Follow My Recipe

Delish Fish: Part of the hi- protein, avoid carbs diet.

2012-01-09T04:55:00.000+09:00

This was a long break from blogging. Well mostly because there is so much else going on. For starters, my sis Ms. Cultured Purl is in town.  I've joined this Kickboxing class in Bandra that is kicking my butt into shape and then I'm on a diet. So suddenly I find myself with a lack of appetite and wanting to survive making through the holidays without a bite of dessert. Was I successful- of course I was. It took every nerve in my body to do so. But part of it I could not stand to write about food especially look at food photos and food descriptions. That's the end of my career as an indulgent food blogger. Oooh! And  I've also had other fun distractions. (big grin on my face). 

Anyways part of this diet is not to touch carbohydrates after 4pm. So dinner has to be some form of a salad and protein. My sis has been encouraging me to eat more fish which means cooking fish in my mom's all vegetarian kitchen. Grill, bake, curry it.

 Today I decided to make a little more indulgent version of my normally baked fish. I made my own version of a Doi Ilish which I had in Calcutta over Diwali. I really enjoyed the mustard, chilies and yogurt sauce with the lovely Hilsa fish- a staple in a Bengali household. I cheated though- I bought a dark Surmai from my fish wali who cut it in cubes instead of the typical cross sections. Oh well. I also did my own take on the marinade and some of the masala. Oh well! I never really follow recipes or traditions. 

So here it is- my own Delish fish. 

Ingredients:

500 gms surmai skinned, deboned and cubed 

Marinade:

Soya sauce

Papa's magic masala

green chilies 

The Sauce:

Mustard seeds

Green chilies 3-5 long sliced

2 tbsp of minced ginger

2tbsp of minced garlic

6-8 Curry leaves

Handful of fresh coriander leaves

2 onions sliced

1 full spoon coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon mango powder

salt to taste

Yogurt mixed with equal part of milk thoroughly stirred. 

So this is really easy: 

1. Marinade the fish for 30 min with soya sauce, papa's masala and some green chilies. 

2. In a flat pan, pour a little oil and spread evenly on the base and place the fish pieces evenly on the pan. Cook till it turns opaque and white and flip over. Dont over cook the fish or it will become chewy. Place all the pieces of fish on a plate. 

3. In the same pan start the sauce. Throw in the mustard seeds, green chilies, coriander leaves, curry leaves, garlic and ginger. Stir till you can smell the curry leaves releasing their amazing flavour. 

4. Add the onions and saute. 

5. Add all the dry masala and let the onions cook. 

6. Last slowly stir in the yogurt milk mixture on to the onions. Mix the sauce thoroughly, let it simmer on low for a bit. 

7. Next carefully place the pieces of fish in the sauce. The fish is delicate and can fall apart easily so it is necessary to work on this slowly. Just smell the sauce, take in the headiness of the flavours. 

8. Gently toss the fish in the sauce so that it is evenly coated.

Turn off the heat.

9. The fish is ready to eat with some rice. 

Ofcourse I did not eat any rice. I just had the fish and what a delish fish it turned out to be. It was spicy with a bite of mustard. The fish was very soft and melted in your mouth. And as always Papa's magic masala always adds that little kick that takes any dish over the top.

How is this hi protein low carbs going for me. Well initially I felt really weak and tired but now with the working out I feel super energetic. It is yet to be seen if I will revert back to blogging with a gusto. Till then do enjoy these photos. 

Janu and I have been taking some goofy pics of ourselves. We definitely look similar. What do you think? (we are not twins- I am 6 years older than her) Im going to miss her immensely when she leaves for Salt Lake City. By the way she said the fish was really authentic. 

Also a Happy New Year. For more exciting adventures this year. For new friends who become like the dearest of old friends and for old friends who have been such a great support system.
Love always.

"I am fulfilling" The Yoga House

2011-12-09T00:38:00.001+09:00

Quinoa, tofu, wheatgrass, 10 grain breads, oatmeal, fresh juices, porridge, berries, nuts, paneer, sprouts, alfalafa & organic. One word- Powerfoods. I am always skeptical about such foods since I really love my meats and can't fathom most of the time eating out on purely vegetarian and really such healthy sounding food. 

My lovely friend Mark invited me to brunch at the Yoga House. He said its his new favourite place in Bandra. I arrived at this old house with a lovely verandah painted white with a row of tables and benches on either side with pillows. An old door that lead to an all blue azure room with a green chandelier. There were grey mattresses on the floor with orange pillows. Light streaming in from the windows. All the trimmings, doors, windows were white. It was a cheery space, relaxed the kinds you would imagine on a seaside in Greece but we were almost on the seaside in Bandra. Mark sat there relaxed totally fitting in with the space. The smile on his face showed pure satisfaction for finding this beautiful space. I was there with Sangeeta, Anand and Natasha. We ordered everything off the lunch menu- Quinoa burgers, Miknaos toast, Paneer burger, the Yogi's lunch, coffee, juices, and the healthy chocolate mousse. The food was amazing- the raw, colorful salads with sprouts, tomatoes, olives, lettuce, the fulfilling quinoa grain. I had seen quinoa around- but this was the first time I was eating it. The servings were not huge and I was skeptical if I would be full. But I was- not stuffed that I was uncomfortable, just perfectly happy with my meal. In fact I was energetic enough to walk back home with Mark (2 kms) something that does not happen usually after lunch. It was so good that evening I went back to the Yoga house to get some tea and laddoos. This masala tea had lemongrass and ginger. It was subtle and wonderful.

In fact I loved it so much that I went back there a week later with my friend Gopal for breakfast after a photo shoot. This breakfast was stellar as well. Slices of peanut butter on 10 grain bread, scrambled tofu sandwich, and a large healthy looking hash brown with cheese pancake. We ordered this with Caffe Frappe, Cappuccino, and a lovely banana milkshake (the best I have had). This time we sat on the outside patio in a window seat. The sun was still rising, the main blue room had a yoga class in progress. Bandra was slowly stirring and here we were with wonderful breakfast right in the shadow of St. Andrew's cross. White bougainvilleas crawling over the balcony. Gopal took some lovely pictures of me enjoying the morning sun and this delicious breakfast.

Ive been to the Yoga House now several times. Each time it has been a delightful experience. The owners Maud and Ajit are extremely welcoming. Maud teaches yoga there as well. I hope to take a class with her one of these days. There is also a little shop attached where they sell some lovely cotton clothing, pottery from Benares, and some other knick knacks.

 Can I say it enough- I love The all vegetarian, very organic, completely fulfilling Yoga House. 

Many of the pictures that follow including some of the lovely portrait shots of me have been taken by MS Gopal the wonderful photographer of Mumbai Paused. He is a self claimed non- foodie but was a complete trooper to try out food outside his comfort zone. He did mention that he felt fulfilled for the rest of the day.

Somethings are just worth doing...

2011-12-06T04:56:00.001+09:00

Like this blog. I have been looking for reasons for not telling my stories anymore. But then I just realized what a great space this is and I must let it grow and evolve. Maybe play with the media and all- videos, sound bytes etc. 

It is strange that the 100th post (yes I hit my 100th before Tendulkar) is not really about food. Its not some gastronomical explosion of delight. Its about where I am right now. Discovering new music, traveling, wandering, designing, dating and yes eating. This show called The Dewarist on TV, I feel has somehow changed my life. Its a show that is about collaboration, exploring a new place in India with its sounds, its food, about roots and about the sheer love of making music. Its an explosion of energy and the music is amazing. And so there would be the Dewarists Stage at NH7 that made me decide to head out to Pune for the weekend two weeks back. 

I got in touch with my friend Melissa who was also interested in going. We did not really have a place to stay and left things to fate. Last minute her friend Snehal offered to host us. So the two of us with a backpack on an AC bus took off to Pune. The moment we stepped on that bus- adventure had begun. AC was broken, the passengers threatened to sue the bus company, boys with bad taste talking loudly. We finally reached Pune in one piece 4 hours later. There was a young girl who looked pretty lost and asked us if we were headed to NH7. We told her to jump in our rickshaw. This was probably the most entertaining rickshaw ride ever. This young girl all of 18 told us things about her life that would make many people's ears burn and turn red. But not us old ladies we were told that she was here to be with a boy who currently has his 'tongue down her best friends throat' and about 'sloppy threesomes'. 

Something interesting about Pune no one seemed to know where this festival was except for my GPS on the phone and it took us down some strange roads. Finally we made it. It was like being transported to a land of different energy, not overly crowded, very chill organizers and volunteers. Lots of nice looking people. I pushed my way to the Dewarist stage (well an exaggeration- it was very easy to find)And what music followed the rest of the night- Soulmate belting with one of the best voices I have ever heard, The Raghu Dixit Project - pure energy and then Imogen Heap. Brilliant, mindblowing, quirky, performance. The energy of the crowd was brilliant. After the show we wandered out in happy unison, satisfied, nourished, and walked out to realise there will be no rickshaws to take us home. So we walked and hitchhiked with a couple who happen to be Snehal's neighbours. What a perfect end. I was loving Pune's small town energy. 

Next morning we went to Mocha for coffee where I met little Laddoo. After a breakfast hookah and Snehal's mom delicious Malwani food we headed back to NH7. An evening full of delightful music- Swarathma, Papon and the East India Company and finally Indian Ocean. When Kandisa rung through the grounds that was it- a collective energy swept took over the space. Something amazing happened after the end of the concert. The party did not end- they set up an All Stars stage with ALL the main artists who jammed with each other- Indian Ocean with Papon, Pentagram with Imogen Heap, Monica Dongra with Siddharth and Karsh Kale. It was quite brilliant. The backdrop was a massive canvas stretched on a giant wheel with gorgeous projections. 

Aah what a show. Magnificient sound engineering, vivid lights, the best volunteers, superb line up and very well organised. I have to say one of the best music festivals I have ever attended. I also felt very proud of how far along our young musicians have come going beyond fusion, delving into rock, electronica, sound making, exploring. 

The last part of the adventure. Mel and I shared a ride with another couple in a Volkswagon Passat all the way to Mumbai all for Rs400. Such was the adventure of this music festival. Such was the spirit of the weekend because as they say on the Dewarists... Somethings are just worth doing! 

Also thanks to Snehal's family for hosting us and preparing the best Malwani lunch ever. Separate post on that.

Enjoy the photos I took. And to more food, music & travel adventures. Thanks for staying on the ride with me. 

 If you are into it as much as I am- do hear my recording of Kandisa by Indian Ocean.

In love with Crepes

2011-11-17T03:25:00.001+09:00

I fell in love over crepes many lifetimes ago. I had a poulet au curry (chicken curry) served with a mango chutney and he had a bouef bourguignon followed by dessert crepe of nutella and bananas cooked in rum. It was at one of my favourite restaurants in Chicago called Le Creperie. It was really my first experience with this delightful dosa-like French everyday wholesome goodness. That was many years ago.

I did not think I would find a crepe place so good in Mumbai. My friend Ashraf raved about its hot chocolate and is almost at Suzette everyday (lucky bum lives practically next door). A site visit to Nariman Point led me to finally try the crepes at Suzette.  Its located right behind the NCPA. The tiny space was elegant, raw, minimal and earthy. The table mats were brown papers with a stylized line drawing of the Paris skyline (of course with the Eiffel Tower). Simple tall glasses and glass bottles to serve water added to the quaintness of this lovely little cafe. A bookshelf, a row with benches, a few tables with chairs and bar seating at the counter all gave the space the look of a typical Parisian cafe, warm and welcoming and a place you could spend hours at. A blackboard menu with all the daily specials handwritten. 

I chatted with the owners Antonia and Jereme about their restaurant. They told me about the hurdles of opening a French restaurant in Mumbai, learning Hindi to get their supplies from their vendors & most of all introducing the traditional Brittany crepes to Mumbaikars. Their menu though mostly crepes- sweet and savory, also has salads and an array of fresh fruit juices and smoothies (spelt as smoozies - as one would say in the French accent), teas, coffee and of course the hot chocolates. 

I ordered a salad of the day which was by far one of the best fresh salads I have ever had in Mumbai. Lettuce, beans, bacon and a balsamic vinaigrette which was in the perfect amount coating the salad making the lettuce leaves flavorful and not soggy (hate soggy salad).

Antonia recommended a lovely combination for the crepe- goat cheese, chicken, caramelized onions (OMG I love) and a drizzle of honey. Too sweet- nope it was just right. The saltiness of the chicken and goat cheese was the perfect balance with the onions and honey. The crepe itself was crispy and not stretchy like other crepes I have had. I really enjoyed its texture with the creamy goat cheese. 

And finally the hot chocolate- you would think thicker the better. Well take a sip and then think again. It was not thick, it was just right, flavorful from the depths of the dark chocolate ocean. One sip and I knew I will crave this every time I need a chocolate miracle.

On my second viist (oui I went back again), I met the third owner another French gentleman by the name of Pierre. He told me they use buckwheat flour which is traditional to the Brittany crepes. 

I could not quite get the recipe of the crepe batter out of him but I did find one here in case you are interested.

Crepe filling is like playing with flavours and textures- spinach, tomatoes and feta; goat cheese and apples; ham and egg; chicken and mushrooms in a white sauce. The possibilities are endless. Or check out Suzette's menu for more inspiration

Prep Time: 2 hours, 05 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes 

Ingredients:

¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon buckwheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 2/3 cup milk
3 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Whisk all the ingredients vigorously until the crepe batter is completely smooth; allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours before making into crepes. Melt a little butter in a crepe pan or large skillet over low-medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of batter to the pan and swirl until the bottom of the pan is covered with batter.

Cook the crepe for 1 minute, or until the crepe is slightly moist on top and golden underneath. Loosen the edges of the crepe, slide the spatula under it, and then gently flip it upside down into the pan. Cook for 1 minute and transfer the cooked crepe to a plate to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.

My friend Mona sent me this video from when she lived in Germany. This crepe maker is making a banana, nutella cream crepe. It looks absolutely delicious. Danke Mona. 

70 Days After Ramzan.

2011-11-07T23:30:00.000+09:00

Its Eid- Al- Adha today popularly known as Bakri Eid. It is the festival of sacrifice to commemorate the day Ibrahim was willingly ready to sacrifice his son Ishmael to show obedience to God. However, God intervened and provided Ibrahim with a sheep to sacrifice instead the life of his son. 

This is still practiced in which a goat bakri is slaughtered and the meat is used to prepare a feast for the family and community. Biryani, kababs, goat curry are the popular dishes. 

There was a thread of discussion on biryani cravings on the Mumbai Food Bloggers Page. Papa just told me that Shaffi uncle's wife is sending us some homemade Lucknow style biryani and kababs. I'm really excited. Its my birthday tomorrow so this is going to be a treat to eat homemade super sexy biryani from Lucknow. 

However, I remembered that I had taken some lovely pictures of Ramzan a few months back. I had taken my friend Mark to Mohammed Ali Road at the Minara Masjid area for to check out food scene. I had seen this post on Mumbai Paused and could not stop drooling. 

It was the monsoon and it was raining that night. We walked down the street during prayer time, it was a solemn affair. Right after the prayers, the place was alive. Stalls selling- chicken soups, kababs, tikkas, botis, niharis, fried chicken, breads, and of course biryani. Stall after stall, some sit down restaurants. Turn in a different direction and there are dessert stalls frying up malpua, jalebis, serving cold firni, badam flavored milk, pancakes, ladoos with fried puris. It was alive, energetic and most of people despite fasting without food and water all day were very friendly, explaining the food and tradition, open to discussions, and most of all everyone had a smile on their face. A nation of smiles. And why shouldn't they be, after a long hard day of fasting, this food would be the ultimate satisfaction.

Back to the best biryani debate- I ate some really fantastic biryani here that night. The best chicken biryani ever. 

So without wasting more time & before I forget - I want to share with you the pictures I took during Ramzan almost 70 days ago. Looking forward to my biryani tomorrow. Yum!

Smiling away despite all the smoke. Some really succulent chicken kababs.

To die for Nihari- the restaurant owner told us that he sources his marrow for the Nihari for Rs 400 a kgs. The nihari is cooked for hours.

Also have you seen The Dewarists yet. The second episode with Zeb & Haniya and Shantanu and Swanand in Mumbai - they go to Minara Masjid for a meal in the rain and eat some really amazing kababs as well. We could have crossed paths that night. They came up with the most amazing song in collaboration as a group. I love this song and the lyrics are beautiful.

Lights!

2011-10-25T03:59:00.002+09:00

Happy Diwali everyone! It is a pleasure to be able to spend Diwali with the family. We are off to Kolkatta for Diwali. My very first visit ever. So excited. If you have any food recommendations do write in.

I took Pepper Purwar for a walk this evening and he was frightened by all the noise the crackers were making. It would be a dream to have just a well lit Diwali minus all the sounds from the fire crackers. The birds disappear, all the animals are clearly upset, my dog sat crying hidden in a corner. What's the point. I don't see it. Inspired by this little idea I drew this little illustration. I hope you can spread the message. 

And once again a very peaceful and well lit Diwali to all of you & a Happy New Year. 

Top Toppings: Jasuben nu Pizza

2011-10-17T06:29:00.000+09:00

I'm not sure what my hang up was before, but in all my years growing up in Ahmedabad I did not eat Gujju Pizza. Maybe I was too much of a snob as a kid, turned my nose up to the idea or maybe I love Pav Bhaji too much. Plus- I grew up on Smokin' Joes when it was only available to us South Bombay kids- or the first Pizza Hut in which the staff got together and did the Macarena. Oya my pizza eating experience was very Americanized even before I made it to the great country. And then Chicago Deep Dish happened. Holy cow! Its amongst the top 5 things Chicago is well known for. Deep dish pizza which has a super buttery crust and filled with sauce and toppings. The heaviest meal ever. 

So when Chandni, my lovely host in Ahmedabad, asked me if I had Jasuben's Pizza she could not believe her ears. As usual I got the - 'What kind of food blogger are you?' look. (I seem to be getting that look a lot more often now). That's it dinner plans were laid. We drove up to the one location near her house on the highway. I insisted on picking up some pav bhaji (old habbits die slow).

We sat on some chairs on the sidewalk with a hundred others loudly chatting and chomping on little quartered pieces of cheesy saucy bites.  There was a little stall with a vertical oven, a sandwich press and a blender. Three boys whipping out a dozen pizzas by the minute, grilled sandwiches, cheese toasts, and cold coffee to go with it all. Serving a hundred people by the minute and this too on a Sunday Night. And they kept on coming.

Ok let me tell you- Jasuben's Pizza is a pilgrimage. Its a tourist destination. Any foolish notion I had of what a real pizza should be and granted pizza is Italian, it all flew out of my mind when I took my first bite. The crust is biscuity, crunchy, buttery almost like a bhakri. The bubbling hot tomato sauce is a close cousin of tomato ketchup just as sweet but quite spicey. The toppings are simple- no fancy pick your own toppings. No fancy mushrooms, corn, olives, jalapenos. Huh? What are you talking about? Stick to simple finely chopped onions and capsicum ok. Top it with loads ( and I mean large amounts) of grated local white cheese. The singular cheese we grew up- the Amul's white cheese. This is way before the cheese and wine revolution hit us. Simple and yummy are the keywords here.

The crust is baked in the vertical makeshift oven, red sauce spread, then back in the oven, then quickly topped with onions and capsicum and then topped with the grated cheese.  

Any Amdavadis reading this do holler and tell me why you love Jasuben's Pizza. I am a convert- Gujju pizza I love you. Whenever I think about this pizza meal I feel like I could have broken into a moves like Jagger, a rock n roll strut, a bit of knee twisting, pelvic thrusting, sliding in a moonwalk across the floor. Oya!

This is how I felt after my very first Jasuben Pizza:

The West View bar & Grill - On the Other side

2011-10-02T23:00:00.002+09:00

Yup! Last night I stepped into the kitchen of the West View Bar & Grill at the ITC Grand Maratha. I was followed by an enthusiastic bunch of fellow food bloggers who took many fun photos of me along with the chefs in the kitchen grilling up some lamb and pork chops and some Indian Pomfret. I carried with me Papa's Magic Masala and sprinkled it generously on the various assortments of meats and fish and vegetables and one by one placed them on the grill to cook them to slightly charred perfection. It was fun. In the kitchen with chefs- in a white skirt and yellow heals and the funny chefs hat. Not the most practical thing to wear in a professional kitchen but none the less fun.

This was our almost bi- monthly Mumbai Food Bloggers meet. Now a very boisterous and raucous bunch of folks who diligently bring forth beautiful food stories, restaurant reviews, recipes, travel adventures. Each one has his or her take on the food but constantly pushing pixels, little superstars in their own rights with a global fan following. These meets are organized by food blogger and consultant Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal who calls herself the mother hen of the peck. Rushina writes the blog A Perfect Bite and now has column in the Hindustan Times called the Spice Route. This group by far is the most enthusiastic, well organized, most interested in all things food that I have been a part of.

So what was the West View Bar & Grill like? Well as a concept you pick your raw vegetables and meats and fish on a plate and hand it over to the kitchen and they will prepare it for you either in a lemon butter sauce or a red wine reduction on the flame. Chef  Padmaja experiments with spices and sauces and innovates each night. She was one of the most delightful, cheerful chefs I have ever met. Enthusiastically letting me into her kitchen with my own spice mix- Papa's Magic masala, and then setting up a hot stone grill showdown for the rest of the bloggers.

It was a fun and spirited evening. Here is to many more such wonderful evenings with my Merry Band of Mumbai Food Blogger friends. Cheers!

Vegetarians beware- raw meat pictures follow:

Big Thanks to Rushina and the folks at ITC for the lovely evening.

The Mumbai Food Bloggers at the West View Bar & Grill

2011-10-02T23:00:00.001+09:00

West view bar & grill, a set on Flickr

Check out the bloggers and their awesome blogs 

Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal - A Perfect Bite

Nikhil Merchant- Nonchalant Gourmand

Harini Prakash- Tongueticklers

Snigdha Manchanda Binjola- Life on Simmer

Poonam Joshi- Homemade Happiness

Megha Goyal- Live to Eat

Rithika Ramesh- The Green Stove

Pranav Kochalia- Foodie Geek

Vinda Dravid- Lett'uce eat

Sunayan Shahani - Luv 4 all things yum

Arina Suchde- Vegetarina

Vishwas Kasat

Kurush Dalal- Eats Feeds and Digs

Rhea Mitra Dalal- Euphorhea 

Sanskaran Banerjee- Lotsa Food

Jyotika Purwar- Follow My Recipe 

My dad made his famous Layya Channa for everyone. He laboured over it for 3 hours and made two large boxes which I packed in little bags and tied with ribbons and gave to everyone. The heeng is from Afghanistan and all masalas dad hand picks and sorts out. Do write back and tell me if you enjoyed it.

Grandma's War Cookies - Flour, sugar, butter and loads of love from Grandma...

2011-08-30T06:15:00.000+09:00

This has been a lucky week. Two guest bloggers on Follow My Recipe. And this one is by my lovely younger sister Jahnvi.

So, every friday, in my lab - all us scientists get together at 3 pm to enjoy tea time. Each week, a member of the lab volunteers to bring tea time treats - which can be either sweet or savory, home made or store bought. It's just a gesture to bring some fun into their otherwise often unrewarding lab lives.

This week was my boyfriend's turn - Christian (who happens to work in the same lab as me). He is this sweet German boy from Dresden who grew up in the GDR times. He often talks about how life was so different until the reunion. It is fascinating! Like they didnt have mangoes when growing up. And they had to stand in a line to get bananas! Can you imagine? A life without mangoes and bananas? Anyways, not to digress, he decided to make cookies - to which I scoffed, "Cookies? So much effort for something so simple?". He replied, "Yes! Im going to make my Grandma's cookies, my Grandma's war cookies!"

What he meant was that he would make cookies that his Grandma always made for him - the recipe of which she was taught in school, during the war. So, they are technically not war cookies - cookies being offered to the enemy for peace, to stop bombing their cities or anything - they were just popular during the war since they used ingredients that were easily available. None-the-less, the name for the cookies is catchy and intriguing - so I will refer to them as "Grandma's War Cookies."

However, Christian didnt know the recipe for these cookies. But have no fear, Skype is here! He picked up the phone and called his Grandma to get her recipe. They chatted for a good 30 minutes - which was very endearing - and at the end of the conversation - he was handed down this glorious yet simple recipe. Something that probably represented hope during the war. Something that reminded everyone that there are good things in life to look forward to. Something that represented Christian's childhood and his bond with his grandparents. Something simple, yet very special.

Anyways, so here is the recipe. They turned out very well. It was hard to not keep indulging in them - since they are so light and thin. So beware, although the recipe says you can make 300 cookies, they will be gone before you know it! Anyways, they were also enjoyed by our lab mates during Tea Time.  I guess it was quite a bit of effort for something so simple - yet they were totally worth it. After all, they were loaded with butter and loads of love from Grandma!

Makes 250-300 thin cookies

Ingredients:

Flour (500 g)
Butter (150 g)
Sugar (200 g)
Baking powder (2 and 1/2 tsp)
Apple cider vinegar (5 tablespoons)
Salt (1/2 tsp)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F.

2. Measure out butter and sugar. Mix in a bowl with a tablespoon until foamy and well mixed.

3. Add apple cider vinegar. Mix.

4. Add flour and baking powder.

5. Mix and knead the dough with hands until smooth and firm consistency. Add water accordingly if the dough is too dry. (it should be wet enough to make a dough ball and flatten - it should maintain its shape without crumbling. But it shouldnt be as doughy and stretchy as bread / roti dough. It needs to be something in between).

6. Make dough balls. Flatten. Roll out as thin as possible. The thinner the better. Think - roomali roti thin. Or ginger snap thin. Really really thin. The thinner the better.

7. Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut cookies in the dough. A trick that we realized was that its best to roll the dough on parchment paper directly. This way once we cut the cookies - we dont have to lift them carefully to transfer them on the tray - we just tear out the extra dough - leaving the cookies in place on the parchment paper - which can then be carefully placed on a cookie tray for baking.

8. Bake at 400F for 5-10 mins depending on your oven. These cookies bake fairly fast - since they are ultra thin - so keep an eye on them and dont let them burn. They should be a nice sun kissed brown color.

Enjoy!!

These cookies are simple yet delicious. I tihnk they would go very well with some nutella too or enjoyed just on their own. Simply delicious! 

 Thank you Christian for these lovely treats. 

Jahnvi and Christian are PhD students at the Universtity of Utah in Salt Lake City, US. They love the outdoors, entertaining friends and cooking together. Jahnvi photographed while Christian baked.

A Grand Gastronomical Tour of China

2011-08-30T00:24:00.000+09:00

Reader Sohan D'Souza shares his food love experiences in China. A sumptuous and visually stunning journey through an exotic land of culinary excellence. I hope you enjoy it.

Eating is more important than the Emperor
- Chinese Proverb

Chinese food. It means many things to many people, from sumptuous exotic banquets to cheap takeaway in a cardboard container.Like Indian food, it has changed over time, thanks to innovation and globalization (especially the Columbian Exchange, with potatoes and chili no longer considered foreign ingredients). It has been adapted in so many places to cater to a variety of tastes, so that it becomes barely recognizable to a purist. Crab "Rangoon" (Rangoon is in Burma, and cheese does not exist in Chinese kitchens) and Vegetable "Manchurian" (surely the Qing dynasty emperors must be spinning in their graves) come to mind here, tasty as they are. 

As a Chinese history geek, I took this trip across the length and breadth of the country primarily to satiate my long-held desire to visit sites and view artifacts that I had previously only seen in books, websites, films and TV series. But culture is an important facet of history, and food is an important facet of culture. My journey turned to be as gastronomical as it was historical, as I sampled my way from Beijing in the north to Yangshuo in the south, and from Shanghai in the east to Xiían in the west, eating on the street and in restaurants, trying everything from the ancient and traditional to the modern and cosmopolitan.  

Records of the Grand Diner

As with many other cultures, food is a central pillar of Chinese culture. Each festival has an associated treat - Zongzi for the Dragon Boat festival, Yuebing at Mid-Autumn, Tangyuan for the Lantern Festival, and Niangao at the Chinese New Year.Each region has a distinctive flavor influenced by climate and biodiversity, although the migration within the country has resulted in a lot of culinary creep and cross-pollination. Local availability of fish, vegetables and herbs is no longer as restrictive as it used to be, but the historical culinary traditions based on it persist.As a staple, wheat is more common than rice in the north, while the opposite is true for the south. Spring onions, garlic and ginger form the "holy trinity" flavor base, with soy sauce providing savory wetness. 

Chili is not confined to Sichuan cooking, especially in northern cuisines, which have adopted it for everything from noodles to skewers. The southern cuisines tend to be more sweet and saucy, especially with the use of oyster sauce. Chinese food of the authentic sort is not nearly as widely bland as it is sometimes made out to be. Tastes range from subtle to eye-watering explosive. As with most cuisines, the tastier dishes are often prepared with quite a lot of oil, and fat is often just left on meat.

Speaking of meat ...  

Statues of livestock buried in Han dynasty tombs near Xi'an. Clockwise from top left: cattle and horses, pigs, chickens, goats

Emperors and kings made sure enough food supplies were buried with them for the afterlife. Apart from famous vast formations of soldiers and attendants immortalized in clay, they would also have clay statues of livestock in their tombs to feed their souls post-mortem.In Chinese cuisine, while chickens, goats, cattle and even the occasional horse or dog (depending on the region) found their way onto the dining table, it is the pig that provides the meat mainstay of the cuisine. The very word for "meat" means pork, if not qualified with the name of another animal. 

Some ancient Chinese kitchen implements in museums. Clockwise from top left: clay jars and roller set, bronze cleaver and knife, stone mortar and pestle, bone spoon

Some ancient Chinese kitchen utensils in museums. Clockwise from top left: pottery stove, pottery wine vessel and tripod pot, pottery steamer, bronze tripod and casting mold fragment

The ancient Chinese kitchen is in many ways similar to the one we are familiar with today. Cleavers, rollers, steamers and spatulas were used in food preparation, as in olden times. Steaming baskets were nowhere to be seen in the museums, but I guess this is because they tended to decay. While clay and metal pots were used for stewing in olden days, the tripod was a more common utensil configuration than it is now, possibly because it was easy to put a flame directly under it without any need for a stove. I am not aware of any other civilization that used tripods to this extent. The casting of bronze vessels of intricate detail was an art that reached its contemporary zenith in ancient China. Such vessels, especially of the tripod and quadripod variety, were status symbols and even denoted rank in nobility. 

Culinary Raids of the Southern Barbarian 

Being a Chinese history geek, it was my dream to go to China for years. While it was probably not the best time to visit in terms of weather, I had a tiny window of opportunity in peak summer that I had to take. Fortunately, I was spared rain on almost all my days in the country, although the heat and humidity made the southern coastal cities a bit uncomfortable.Beijing, Xi'an, Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Anyang, Kaifeng, Nanjing and Hangzhou had to be on the itinerary, as historical imperial capitals. I threw in Suzhou as it was on the way, and as it was a former hegemonic royal capital and renowned as a garden city. Then Shanghai - an obligatory urban stop - followed by Guilin and Yangshuo to wind down and enjoy some scenery and nature. That's 12 cities. And I had 19 days to make the best of them.As enthusiastic as I am about the subject, I will spare readers the history lectures and get down to this hopefully representative sample of the large food photography collection accumulated on the trip.

Century eggs in Beijing, served in traditional style.

I wonder how these even got invented. The chicken eggs preserved in this rather odd mixture of clay, lime, tea, ash and salt get gradually treated over time (much less than a century, in case you were wondering) so the yolk becomes mushy and greenish, and the white becomes tougher, gelatinous and cola-colored. An acquired taste (and appearance), to be sure. Fortunately, I had already acquired it years ago, and could not pass up the opportunity. 

 Jiaozi in Beijing.

Like the momos of Tibetan cuisine, with a wide variety of styles and stuffing. Succulent and savory. 

Baozi in Luoyang

The best steamed stuffed buns I ever ate, from a cafeteria near the train station. So good I was popping them like golgappas. 

Cold spicy noodles from a Xi'an street vendor.

One of the tastiest street foods I ate in China. The noodles had just the texture to slightly absorb the tangy sauce poured over them. 

Noodles with vegetables in Anyang.

Perhaps one of the best noodle dishes I ate in China, but not the hottest (the late-night Pepper Chao Mian in Xi'an gets that honor, for blowing open sinuses I didn't know I had). Subtly flavored, topped with juicy shredded fresh vegetables, served on a steaming platter. I wolfed it down with much gusto. 

Fried tofu slabs in an Anyang market street.

This is a popular street food in China, filling and flavorful. 

Iron pot noodles with vegetables and mushrooms in Zhengzhou.

Doesn't look it, but it's extremely spicy. And, as these last four photos show, Chinese food is not a grand carnivorous feeding frenzy. A significant portion of what I ate in the country was 100% vegetarian. 

Pork with vegetables in Kaifeng. And probably inadvisable amounts of chilli.

Stewed beef with long mushrooms in Nanjing. Extremely tender and delicious.

Dongpo's Pork in Hangzhou

 A Hangzhou "celebrity dish," it was supposedly invented by the famous Song-dynasty prefect of the city, Su Dongpo, who also happened to be a poet. Squares of pork belly are briskly fried and then red-braised until meat becomes very tender and juicy. So tender it has to be tied on four sides, lest it fall apart before getting to the dinner table. And so good I had to have it for lunch AND dinner. 

River fish with vegetable stew, and the Three Earth Delicacies in Suzhou.

Fish are a specialty of both coastal and riverside settlements in China. Some are quite bony, so be careful which ones you order. The Three Earth Delicacies is a popular dish in China, and refers to potato, eggplant and bell pepper stir-fried in a sweetish sauce.

Rice noodles with horsemeat in Guilin.

Rice noodles are popular in the south, served with peanuts, pickled chilli and chopped green beans. Use an egg to add body, if you like.

Braised duck in Yangshuo

Darker, bonier and tougher than chicken, this fowl is most popular in the cuisine of China.

In Yangshuo, a Chinese breakfast of rice porridge with chopped century egg and lean pork mince, and fried dough sticks (which taste a lot like poori).

More selected food photos from this trip at http://sohandsouza.multiply.com/photos/album/21/Taste_of_China_2011

Tales from the Gastronomical Academy

Located on the banks of the Li River, Guilin and Yangshuo (and everywhere in between) are popular with tourists, both national and international, for the lush foliage running along rocky shores, over towering karst peaks and through scenic valleys.

A great way to get there is by a raft cruise, which will enable travelers to take in the glorious scenery (and sample a few riverside snacks along the way).

Yangshuo, with karst columns of green and grey all around, bustles with tourists, and the accompanying bazaars and international restaurants and bars. One of the popular tourist activities in Yangshuo is taking lessons in cooking up the local cuisine. After some pre-trip research, I set my sights on the Yangshuo Cooking School, which is right on the riverbank. A most scenic and atmospheric location for both the cooking and the subsequent noshing.

Before the lessons began, we were taken to the main market to get a look at some of the ingredients we would be using, and some we would not.

Beans, garlic shoots, spring onions, sprouts, mushrooms and gourds

Lotus root, wood ear (a kind of fungus) and ginger (left)

Pumpkin flower and mint (right)


Chinese red dates and assorted mushrooms and sauces (left). Tofu in all shapes and sizes (right).

The vegetables we were given (left).Chopping away (right)

Voila! Pumpkin flower, mushroom and tofu ball, stuffed with pork mince folded with salt, oyster sauce and chopped spring onion. Ready for the steaming basket, in preparation for Steamed Stuffed Vegetables.

Preparing Yangshuo-style Eggplant.
1. Eggplant wok-fried in peanut oil till brown and soft.
2. Garlic, ginger and Guilin's famous chilli paste added until the aroma comes out. Then a little water and a dash of oyster sauce, on high heat until it boils off.
3. Spring onions at the last minute.Done!

Beer Fish up next
This too is a Yangshuo specialty.
1. Fish sprinkled with a little salt, pressed onto hot wok with skin side down until skin is brown and flesh is firm enough to avoid curling.
2. Crushed garlic and julienned ginger added, and fish is flipped. Red and green bell pepper and tomato added and stir-fried until soft, while fish is pushed to the side.

3. Push all to centre, then add dash of oyster and soy sauce with half a glass of beer.
4. Simmer until beer mostly boils off, leaving a thick sauce of remaining beer, ingredient juices and other sauces.
5. Spring onions at the last minute.

For Chicken with Cashew Nuts

1. First fry the raw cashew nuts in a wok until golden brown, then place aside.
2. Fry crushed garlic and ginger, black pepper and cubes of chicken breast until chicken becomes white, then mix soy sauce in.
3. Add cubes of carrot and broad-chopped ginger shoots with salt, and fry briefly.
4. A little water and oyster sauce, simmer until water evaporates, then serve with cashew nuts on top.

Garlic Bok Choy

Finally, bok choy is stir-fried with crushed garlic, a dash of salt, and a little water for steam, resulting in Green Vegetables with Garlic. Steaming of the stuffed vegetables should be done by now.

And it's time to dig in!

Sohan (@SohanDsouza) is an enthusiast of Chinese history, among many other topics. When he is not working his day job as an informatics researcher, he patronizes (and occasionally involves himself with) the local drama, art and music scene, and performs unspeakable experiments in his kitchen. He has recently been making forays into standup comedy as well. While he too has fallen victim to the microblogging trend, he does now and then muster the attention span to post an entry on his blog at http://sohandsouza.multiply.com.

Breakfast In Burgdorf

2011-08-24T00:38:00.001+09:00

I woke up next morning, todiscover the beautiful city of Burgdorf outside my window.  The church steeple in the distance,quaint Swiss homes, the sound of a river flowing nearby, the castle walls nearthe church, pine trees and oak trees, lush green lawns. June is a wonderful time to be in Switzerland. Below me lay a beautiful garden, with apple trees, and berries. Raajeshgave me a tour of their garden. Lettuce, rhubarbs, cherries, apples,raspberries, strawberries, flower beds of roses & poppies, basil, rosemary, oregano,poppies, lavender and many more. It was a delight to wake up to this.

The greenest garden, the brightest flowers, the freshestfruits. Raajesh &Yvonne treated me to the yummiest breakfast of halfboiled egg with side of sausages, toast with spreads of cheese, butter, grainymustard, nutella, homemade jams of kirsch, raspberries, strawberries andrhubarb and some freshly picked berries. A glass of homemade delicious hotcaffe latte. It was the heavenliest way to start the day.

I was pleasantly surprised at the pace of my morning-taking my time just inhaling slowly, peacefully, with mouthfuls of yumminess.Could it be- that this is how life should be?  This was a piece of heaventhat I got to share with my friends. That I had no such expectation ofSwitzerland and suddenly I was in love. And did I say thoroughly pampered..

Thank you so much Raajesh and Yvonne.

Fondue Creates a Good Mood!

2011-08-22T13:00:00.000+09:00

That is the famous saying in Switzerland. Fondue is Switzerland's National dish and was made so by the Swiss Cheese Union. I just read this here and had a big smile spread across my face. Switzerland is synonymous with Alps, Cheese, Chocolates, Watches and of course Swiss Banks. Well Bollywood too, but that is a whole different post. I was lucky to try this national dish at my friends Raajesh and his lovely wife Yvonne's house. These two architects wonderfully spared their long weekend to show me around two Swiss cities- Lucern and Bern. The best guides I must say. Then later invited me to their lovely Swiss Chalet (yes you read that right) to stay the night. Yvonne offered to make me traditional Swiss fondue for dinner. I never really had proper fondue- always some version of it. In America, dipping anything on a long stick in melted edible liquid would be considered fondue. As I always say- I have much much to learn.

Fondue is to be had around a table out of a community pot. Many fun games are played such as if you lose your bread in the cheese- buy a round of drinks for the table or kiss your neighbor.

So here is the real deal. Enjoy! Must try when in Switzerland.

Ingredients:

Fondue Cheese- Moitié-moitié (or half 'n half): Gruyère and Fribourg Vacherin

Minced garlic

White wine

a pinch of nutmeg

Pepper

For dipping:

Warmed bread cut in chunks for dipping

Pickled Gherkins

Onion

Garlic

Sour Kirsch liquor

Some good pepperoni

Some picked baby corn

Drink on the side:

The remaining white wine

Grappa

And some freshly brewed tea. 

In a communal pot or a caquelon (Yvonne had a gorgeous ceramic coated one) throw in some minced garlic, and the fondue cheese. On a low heat, slowly start to break the cheese and let it melt. Stir slowly and continuously as its starts to melt to make sure there are no chunks. Add some white wine to thin its consistency. Also add some herbs or chili flakes for flavor. Yvonne kept it simple.

At the dinner table the caquelon is placed on a spirit lamp so that it does not thicken or burn and slowly stays warm. It is this hot lovely melted cheese that dreams are made of. As you dip your bread using a fondue fork, stir it well in the cheese and do not lose the bread in the cheese. 

A long fondue fork is used to pick the bread and dip it in the cheese. Sour Kirsch makes a strangely bitter but sweet delicious dip to soak the bread in. Its alcohol hits the brains right away. The bread dipped in kirsch dipped in the fondue cheese was the strangest, yet a delicious experience. Slowly got very addictive. It was just warm and creamy and the kirsch was bitter and robust. 

We had shots of Grappa along with our fondue. Raajesh explained that the Grappa helps cut through all the fat and cheese and helps with digestion. Basically, it helps you sleep better. At the bottom you get a lovely crisp, browned layer of the cheese, called  la religieuse (French for the nun), its almost burnt but incredibly delicious like a thin cracker.

Finally green tea- helps keep the cheese liquid that the stomach can digest. 

Yvonne made some lovely dessert next. Frozen raspberries which were picked from their garden, heated into a bubbly red sauce on the stove, served with Vanilla icecream and shavings of dark chocolate. Perfect end to the most perfect day in the Swiss Alps. I wondered how they can stay fit with all this cheese, chocolate and milk. Well if you had to climb mountains everyday your body too would need all this fat.

Important tip:

One must take care not to drink cold water..or one will end up with a lump of cheese in the stomach. 

Chai!

2011-08-16T05:16:00.008+09:00

Chai! Garam Garam! Close your eyes and think about it. Its raining, lush green all around and a steaming hot cup of tea. I read this post called Ginger a few days back and as I sat behind my glass walls in Goregaon, with the rain beating down hard, I craved for a hot cup of 'cutting chai' rich with ginger.

This weekend mom, dad and I took time away from this mad city and drove up to Lonavala. We stayed at a friend's bungalow up a hill in Khandala. Just at the turn of the hill was this little chai stand. This woman and her daughter with big smiles were boiling up a large pot of tea. "I want mine without sugar". She smiled and said ok. She took some ginger and smashed it and some lemon grass and chopped it. In a big pot she boiled some tea leaves, and threw in the ginger, lemongrass and some chai masala (cardamom), and boiled and stirred adding some milk and stirred it some more. Then poured the hot, fresh, without sugar tea in the tiny glass glasses that are made specially for all the little chai stands all over the country. Millions of them - Im sure are made.

BLISS. It was raining and we stood under the plastic covers of her little tea stall as she carried on making aloo vadas for her customers. Yes- hot tea with spicy vada pav. The perfect combination in all this rain, fog and mist. Ginger. I sipped on this slightly spicy, sweetly aromatic with the delicacy of the lemongrass leaves in the tea. Ginger. I peeled away and found this rich, verdant, fertile land all around me.

Soul of Water


I constantly flow
and of mysterious depths glow.
Silent – a power I know
stopped – powerful I grow.


I don a colour
every hour
when it is light
and can be darker than the night.


In passing, I change
desert into verdant range
in being the elixir
for everything living.


I was born,
to bear life on
rise, ebb, freeze, thaw; be
the very soul of life.

                                                                             -by Anand Vishwanadha

This gorgeous poem was shared by the poet himself. Do check out his book Moving On. 

Anand is a poet, photographer and an avid motorcyclist who loves to travel the far ends of this country. He is also the author of the book Moving On- a collection of poems and writes a really cool blog.

When in AMSTERDAM..

2011-08-16T03:09:00.003+09:00

You do as the Amsterdammers do...
Of course - how could the Amsterdam experience be complete without an evening spent in one of the coffee shops. Really the Amsterdam cafes serve alot more than just coffee. After an entire day of museuming that included the Vangogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum- with amazing traditional Dutch Art, the De Nieuwe Kirk- which had a fantastic World Photo exhibit , the Foam Museum- strange but housed in a canal home which was a treat to explore, Irene and I dragged our tired legs to a cafe off the street of Leidsestraat.
Here are some images of the street. Some really cool shops- clothing, coffee, the Amsterdam Shoe, as strange food store, a fruit store with Thai fruits that I love, a Starbucks- yes I know its almost exotic and a very cute post card shop.

the coolest door knob- like from Labyrinth

Cereal

the Amsterdam shoe store

All sizes

The cute little object store

Paraplu- Im the purple one.

We finally decided to rest our tired legs. Walked into a cafe, purchased a 14 Euro ball of Marijuana, where Irene proceeded to roll a joint. A first one for her and me in many many years (not sure how uncool or cool I sound here). The bartender was mighty impressed with her thin, long joint rolling skills. I was just happy to be there - to share this evening with her.

The chandelier above us

Our stash

Rolling tightly

The lovely matchbox

Long thin and elegant

I was thrilled to know that you could smoke your joint and walk around outside. We did just that. We walked around high, happy, giggly. The colors enhanced or maybe they always are. I did not feel as tizzy as Irene did but I did feel very spirited, happy, a bit numb the realization that it was my last evening with my dear friend. It was almost dark- a day well spent in Amsterdam. Tomorrow I fly to Berlin to fly to Zurich. I just wanted to soak it all.

Beautiful canal home

Irene

Crazy diva snails

Lego head

Beautiful signage

Exquisite detail in the glass window.

Not sure what it says- lovely fly motif brand

Strange fantastic graffiti

The sweet little cafe

Coen

Philip

Irene

Schuim

The lovely Irene. I miss you much.

Found the cafe where Irene's brother Philip and his friend Coen were hanging at. It was a nice streetside cafe with cheap beer. It was my last evening with Irene. God knows when I will see her again. A simple gesture on my part led to a lifetime of friendship. I hope to see her soon maybe in India or some other part of the world.

There is another little place I discovered - again thanks to Irene. Its a little postcard shop on Leidsestraat. I picked some really lovely postcards and conversed shortly with the guy behind the counter. A little exchange on the blog and I think I have ended up making one of the sweetest pen friends ever. He too writes a fantastic blog called He Died For My Grins on religious specifically Christian imagery and I am stunned with the amount of 'material' there is on the web. But then again- I should not be. Actually the blog is quite hilarious and will cause involuntary giggles. Thanks Lucas for writing in..

Postcards that are more like a momento.

I AMsterdam

2011-08-13T16:45:00.004+09:00

Amsterdam almost did not happen. For some strange notion I wanted to stay on in Berlin. Well it was not a strange notion- I went on a couple of dates and it was fun and I wanted more romance. And then suddenly I realised I am giving up the opportunity to visit one of the coolest cities in the world for a date. With some sense knocked into me, Irene and I booked ourselves on a bus that left that very night and we were on our way to Amsterdam. 2 days nonetheless it was going to be an adventure. We arrived really early in the morning after a pretty bad bus ride (noisy people, 3 am immigration check etc).We headed to Diemen where Irene's brother Philip lives in a nice student housing. Yes we were crashing in the dorms! Thus began the Amsterdam adventure.
My first observations of Amsterdam- the visual graphics in public spaces were really fascinating. The exploration line and color was beautiful. From the moment we arrived at Central Station the heart of Amsterdam (looks much like VT) I was a bit like Alice in Wonderland. We walked along the canal, I had never seen anything like this. Quaint narrow homes 3- 4 storeyed high lined next to each other. Each one a different characteristic, beautiful flowers along the side of the road. These homes Irene explained were very expensive to buy or even rent. The ground floor of most of these houses were shops, cafes, restaurants, tattoo parlors. Strange kinky signs for tattoo, invitations to come in and smoke and you know exactly what. We walked down Amsterdams famous red light district, women in their underwear flashing their goods in the windows. Sin City it is, fascinating to me. I was warned not to take any pics of the women as their pimps might chase me down the street. The signages and names of streets were so diffeernt from the German ones. Double 'ee-s' and double 'oo-s' seemed to be common creating a sense of a language spoken with much emphasis.

Philips dorm building. A gorgeous riot of bright green

land of Heineken. YEA!

Irene and I bought our two day I Amsterdam card- for the trains, buses, museums- a really decent value and started with looking for a Dimsum place for lunch before we headed to the museums. Chinatown in any city in the world is always delightful. This street was narrow and filled with little windows with broiled chicken and pork, hello kitties, chinese kurtas and also a Chinese temple. Right across we settled for a seemingly decent Dimsum restaurant which served green tea with the meal. It was not expensive and eat all you can. Rice, noodles, cabbage, chicken, beef, pork and ofcourse dimsum. It wasnt the best Chinese meal but considering our hunger we gorged and were ready to start the cultural exploration. Irene's grand ma lives near Rotterdam so she has been to Amsterdam many times.

Our Chinese Buffet and Dimsum meal.

Lots of Argentinian Steak Houses- just like in Chicago

Heineken was definitely the popular beer- well it was a dutch product. Unlike the Germans, the Dutch did not seem to big on beer except for this and Amstel. Despite knowing from friends who had been here about the cannibis cafe scene in Amsterdam, each time we passed a cafe, my jaw would drop at the familiar smell and watching people just sitting around and smoking pot. The pace was slow in Amsterdam- no one seemed to be in rush to get to places.

Irene picked us some sweet buns from here. A place she frequented in her childhood.

More traditional Dutch food. The salted herrings, an array of cheese, smoked salmon, the shrimps in olive oil.

Man with the strange camouflage jacket and lavender crocs.

Most decked up bicycle

Lovely Delft Blue tiles

One of my life's dreams was to visit Rembrandt's home in Amsterdam. Its amazing to walk around this well preserved home which served as his living space, his studio, his meeting room with clients. We also attended the print making workshop where we saw Rembrandt's technique. Of all the painting I loved were his portraits of the rich and powerful men, looking slightly down at him - the lighting across their face creating magic- dark to light and his collection of strange objects.

Self Portrait - Rembrandt

Self Portrait- me

The Printmaker

Bicycle city- watch out or you will be run over.

Cute half car

psychedelic cafe

Psychedelic healing books

Because the stairwell would be too narrow to carry furniture so each house was provided these cantilevered hooks to help pull the furniture up using a rope. This system is still in use.

Amsterdam's uber famous Red Light distract. I got flashed at by a woman in the window. Erotic museum, sexy tattoo parlor, toy shop etc.

We met up with Philip and his friends at Cafe Greenhouse where I had my first outdoor pot smoking in public experience. Aah the bliss of Amsterdam.

As the afternoon went on, Irene and I decided to cash in on our canal ride. As you can see every bit of Ansterdam was fascinating me. Flowers on the bicycle handle bars, cobbled street, old church that was de-religionised, houses along the canal, strange Australian tourist- raving about the cost of the 'Charlie'.

Aha- Burgers in a vending machine. I had seen this on the travel channel on Japan. Febo!

And finally our late evening canal ride with the sun going down.

No standing on the table

Fairy tales on the building tops

My friend Prashant will be showing his film Patang in this very theater this week.

Vondelpark (named after the poet Joost van den Vonde as my Dutch friend Lucas informed me) a great place to catch cinema in the Amsterdam. Alas it was closed when we got there so we just hung outside under the trees staring the sky as night fell creating silhouettes and shadows. I smiled. I am so glad I came to Amsterdam. A must see, still had not tried any real Dutch food but the city was so intense it was hard not to enjoy its energy. Tourist yes, photographs a plenty, but I Amsterdmmed!

Aloo Tikkis for the Mumbai Food Blogger's Potluck

2011-08-01T13:59:00.004+09:00

This has been the craziest week at work. Despite a trip to Pune that was spent holed up in a windowless conference room with stale sandwiches and bad coffee and did I mention a barking client. Yes. Such can be life. The remainder of the week involved spending every other night in the office working till 4 am almost. Friday night took the cake. As I worked through the night, I saw people post pictures of the Coke Studio performance at the hard Rock Cafe. FML!. No wait I dont have a life, I was in the office still with a thunderstorm outside. At 4 am I left- no cabs, no Meru, no Easy. I walked to the highway hoping a miracle would happen when I saw a BEST bus hurtling towards me. It came to screeching stop drenching me with a big splash of water. I got on and it continued to hurtle to wards Mulund. Lets just say, getting a ricksha at Mulund was another ordeal but all said and done I found myself under the dry, warm cosy covers of my bed by 6am. So when i woke up finally at 1pm feeling like I had been hit by a brick, I decided I will go for the Mumbai Food Potluck but I will not attempt something too fancy (initial plan) but make something tried, tested and definitely delicious. I also wanted to make something vegan, a concept I was aware of for many years but truly appreciated it over lunch with Sunshine Mom.

So I went for something traditional and that always been a hit. Well I asked mom if she would help me make her famous Aloo Tikkis. Mom is from Agra and let me tell you- the best North Indian street chaat is from Agra. Dilli wallas might argue but Im willing to bet on it.

So here they are - Mom's wonderful Aloo tikki. I decided to make a onion tomato green chili kachumber with it, green cilantro chutney and a spicy peanut chutney. My mouth is salivating just writing these words. I wonder whats happening to you?

Ingredients:

For the tikki (patty)

Boiled potatoes (we did 2 kgs)

Salt

Red Chili powder

3 slices of day old bread

For the stuffing:

Peas

Corn

Ginger

Green Chilies

Cilantro

Masala- dhaniya powder, chili powder, amchur,

Papas Magic Masala.

Some oil traditionally made in ghee I went with an olive oil (vegan remember)

And a big smile :).

The stuffing

Mash the Potatoes

Use a rolling pin to mash the peas and corn.

Pepper overlooking dadi mashing the potatoes. He always supervises in the kithen. After all he is the expert cook.

Add a generous amount of chili powder and salt to the potatoes

Wet the bread in water and mash it and add it to the potatoes. This makes a great binder.

Add all the masala to the stuffing including Papa's Magic Masala

Mix the potatoes well, it should be of a very smooth consistency.

Make a small shallow cup like shape with the potatoes

Spoon the filling in.

Carefully fold the edges over

Flatten, there should be no hint of the stuffing outside.

On a shallow pan with little Olive Oil and a very low heat start to cook the tikkis

Filp once one side is a nice brown. This will take a good 20 min one each side with low heat.


The tikkis are ready.

The skin is crispy on the outside, gooey mashed potato and finally the stuffing of peas and corn and ginger gives the perfect kick to these tikkis. Its hard to stop eating them when you start. Cant stop at just one.

of course these go beautifully with freshly made dhaniya (cilantro), chutney. A quick blend of cilantro, ginger, lots of green chilies, salt and red chili powder. Blend and squeeze an entire lemon into it. you can add mint to add an element of coolness.

For the incredible peanut chutney. I got this recipe from my cool & talented intern at work. Thanks Shravi.

Ingredients:

Peanuts

Green chilies

garlic

salt

Saute the green chiles and garlic. In the same pan saute the peanuts. Stir continuously.

Take the mix and pound in a mortar and pestle or on the stone or in a blender till almost smooth but grainy. Add some cilantro for a fresh green flavor. Delicious.

The Turkish Market

2011-07-21T16:33:00.000+09:00

The Turkish connection is not done yet. On my last day inBerlin (yes that had to come too) I visited the Turkish street market- acomplete visual delight. I might have to post many pictures here too. My friendJiten wrote to me that it was a must see. I read about it on Berlin.Unlikewhich I found a very helpful site and this lovely article - When in Berlin.. I got off at the Schonstrasse stop and walked towards the Landwehrkanal. The market is a half mile- long along this canal. This area was part of former East Berlin, now a very young hip areacalled Kreuzberg. The buildings were beautiful- large, imposing Pre-war 4 storeyapartments with gorgeously decorated Art Nouveau and Deco facades with exquisite details. The beauty ofthe Berlin prewar homes is that they are spacious and highly subsidized to livein.

The Turkish Market is a very popular for cheap and fresh shopping foreverything ranging from household knick knacks to the freshest fruits vegetables, meats and fish. Bales of fabric, shoes, ear rings, cheeses, cold cuts, hams, proscuittos, salamis,dates, walnuts, jellybeans, spinach wraps, feta and bean wraps, sesame crustedbreads, Turkish sugar and marshmellow candies, minced meat pies, even southafrican food, - corn meal, fried chicken and beans. Fresh fruit juices andsmoothies, fish, sardines calamari, clams, oyesters, a variety of olives,pates, sundried tomatoes, cherries, watermelons, bright red plum tomatoes,mushrooms and eggplants. The strangest colorful objects such as doorknobs, sandals,bangles, scarves, leather wallets and purses skirts, spools of threads,knitting wool, Turkish tunics and shiny fabrics. A feast of colors and texturesand smells and sounds and languages. Not only did my ears constantly tune inand out of the German language which I was finding quite lovely but mixed inwith Arabic it was quite a treat. I walked down the tiny aisle on the sidewalkflanked with little stalls on either side watching people, haggle, buy, laugh,eat, drink, talk, chat with each other. Every time I clicked a photo peoplewould pose and smile - it was a Friday afternoon. Everyone was relaxed- acouple of paces slower than anywhere I had been before. It was a pace thatsuited me well. Was this really the hardworking, super conscious of time withcutting edge technology Germany that I had always heard of. I could see myselfhere- in this space and time, buying fresh food from this Turkish market,cooking meals for friends- speaking fluent German (sigh), making art, hangingwith some of the graffiti kids, dancing to repetitive beats-the music thatrocks this city. Ah Berlin!

Wraps of fresh arugula, spinach, feta and tomatoes. Toastedto perfection, a wonderful snack to walk around with.

I sat on this deck space in the middle of the market andenjoyed my plate of spicy Ghanian food. There were many young people here.Playing music, picnicking on breads and cheese and of course beer. It was avery pleasant afternoon. Who were these kids? Why were they free in the middleof a Friday afternoon to sit and enjoy and relax and hang out with their friends.Lovely little dog came and joined me playing with everyone.

As the sun went down on my last day in Berlin. Lightstreaming through the green leaves I walked back to my friends Ruturaj andRia's place to spend my last evening in Berlin. Sigh!

Megs makes Inspired from Doner - Lamb Kebab Burgers

2011-07-20T04:49:00.001+09:00

I got a note from my best friend Meghna that read:

"Inspired - I'm making Indian style mince lamb patties and sticking them in a bun with tomatoes, onions, feta, olives, green chutney etc etc. then just to enjoy them for what they are, I shall eat the lamburgers on their ownsome. (Indian style= onions chillies papa masala (my dad sent some for her) mint cilantro etc etc. see its going to be overload night)."

The pictures she sent me later don't need any explanation to her process. Looks truly delectable. Megs I wish I could come over for dinner.

Enjoy- its a visual treat and honestly very easy to follow and make. YUM!

A Berlin Invention- The Doner Kabab

2011-07-19T13:45:00.004+09:00

My love affair with Turkish food started in 2000 in NYC when i was young, poor intern. I dicovered $2 Falafel sandwiches in a pita at the legendary Mamouns. Thus began the exploration of the cuisine, gyros, humus, babaganoush, grape leaf rolls, pine nuts, and so much more.
My sister tipped me to eat at the Donar Kebab places outside the subway stations. Turns out the Doner is Berlin's most popular fast food. They are cheap, good and very filling.
I requested my Berliner friend Alexej who lived in the trendy Neu Koln area to take me to his favourite Donar place. And that he did. He explained to me that Turkish immigrants had been invited to Germany during the 60s after the war as Guest Workers as there was a shortage of labor. Here they establised large communities especially in big cities like Berlin and adapted their food and created uniquely Berlin- Turkish cuisine. The Donar sandwich in Berlin is one such speciality. What makes this Doner different from the rest- Well the Turkish doner is mostly lamb. Germans prefer a mix of veal and chicken. Instead of the traditional hummous and tahini sauces the Germans make their Doner with hot sauce (scharfe Soße), herb sauce (Kräutersoße), garlic sauce (Knoblauchsoße), or yogurt (Joghurtsoße) in any no. of combinations. They also serve it mit pommes or with fries instead of the salad. In a thin nicely toasted, crispy, sesame encrusted pita bread lay the gyro meat or shwerma , yogurt with garlic sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, hot sauce, and tahina. Fold it and serve. You have a massively beautiful Donar sandwich. Alexej told me that the doner in Berlin is probably more popular than the hamburger. Wah!

Berlin's beautiful NeuKoln area

The courthouse

Gorgeous veal rotating roast

Sauces and other meats

Grilled fish

Rice pudding a bit like kheer

Tomatoes, lettuce, thin slices of Shwerma, garlic and yogurt sauce, all wrapped in one crunchy, sesame laden thin pita bread. Since we were sharing - no hot sauce.

Alexej- my lunch date and tour guide for the day. A true Berliner- born and brought up in Berlin. A rarity I believe.

A testament to how good the sandwich was. Great hangover food!


Spelling my name to a foreigner. The Y always throws people off.

Adventures of the Thai park, the Best Ramen Noodles and A Not so great Korean Bibimbap

2011-07-10T22:07:00.007+09:00

It would seem like I am somewhere in East Asia but as a matter of fact I am still in Berlin (well actually I am back in Bombay now). Irene's friend Ringo told us about this park outside Berlin where the Thai community congregates and picnics. Thai aunties cook copious amounts of homemade Thai curries and fish and sell it to the people who come to the park. The three of us decided to head over there on Saturday evening. I told this to some of the Berliner folks I was hanging with. No one seemed to have heard about this mysterious park.
It took me a couple of Metros to get to Pruessenpark. Surprisingly this was a hugely popular park on a Saturday evening. The place was abuzz with Thai families. Teenagers playing frisbee and ball games. Thai aunties with little grill frying up different types of fish, prawns. There were large bowls of soups, curries, sticky rice. And my favourite the tapioca, red bean, jelly coconut milk icy drink.

I chatted with some of the ladies. They were reluctant to let me photograph them. One them told me she has been coming here for 16 years. That the police does show up and they all just hide the money and pretend it is a family picnic. It has been the practice for many many years. She could not recall how far back the Thai community of Berlin had been congregating at the park. She did smile and say - More people here than Buddhist Temple.

Thai fried fish, fried chicken

The famous Thai mortar and pestle

Thai candy

Liver? Heart? Testicles?

My favourite tapioca, fruity, corn, beans, coconut icy drink

Irene's lovely bangles and our very colorful rug

Barbequed chicken or pork?

A pho kind of chicken soup

Vietnamese spring rolls

The lady I chatted with requested me not to take pictures of the park. I wish I had photos to share with you how wonderfully colorful this picnic was.
Can someone translate for me please. I saw this on the way to Pruessenpark

On another night after experiencing the beautiful Sauna performance by my host Peter, which I will have to write about in a separate post, we (Peter, Ringo, Joey, Irene and I) headed out to this Ramen Noodle place another recommendation by Ringo. This place was quite simple and lovely and was called Next to and the restaurant it was next to was called Kuchi. So the story goes that Kuchl has been a very popular Sushi restaurant in Berlin so the Ramen Noodle bar which is fairly new decided to call itself Next To. Clever. Another lovely feature was that all the bowls, plate, glasses, were hand made japanese ceramics and wooden spoons. They have a lovely backyard with benches.

It was a beautiful night. We ordered Edemame beans and ramen soup. Ringo and I ordered the Tonkotsu soup and the rest the Miso soup. Ringo promised me it is a soup I will not forget with slices of pork and a nice chunk of pork belly that has been cooked for over 12 hours. The broth is basically made with boiling the bones for several hours. Can I tell you by far the most beautiful soup I have ever had. EVER. There were sprouts, vegetables, boiled egg, slices of pork, seaweed, miso, ramen noodles of course and a sexy piece of pork belly. The noodles wrapped in basil leaves with the flavorings of this perfect broth was lovely to slurp. The broth reminded me why all the times I have looked for comfort in my food.

I looked into my soup and smiled savoring every bite. I took a small bite of the belly, it melted. It was delicate, soft and succulent. I sighed. Ringo was watching me and smiled giving me the see I told you look. Joey- Peter's friend a photographer helped my food pose for me. Later we ordered a large bowl of green tea ice-cream. We sprinkled the sesame seeds generously on the ice cream. The conversation light and fun. Another night where I felt completely at home in Berlin - a real Berliner. After dinner we got on bicycles and headed back home where we some more wine- I for a change stuck to trying another German beer.

Our merry group

Joey and Ringo

Edemame beans

Peter explaining the edemame

Boiled egg in the Miso soup.

Joey posing with the soup

'Im in love with you' Pork belly

The Tonkotsu soup

The Ramen Noodle Soup

Peter- A lovely hand made ceramic mug.

Save the best for last

Green tea ice cream

Irene!

The walls were made of printed wooden plywood planks. More translations in order.

The soup prep bar

My soup

Handmade ceramic bowls

The other soups

The last meal I want to write about in this post was really my first dinner in Berlin. Irene and I went to Cafe Yam Yam a Korean cafe near our home. We ordered a beef Bibimbap and a seafood Korean pancake. The bibimbap was alright. It had all the ingredients, the beef slices, the shredded vegetables, sprouts, carrots, eggs, rice, sesame. The Korean pancake with seafood was very greasy. The interiors were delightful though. It was my first dinner in Berlin- I really could not complain. I was there with the lovely Irene staying at her friend Peter's who lived in a remarkable artist community and had a lofted bathtub. He lent me his bicycle so I could get around Berlin. The building had beautifully graffiti all over it. One evening I found two musicians playing on the landing above our floor. The sound echoed beautifully throughout the halls. Such will be my memory of Berlin and Berliners. Life in a fairytale land of slightly rebellious and proudly poor youngsters.

The Bibimbap and iced tea

Loft or Love. (convert into upscale condos or leave it for the squatters) Liebe Liebe Liebe I say!

The Peter's Apartment building:

The view from my room and my bed

the neighbours wall

the gorgeous staircase.

The breath taking mind-blowing Tacheles right next to Peter's

Finally I leave you with this beautiful piece that these two musicians were playing on the landing as their friend video-graphed them. The sound is still embedded in my memory. For me its the Berlin piece.

Soy Milk Lattes and A lovely Cafe

2011-06-24T03:45:00.003+09:00

I fell in love with Soy milk lattes in Berlin. Yummy, creamy, frothy, and yet so light. The Soy milk is a nice substitute to milk which can make a tall glass of Latte very heavy. But the soy milk- much lighter still gives that creamy satisfaction of hot milk in my coffee. Of course it was not the first time I had Soy Milk. But I hated the smell of the Soy Milk in Chicago let alone let it come close to my coffee. Once I think my soymilk curdled and I had tofu falling into my cereal bowl. I try soy milk for no reason apart from maybe some health benefits. I love my milk. A good glass of cold milk takes care of every craving. But I had a change of heart with the Soy Milk in Berlin. My hosts and friends all seemed very happy with Soy Milk so I thought to give it a try as well. I guess the Germans have figured out how to make it really tasty. And soy milk lattes were my morning indulgences.
I came across this lovely cafe - St. Oberholz on my way to the train stop Rosenthaler Platz. The simple white facade and the stenciling of the cow and bear is what caught my eye. After a lovely night out with a friend, I decided to check out the cafe for my morning allowance and a brunch sandwich before I hit the town to see more museums and galleries.
The large windows, lots of natural light, a winding staircase, a red wall with the behind of a cow painted on it. Upstairs there were many people hanging with their Macs and lattes. The windows had a fun rounded shape looked on to the lovely street outside. Across the street was the Circus Hostel which has a beautiful facade as well. The graphics were strange and eye catching. I loved this cafe- St. Oberholz. If I had more hours in my day to just hang out and enjoy the mornings, I would spend them here. When in Berlin do give the Soy Milk Lattes a try.

Beautiful street art

The view from my friends apt

St. Oberholz

Horse- check out the windows

Bear!

The soy milk latte

The charming space

Fun illustrations

Beautiful hardwood staircase

Coffee and a olives, cheese and salami panini

Absolutely delicious

Beautiful couple. Gorgeously styled dress

The lovely windows

A perfect place to spend the day with your Apple

The lovely graphical facade of the Circus Hostel.

Large arch

Big Community tables to sit at and work

Beautiful white facade with black trim

Cock- maybe someone can translate what it says below

The doorway around the corner

My walk back home.

Car advertising for Circus berlin!