Food Rhapsodies- All things food this week

2015 Reading Challenge: I'd Sooner Starve

I enjoy books about food, restaurants and the cooking experience. In fact one of the books I have written about at length on this blog is As Always Julia- a series of letters written by Julia Child to Avis de Voto. I read Julie and Julia at a stretch like it was an un-putdown-able mystery novel. I am not the biggest fan of Madhur Jaffrey's anglicized Indian recipes, but I love her book ' Climbing the Mango Trees'. As it promises, it conjures up those memories of childhood memories in India, of the endless summers, the long vacations and stolen fruit. But most important of all the great homemade meals that cooks, aunts, grandmothers and mothers rustled up to feed the huge hoards in the joint families of those days.

Anyway, I'm more of a personal memoir reader rather than a restaurant experience reader. Case in point, it took me some effort to get through Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain and this other book Cooking Dirty: a story of life, sex, love and death in the kitchen. They are both written in a wry dry fashion which is generally my style. But when it comes to cooking memoirs I would always pick a fat round jolly chef than a cynical one. :)  So anyway, the book that I read now was neither here nor there.

I'd Sooner Starve is a book written by a man who owns a restaurant after years of working in a PR firm. He also doubles up as one of the chefs and a "floorwalker". This is a rollicking read of all the experiences he has with his stubborn diners and crazy deli customers. He encounters people who want to get broken olive oil bottles replaced for free, pensioners who think free Wifi is a biscuit and who frustrate him with their attempts to get into fully booked restaurants with the promise of buying a lot of wine.

It is a hilarious book filled with funny incidents with the author admitting his own culpability in several of them. There are some which are downright disgusting, filled with patronizing cliches from the customer. The chronicles of the food wasters, the single coffee orders and the annoyances of scaling up your business and ending up with disillusionment finally. The book is probably a great guide as to how not to behave in a restaurant, it ends on a sober note but is chock a block with laugh out loud cases.

Starting Salads:

Armed with a packet of cherry tomatoes, that were finally stocked at the hypermart near my house, and a strong new year resolution to go on a diet and eat healthier, I started inventing and eating salads this week. I have discovered a whole new appreciation for my taste tolerance. I have managed to incorporate fruits, seeds, sour, sweet and spicy, raw and cooked all in the same salad and still end up eating it.

So my first invention went something like this:

1. 3/4 of a green apple chopped up

2. 7-8 halved cherry tomatoes sauted in olive oil and italian dried herbs

3. 2 slices of chopped bread- also sauted with 2 if u wish

4. 3-4 pieces of roast garlic

5. Fistful of sunflower seeds

6. A drizzle of olive oil 

7. Salt and pepper ground onto the mixture

8. 1/2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar

Second one involved store bought ingredients:

1. A fistful of shelled pista nuts

2. A fistful of cranberries

3. 2 Tbsp of Italian Dressing

4. A drizzle of olive oil

5. 5-6 halved cherry tomatoes 

6. one boiled egg chopped up

Tomorrow, I am thinking chickpeas. I never thought my interest in cooking would turn into mad scientististry with me grabbing random things from the refrigerator. But let us see how long this fad of mine lasts. Probably until my salads get too crazy and start tasting weird.

Battambang, Cambodia- A Pleasant Side Note

Battambang,Cambodia is a place of contrasts. It is located in the lush countryside surrounded by villages, and yet is the second largest urban center in Cambodia next to Phnom Penh.  It has been a center of trade and development for a very long while. Battambangian rice is prized all over Cambodia and locals can be found transporting sacks of it to their respective locations. This town was the cause of a great deal of strife between Thailand and Cambodia with Thailand seizing control over the territory until resolved by the Allied Forces after World War II.

Battambang even has a story about its name. It means "Loss of Stick". There is a statue dedicated to this story on the outskirts of the town and you encounter this smiling villain as you enter or leave the town. Yes, you read that right, there is a statue to the villain of the piece. The story goes that there was a king who ruled over this province. One day a cowherd discovered a stick which gave him superpowers and thus he was able to overthrow the king and establish himself on  the throne. It was then prophesied that a holy man on a white horse would lead to his defeat. The cowherd went about systematically destroying all such holy men and at last a holy man did arrive on a white horse and steal his stick. It was none other than the son of the deposed king. The cowherd was left to lament his loss of a kingdom due to the loss of a stick leading to the name Battambang. The whole town is dotted with such strange statues, one of which looked like a mixture of Buddha, Vishnu and Shiva.

The first thing that strikes you about Battambang is how almost every hotel is located on the river and almost every government building most definitely is. You can find the remains of French shop fronts huddled over the present day shops, most of which seem to be selling wooden shrines or complicated cross stitch templates. The cross stitch templates were put into extensive use by the shopkeepers we encountered at the Psar Nath or the Central Market. The Central Market in Battambang is definitely reminiscent of the one in Phnom Penh, both built by French, though at a smaller scale and closer to the ground. The market was different from the ones in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap that were definitely positioned towards the tourists. This one was all for the locals. Even before you walk in you are assaulted by a variety of sights and smells- some familiar and some strange. Peeled coconuts, black long fish laid out in rows, vegetable sellers, people selling seafood crispies- the list goes on and of course like any self respecting tropical market it has its share of mango, tamarind and amla vendors on the street.

 So, lot of tourists don't come to this town, but here are some reasons why you shouldn't give Battambang a miss.

1. The Norrie or the Bamboo Train- The remains of a past era when according to my tuk tuk driver and guide it took 17 hours to go from Battambang to Phnom Penh. This now runs only from Battambang to a tiny village about 20 minutes. It's a single track train which now runs on a motor but was previously operated by hand. When two trains heading in opposite directions meet, the one with the lighter load has passengers disembark and they dismantle the train to allow the other to pass. A bumpy and beautiful ride.

2. Beautiful side trips on the countryside on a tuk-tuk to Wat Ek Phnom and the Bat Caves: I didn't make it to the top of Wat Ek Phnom. But the sunset view of the bat cave and the hourly ritual of bats leaving the cave is one no one should miss. There are a lot of people who annoy the bats by whistling and clapping to disrupt their movement. But the bats inevitably find their way back to the flock. We witnessed a great purple sky sunset and the exodus of workers into packed trucks and carts from the factories around Battambang.

3. Take pictures along the river and walk. You can find a play ground for children right next to the river and benches if you want to rest your feet. Feast your eyes on French architecture which turns out to be the Electricity Board or the bank. Take squiggly light pictures of the pretty lit up hotels on the river side.

4. See how real people live. This is not a town filled with tourists. You see real people going about their lives and you will probably be one of the attractions if you are from a non-European country.

5. Last but not the least, go for the food. Jaan Bai is a restaurant run by underpriveleged children and serves yummy food even for vegetarians. It was some of the best food I have had anywhere in the world. And one should not miss trying these miniature Battambangian oranges. They are awesomely sweet and thirst quenching, perfect for the hot days in Cambodia.

The best way to get to Battambang from Siem Reap or Phnom Penh is by mini bus. I tried the bus and it was average but the mini bus was more comfy especially if you travelled up front. Hotels can help make your bookings if you call the reception in advance and most of them also pick you up from the bus stand. All in all Battambang is the perfect mix of urban and rural, tourism and life in general which makes it a great break for a couple of days.

How the Year Started or my Veg Kofta Saga

This year started quietly for me like most years. I have hardly been one for new year parties so it's not unusual for me to have a quiet start to the year. I did make a resolution which is not a resolution- to not change anything about myself which destroys the aim of a New Year resolution.

Anyway, that aside, I started this year with some cooking. That basically ensured that I did not even chop up an onion for the rest of the week. Cooking is either appetite based or mood based for me. I would never cook for the rest of my life if food was put in front of me everyday and if it was interesting food. It is always the latter that inspires me to cook and bake, to make food interesting.I started off with an old recipe with a new twist. Vegetable Koftas were something I tried about a year ago when my mother was out of town. I made a huge box of Vegetable Kofta Curry which was promptly devoured at lunch by the rest of my team. I have been subjected to empty flattery ever since requesting a repeat of the dish. I being lazy me did not want to make it. But finally the other day, I bought a packet of paneer and decided to try making deep fried koftas. Yes, I was a wuss last time and did not dare to deep fry anything. So anyway, with a great deal of help from my mother and my refrigerator I ended up with great looking koftas ( mostly) and mom even recycled the leftovers as vegetable cutlets the next day.

On my kitchen counter:

Handful of peas

7-8 cauliflower florets- par boiled and grated

One carrot- grated

About 100g of paneer grated

2 potatoes boiled

Bread crumbs

Salt

Green Chillies- 2 chopped

Red Chilli Powder

Turmeric

Jeera Powder

Amchur

Coriander Powder

Kitchen King Masala

2 Onions

3 Tomatoes 

Ginger Garlic Paste

Garam Masala

Corn Flour

Bread Crumbs

Coriander leaves- chopped

1-2 Cloves

A small piece of cinnamon

A small piece of bayleaf

Jeera

How to make this curry:

1. Start with some oil in a pan, add green chillies and saute them for couple of minutes. Add peas and some water and cook until the peas are boiled.

2. Grate the parboiled cauliflower and add to the pan along with the grated carrots. Add turmeric powder, salt, chilly powder, jeera powder, coriander powder, amchur  and a pinch of garam masala and mix well.

3.  Saute until all the vegetables are cooked and do not retain too much water. This is to make the forming of the koftas easier.

4. Combine the grated paneer, mash of the boiled potatoes and the bread crumbs and corn flour along with coriander leaves. Take the mixture in step 3 and allow it to cool before kneading it together with the above mixture.

5. Shape into small spheres between your hands and deep fry the Koftas in oil and drain excess oil on a tissue and allow to rest.

If koftas begin to break when you are frying them, give them an additional coating of bread crumbs and place in fridge to set before frying again. If your oil has crumbly bits, filter it before continuing with your frying. Try to make it homogenous on the outer layer by mashing up the peas or pushing them to the center of the kofta, else you might have a case of exploding peas.

6. The curry is quite straight forward. Add jeera and allow it to splutter. Add cloves, bayleaf and cinnamon.

7. Add ginger garlic paste and chopped/pureed onions and fry until it is well cooked.

8. Place tomatoes in boiling water and allow them to cook. Remove the skin and puree.

9. Add puree to step 7. Add turmeric, jeera powder, coriander powder, kitchen king masala, chilli powder and salt. Mix well.

10. When the tomato starts to exude oil, add water and oil to bubble and boil.

11. When the curry boils and reduces add a dollop of cream and mix well.

Just about 1/2 hr before you eat, remember to add the koftas to the curry and mix carefully without mashing them. Also avoid soaking them for too long as they will break apart and make a mess of your gravy.

This hot dish can be enjoyed with steaming phulkas or rice, whichever way you like it.

The 2015 Book Challenge- My Year with Eleanor

The Good-reads beginning of the year book challenge is my perpetually broken new year resolution. Every year I start with an ambitious number of books that I want to read. Inevitably I start and never finish on time. My book reading habit falls along the side when I watch random series and don't take up any books. Months go by before I read a book. This year hopefully, Scribd will keep me on the straight and narrow with a book on my phone, anywhere anytime. But I decided just like many others taking up this challenge this year, that I would not challenge myself to read a large number of books, but just 75 books from which I am able to at least take away one thing, which makes me laugh, cry or inspires me. I am not going to aim to read a large number of pages like some have chosen to do- say with War and Peace or Crime and Punishment. One of the most intriguing books of all times is Antoine De Expury's Little Prince which is not longer than fifty odd pages if I am right.

So I guess, if I have 75 "Aha" moments in some way, those 75 books will make the list and I will meet my goal. I found my first 'interesting idea' book . It's a book called 'My Year with Eleanor '. The author embarks on a journey of fighting her fears inspired by a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. She goes on to read about Eleanor Roosevelt and agree and disagree with her, be inspired by her. Most of what she does is confront her anxieties and worries and discovers ways to combat them. She chooses to do this on her year transitioning from 29-30. The reading does get a bit whiny at bits, but she draws you in, makes you relate to her and you almost wish you were skydiving with her or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. It was a good beginning to the year, helped me resolve to breathe and relax when I find myself worrying about anything. It reminded me to challenge myself to do something I have never done before, each and every day of my life.

Pav Bhaji Reloaded

So this is pretty much old wine in a new bottle. A recycled post on Pav Bhaji, since I already waxed eloquent about this dish in an older post about couple of months ago. I had all the vegetables to make Pav Bhaji yesterday, thanks to my mother and I picked up some minuscule pav buns when I was out shopping for other stuff. I had one of my closest friends over yesterday for dinner on a very very hurried visit. So it is a funny story why her visit was as short as it was. She was heading down from her hotel on Richmond Road and had booked a cab with Ola. About 10 minutes past the time of arrival, she was frantically calling the cab driver to find out why he wasn't still there. Imagine her surprise when she discovered that he had already left with another passenger who had also booked an Ola. To put it in her words, the girl who took the cab also shamelessly spoke to her and said she had taken the cab and was half way to her destination. The only saving grace was that she hadn't recharged her Ola account and didn't end up paying for a trip they did not take.

So anyway, getting back to Pav Bhaji, I had a recipe which I tried the last time I blogged about it. But I wanted to do more research to oomph up the recipe. A few articles were read and a few videos were watched. The recipe I tried yesterday had a smack of authenticity because it was a video of a beach-side stall in Juhu, Mumbai. So here goes another yummy version of Pav Bhaji.

On my kitchen counter:

5 Tomatoes

3 medium sized potatoes 

Quarter of a cabbage- Finely chopped

Beans- 3/4 chopped

Carrot-1 chopped ( Too much will make it sweet)

Peas- A handful and a half

Pav Bhaji Masala

Hing

Salt

Chilli Powder

Turmeric Powder
Green Chillies-3
Ginger Garlic Paste
Oil
Butter
1 chopped onion

What you need to do:

1. Puree the tomatoes and keep aside.

2. Boil all vegetables except potatoes with some water and run through a blender to get a coarse paste.
3. Boil potatoes and mash well.
4. Chop up 3/4 green chillies. Add a mix of oil and butter in a tava and add the chillies and fry well. If you have capsicum you can add at this point and roast it until light brown.
5. Add 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste and saute well. Add the tomato puree and some more butter if needed. Allow the tomato puree to cook until it starts releasing oil. Add salt and turmeric powder at this point. Add chilli powder according to taste as well.
6. Now combine the vegetable paste and add about 2 Tbsp of Pav Bhaji Powder. Mix well and add some water. Allow to boil and cook well. Taste and add more chilli powder or salt at this point.
7. Once the vegetables are well combined and the mixture is bubbling, add the mashed potatoes and some more Pav Bhaji powder if needed and mash further to combine.
8. On another tava, heat up a Tbsp of butter. Add a tsp of ginger garlic paste, some chilli powder, salt and the chopped onions. Saute until light brown and combine with the mixture in step 7.
9. Your bowl emptyingly yummy Bhaji is ready to be enjoyed with buttered pavs.