words, the Russians and the juices from the cheesesteak sandwiches that drip down my fingers and onto the pages of inspiration.

This recipe is derived from several different recipes. Aside from the addition of paprika and garlic powder the ingredients are basic and stay true to a true Philly cheesesteak sandwich.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

Yield 4 servings

1 lb. Rib Eye beef, thinly sliced

1 onion, cut lengthwise

2-3 red bell peppers, julienned

1 ½ lbs mushrooms, white or Cremini

½ jalapeño

3 tbsp  vegetable oil

½ tsp  kosher salt

¼ tsp  black pepper

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp paprika

1 lb  Provolone cheese, thinly sliced

4 French, Italian or Hoagie rolls

1. Place the beef in a large bowl and sprinkle with ½ of the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika and mix.
2. Heat half of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and caramelize the onions. Add the jalapeño, bell peppers, mushrooms and the rest of the spice mixture, sauté for 3 min. and transfer to a bowl.
3. Using the same sauté pan, heat the rest of the oil over medium-high heat and sauté Rib Eye strips for 1 ½ min. on each side. Remove from the heat and on a cutting board chop into a small-medium dice.
4. Cut bread rolls in ½ lengthwise, add Provolone slices and put in the toaster. Meanwhile combine sautéed vegetables and meat and return to skillet, sauté for 1 minute and divide meat into the rolls and serve.