This was one of my many kitchen-related Christmas presents, and I'm in love. It's over 1000 pages with even more recipes, and I'm feeling excited and overwhelmed and pretty geeky over it.

I'm not sure it's the best purchase for a brand new cook because it's SO. HUGE. I feel pretty overwhelmed by the amount of content, so I'm guessing a new and eager cook would find it equally daunting. However, there are fabulous simple recipes in here, namely this surprisingly tasty potato dish.

This dish is extremely hearty, really flavorful, and full of good for you stuff. Sure, it's made with coconut milk, but that's the only "unhealthy" thing, and you could totally use lite coconut milk if you'd like. Remember, we're on a No-Diet diet. Just eat good simple foods and enjoy them!

The recipe has six ingredients, takes about an hour (but very little hands-on time), and is even better the next day. Freeze it if you want, too. The potatoes might get a little crumbly, but I don't think that's a big deal.

Potatoes and Lentils with Curry

adapted from How to Cook Everything

• 1 cup lentils, any color, rinsed well
• 3 1/2 cups of liquid (I use one can of coconut milk plus 1 3/4 cups of water)
• 1 tbsp. of curry powder
• 2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into big cubes
• plain yogurt (nonfat is great)
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt and pepper

This really couldn't be easier... unless I came over and made it for you (I know that's what you were thinking, Anna). In a medium saucepan, add the lentils, liquid, and curry powder. Turn the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a rolling boil. Once it's boiling, cover almost all the way, turn the heat to medium-low, and stir every few minutes for about fifteen minutes.

This is what is what "cover almost all the way" means.

Now add the potatoes, gently stir, cover completely, and cook for ten minutes. Don't lift the lid so that the potatoes can cook evenly. After ten minutes, stir, add a few good pinches of salt, stir, and cover again for another ten minutes. Now it should be done. It's should be moist but definitely not soupy. You're going for thickness, and as the lentils and potatoes break down, the dish gets even thicker and more yummy.

Stir in a decent amount of black pepper (depending on how hot you like it), taste it to make sure it's salty enough, and serve it up in four bowls. Top with (don't knock it - it's essential) a good spoonful of plain yogurt and a nice sprinkling of fresh cilantro. Why is the yogurt essential? It's tangy, and the flavor cuts through the heaviness of the curry in a fabulous way. I'll admit - I've always been skeptical of yogurt in dinner foods, but I am a yogurt convert. TRY IT. Yogurt is no longer just for smoothies.

Also, if I'm honest, the potato lentil mixture itself isn't awesome to look at. Kind of baby food-ish actually. BUT when you put the yogurt and cilantro on top, as you can see it's beautiful. AND the taste is awesome. Really. Almost everything in this dish - lentils, yogurt, curry - are not my husband's favorite flavors, and he ate two bowls for dinner and asked for it again for lunch the next day. And it's CHEAP. AS. DIRT. You can easily feed four people for less than five bucks. Not per person mind you. Five bucks for all four people. Seriously. If that doesn't make this recipe a keeper, I don't know what will.

AND last but not least, GO VOTE FOR MY FABULOUS FRIEND EMILY. Her blog Chatting at the Sky is a finalist for the 2008 Weblog Awards. Big deal she is. And, yes, I'm Yoda. So please go read her wonderful words and vote for her!! Ain't she cute?!