RESTAURANT RIP OFF: BIG CHILL'S PEAR, WALNUT, BLUE CHEESE AND SUN DRIED TOMATO SALAD

If you're afraid of butter use cream.

- Julia Child

So far I've banged on and on about the value of having an outlet and the joy that having a hobby adds to our stressed, hyper extended lives. You can read about it along with a recipe for Moroccan Cauliflower and Almond Soup here. I stand by what I've said but I suppose nothing's ever that simple. Over the last two years, a lot of people have come up to me and said kind things about this silly little blog and each little pat on the back is exciting and motivates me to keep cooking, writing and posting. There's also been a lot of sarcasm and judgment that I still don't completely understand.
 
I've been accused of being anti-feminist for choosing to write about food. I've been congratulated on coming up with such a clever way of appearing eligible. Some snidely decide for me that this is a foundation an alternate career despite the fact that I've put 5 years of my sweat and tears into being a corporate lawyer. Not much sweat (we have very effective central air-conditioning in my office) but there have been instances where of sobbing into a set of board resolutions but that's another post.
 
I was initially surprised that an amateur blog with a recipe a week (at best) can generate so much negativity. There are two kinds of snarks - the first who need to believe that every effort has an elaborate concealed agenda behind it. And that the agenda is to somehow belittle them. And the other who is frightened into a reflexive state of defensive contempt at the tiniest expression of individualism.
 
I have a job and I have hobbies too. Sometimes I work very hard to get it all together. Sometimes (like this week) I get absolutely nothing done and sleep at 7:30 pm. Let's all cut each other some slack.  
 
I'm celebrating my first angry post with a recipe for this simple but AMAZING salad I always order when I go to Big Chill. When I realized I had blue cheese at home, I realized it was really easy to recreate at home!
 

 

Serves 2

Adapted from Big Chill Cafe

What you’ll need: 

Handful of Lettuce leaves (torn into shreds)

2 pears (chopped into bite size pieces)

2 -3 tbsp of blue cheese (or as much as you can handle – I put way more into my salad)
2 -3 tbsp of sundried tomatoes (sliced into slivers)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar (I used white but you can use whatever you have on hand. The darker the vinegar, the tangier and more pungent it is so if youre using apple cider vinegar or something like that you may want to try a smaller quantity first)
Salt to taste
Handful of walnuts (chopped roughly)
1 lemon (juiced)

How to:

 

1. Combine the lettuce, pears, blue cheese, tomatoes and walnuts in a salad bowl.

2. In a small bowl add the vinegar, lime juice, olive oil and salt. Mix well.

3. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, check the seasoning, adjust it if you need to and serve immediately.

SUPER HEALTHY CAULIFLOWER HUMMUS

He is no lawyer who cannot take two sides. - Charles Lamb

 

Ten Thoughts Corporate Lawyers Regularly Have

1. You did not just send me the mark up at 9:00 pm on a Friday night! &*F%^@!

2. Done with the email at 7:00 pm. I think I'll go home and send it out by 10:00 pm.

3. Maybe if I don't mark my partner on my cover up email s/he won't realize I've dropped the ball.

4. To start the email with "dear" or not? "Regards," "kind regards" or "warm regards"?

5. I wonder how may billable hours s/he racked up on that deal.

6. I took a day off last month. I wonder when is the soonest I can ask for the next day off?

7. Of course, the printer will jam when I'm trying to print on stamp paper.

8. Shit, how many days do I have left to file the Form FC-TRS/GPR.

9. When are the partners going to go home/ go on holiday/ go out for lunch?

10. One more hour till I can leave. Facebook/ instagram/ twitter/ pinterest time!

Unlike the sharp and useless thoughts of most corporate lawyers, this cauliflower hummus is crazy wholesome. Did you know cauliflowers are packed with an insane quantity of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Manganese? The vegetable also has antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties and some studies link its consumption to cancer prevention. Unfortunately it's a particularly boring vegetable and hard to make appetizing - its bland, mushy texture plays well in this hummus recipe though. This is much easier to get together than traditional chickpea hummus and tastes (okay, fine I'll be honest, almost) as good.

Serves 4

Recipe adapted from Our Fifth House

What you’ll need:

1 head of cauliflower (steamed)

1 lemon (juiced)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp garlic paste
Red chilli powder
Salt

How to:

Throw everything into a grinder and puree. Check for seasoning and adjust as per taste.

PERFECT SUMMER RECIPES!

Every summer has its own story.

I like summers. I like shorts and flip flops. I like lemonade and ice cream. I like how everything slows down because no matter how removed from reality we might be nobody can ignore the blistering heat. It's easier to get up in the morning and nothing beats falling asleep under a whirring fan. The days seem longer and it feels like the pressure is off... I don't think we ever recover from the feeling that summer means holidays.

In advance of the summer of 2014, here are five of my favorite recipes from previous summers.

 

1. Cold Cucumber and Mint Yoghurt Soup

 

2. No Bake Mango Cheesecake with Mango Jelly

 

3. Crab, Apple and Pomegranate Salad

 

4. Red Pepper and Pomegranate Molasses Dip

5. Lemon Yoghurt Marinated Chicken Kebabs

WORLD'S EASIEST COLD SOUP

“God, it was hot! Forget about frying an egg on the sidewalk; this kind of heat would fry an egg inside the chicken.”
― Rachel Caine
 

I put this recipe together last year in July and kind of forgot about it. It's 42 degrees in Delhi today and everything I've written below is ringing true again so I think this is the right time to start talking about cold soups:
 

You may have noticed there haven't been many recipes up of late. I could give you a lot of reasonable answers - work's been hectic, a lot of old friends are in town this summer, I suck at time management. All these are true but none of them are really why I've been keeping away from the kitchen.

It's the weather.

I've never thought about the weather as much as I do in Delhi. Every season seems to be competing to debilitate you. Now that the scorching, dry heat of summer seems to have faded I'm drowning in what feels like 100% humidity. My hair has taken to doing a fantastic Lion King impression and even a couple of minutes out in the sauna that is this city leaves me crying for air conditioning. Or a de-humidifier. None of this is conducive to toiling before a stove. So here's a recipe that doesn't need you to.

Lovely, cool, minty cucumber soup that you can drink by the gallon in this icky. sticky heat.

 

Serves 2

Adapted from the NYTimes

 

What you’ll need:

1 large cucumber (peeled and cut into chunks)

1 cup yoghurt
Handful of mint leaves (stripped off the stalk)
Black pepper to taste
Juice from 1 lime lemon

How to:

1. Throw everything into a mixer and mix till it’s a paste. Add water or milk if you want the mix to be more watery.

2. If you want it really smooth you can pass the soup through a sieve but I really like the texture of the little bits of mint.

3. Chill and serve garnished with mint leaves.

  

So I was looking through my notes and saw that I've done a cucumber soup before (and forgotten all about it). If you want a variation of this soup or just want to laugh at one of the first posts I put up on this blog, you can take a look here. I don't know whether to laugh or cry, it's ridden with typos and frankly just embarrassing but I guess there's a little bit of pride on how far this blog has come. Maybe next year I'll get to be embarrassed by this post.

PEANUT CHUTNEY AND THE DILEMMAS OF ONLINE SHOPPING

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”
― Napoleon Bonaparte

 

Since I'm in office pretty much the entire day on weekdays and hate shopping malls, the advent of online shopping has saved me from the shame of having to dress in tunics made of A4 sheets. The big problems with online shopping are of course that (a) you haven't really seen what you're buying, and (b) you may not want to share your debit/credit card details with every random website out there. Since I've already burnt my fingers on a lot of e-stores I thought I'd share the fruits of my (expensively procured) wisdom.

 

The Good

 

Bhane: Gorgeous, simple, largely pure cotton and entirely made in India, Bhane has rightfully been called India's answer to Gap. I'm in love with the superior quality, the functionality of design, friendly customer care and adorable packaging. I mean these guys actually use normal people for models! How can you not love them? Cash on delivery available.

 

Limeroad: A wide range of clothes, jewelry and home decor items at reasonable prices. The photos are accurate and the delivery quick. Cash on delivery available.

 

Gilt: This site has great deals on super luxurious brands like Valentino, Chanel and Hermes along with those a rung or two lower like Kate Spade, Trina Turk etc. They host flash sales with a limited number of items, the site is easy to use and the product photos/descriptions accurate. Credit Card payment only.

 

Foodesto: A good resource for most basic kitchen needs, this site has a good range of food, serving dishes and baking paraphernalia. I got my measuring spoons and cups from here and though its a little pricey they are great quality. Cash on delivery available.

 

Craftgully: A great resource for crafting materials including scrapbooking paper, beads, paints, washi tape and a whole lot more. Very useful if you have a DIY project on your to do list but don't have the time to hunt down crochet tape in the right shade of lilac. Craft gully probably has it in lilac, pale blue, pastel green and black. Cash on delivery available.

 

The Bad

 

Rooja: A strange smorgasbord of clothes and accessories, what you see here is probably not what you'll get. The photos are plenty misleading, you can expect a call a few weeks after your order informing you that your stuff is out of stock and even if you manage to get your things, the quality is nothing to throw a party about.

 

Done by None: Most of the products look tacky. I managed to find something I liked, placed my order and got a call 2 weeks later telling me half my order was out of stock. I also learned (the hard way) that their shoe sizes aren't standard and their interpretation of size 39 is atleast 1 size smaller than what my foot is used to. Anyone wear size 7 shoes? I have a pair of brand new baby blue ballet shoes for you.

 

Shop In On It: The usual bright baubles, moustache earrings, cluster necklaces and plastic bits and bobs. Nothing new or particularly exciting.

 

Looking Forward to

 

Catbird NYC: I'm in love with these delicate designs.

 

Zansaar: Hosts a really wide range of imported kitchenware with almost everything an amateur cook or baker could need. I've just placed an order for a candy thermometer and am waiting to see how this turns out.

 

Page 99: Every avid reader knows that books can be incredibly, physically beautiful. This site reminds me of walking into a dusty old bookstore filled with written treasures. An absolutely jaw dropping collection.

 
This post has been far longer and more complicated than what I usually come up with so I'll offset it with a really simple peanut chutney recipe. You probably already have all ingredients in your kitchen already and I'll eat my laptop if it takes you more than 10 minutes to make. A nicely lively chutney that you can use as a dip, sandwich spread, spread for rolls or even a thick salad dressing.

 

Serves 4

Recipe adapted from Good Food magazine

 What you’ll need:

1 cup peanuts (without that annoying skin they tend to have)
3 -4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lemon

How to:

Throw everything into mixer and pulse till you have a chutney. If you need to, add a little more olive oil to make a smooth paste. Check the taste and see if you want to add anything more. 

RITU DALMIA'S BEETROOT RAITA

"Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments."

 Bethany Frankel

 

 

 

One day a friend and I were sharing a sandwich and discussing the small parts of our day that make us happy. I'm happy when I order good coffee in college, when I get paneer sandwiches for breakfast, when I sneak a Nirula's hot fudge sundae into my day (double scoop ice cream with extra fudge and extra nuts), when I get home and get to work on this blog and when I fall asleep by 10.

 

The really big things that go right sometimes seem too complex, too hard won, and too few to really count. It's the little freebies life throws me that delight me, the weather being perfect at brunch, a dreaded meeting being unexpectedly productive, diligences getting called off (okay that may be a big one), finding no traffic when you're running late to work. Tiny, everyday, gifts of fate that let you catch your breath.

 

This Beetroot Raita happened much the same way. I made Ritu Dalmia's Prawn Biryani, found it was to be accompanied by this raita, looked in the fridge and there they were! Two gnarly looking beetroots. I'd never worked with beetroot in any form before so this seemed like an appropriate baby step. And now I'm in love. This raita will take you less than 10 minutes to make, the ingredients are inexpensive and easy to find, the sweet and tang of the gentle beet and yoghurt combination is delicious - the brilliant fuschia color is just a bonus you didn't even need to earn.  

 

Serves 2

Recipe adapted from Ritu Dalmia's Travelling Diva

 

What you’ll need:

½ cup beetroot (peeled and cubed)

2 cups yoghurt

Salt

2 tsp cooling oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

Handful of curry leaves

Couple of dry chillies

 

How to:
 

1. Puree the beetroot and yoghurt adding a little water if necessary. Mix in salt.

 2. Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and chillies when the oil is hot. Fry till the mustard seeds start to crackle. Turn off the heat and drizzle on to the yoghurt mixture.

PRODUCT REVIEW: BAMBINO READYMADE IDLI MIX

 This idli experiment was unplanned - one Sunday afternoon my brother and I were foraging around the kitchen for a snack and discovered we were out of Maggi. This turned out to be a blessing because I wouldn't have tried using this mix otherwise.

 

I can't in good conscience not mention that I would have liked the idlis to be a little softer but they're hot, quick and easy to put together and require minimal prep and ingredients. With some yoghurt and lemon juice you'll be able to whip up a batch in under 30 minutes. The best part is the ingredient list contains no artificial coloring, preservatives or other nasties.

 

Recipe from the Bambino packet

What you’ll need:
 

 

1 portion Bambino Rava Idli mixture

1 ½ portions yoghurt

Juice of ½ lime

1 -2 green chillis (chopped)

Handful of chopped cilantro leaves

 

How to :

 

Basically follow the packet instructions, but after making 2 batches this is how I figured to do it:

 

1. Add the lime juice to the yoghurt and let the yoghurt sour for 10 – 15 minutes.

 

2. Add the idli mix and stir well. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. The mix will fluff up and start to bubble gently as follows:

 

 

Note: I was worried that the mix might become lumpy but it actually stirs up into a smooth paste quite easily.

 

3. Add cilantro leaves and chillies to the batter.

 

4. Pull out your idli stand and brush down the little idli cups with some vegetable oil. Spoon in the batter and put the stand into a pressure cooker with about 2 ½ cups of water in it.

 

Note: Make sure the last rung of your idli stand is well above the water because when you shut the pressure cooker, the water will boil and bubble up. You don’t want it to mix with the idli batter – you’ll end up with a lot of sludge.

5. Take the whistling thing off the top of your pressure cooker and shut it. Let cook for about 10 – 15 minutes or till you think the water has all escaped as steam.

 

6. Pop the idlis out of the cups and serve with chutney.

 

 

DIP DE DOODLE DIP

“I believe when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade...and try to find someone whose life has given them vodka, and have a party.”
― Ron White

 

Tis' the season for Taash parties and parties mean finger food and dip - here are 5 of the Reluctant Chef's (easiest) and yummiest dip recipes!

 

1. Super Healthy Hung Curd and Creamilicious Tuna 

 

 

2. Golden Glowing Honey Mustard

 

 

3. Ultimate Lemon and Garlic Hummus

 

 

4. Virtuous Cilantro Pesto

 

 

5. Super Smooth Cauliflower

 

HOT DOGS & WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT

I believe in good food. - Bertrand Russel

 

 

Why you should be planning a movie night this weekend:

 

1. After a while all restaurants, clubs, pubs, bars, gastropubs and what have you, end up feeling like a tired (and expensive) routine.

 

2. Endless fresh popcorn.

 

 

3. You're not going to get the chance to pause, replay or fast forward a movie in a theatre.

 

4. If you're not planning a movie night for this weekend, pack a DVD, pack of popcorn, chocolate and a pair of pajamas as a gift for friend who needs some TLC. Movie night in a box!

 

My movie night box! I'm a terrible wrapper though.

 

5. By definition a movie night is about unwinding (if you had so much energy to spare why wouldn't you be out jigging it up somewhere?) so you don't need to bother with elaborate recipes, fancy cutlery or too much time spent prepping. Keep it simple stupid.

 

6. You're never going to have the same number of options in a theatre - rewatch an old favorite, set yourself up for a Tarantino marathon or giggle it up with a romantic comedy. The price of your DVD will probably be less than the cost of one ticket on a weekend.

 

7. This is one party where everyone can join in, tailor the menu and movie appropriately and you can make it about friends, family, kids or all of the above.

 

8. Movie theatre junk food is well know to be really, really bad for you. A large popcorn with butter is around 1,500 calories and a large soda contains the equivalent of 33 teaspoons of sugar. A typical movie snack combination (popcorn, soda and other junk) contains more calories than an average adult should consume in 1 day. Add to this the fact that it is really overpriced and often stale. At home you can make small choices and pick the best ingredients to make sure you keep the calorie count down and the nutrition values up.

 

I've used lean meat hot dogs with whole wheat buns to salvage these hot dogs from junk food hell.

 

What you’ll need:

 

Hot dogs

Hot dog buns

Ketchup

Mustard

 

How to:

 

Cook dogs as per package instructions, assemble. Douse with ketchup and mustard. Serve hot.

CUCUMBER FETA OPEN SANDWICHES & HOW TO PLAN YOUR MOVIE NIGHT

“I am a better person when I have less on my plate.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

 

 

 Some things to keep in mind when putting together your movie night plans:

 

1. Prep all the food and set it out at the beginning, people can walk around and serve themselves when they feel like it.

  

2. You can never have enough popcorn! Or cola!

 

3. Make sure the DVD runs in advance. Just in case, keep a back up ready if you experience technical difficulties.

 

4. Keep a lot of tissues around, if you're serving finger food, you don't want blotchy finger prints on your stuff.

 

5. With TV screens... Size does matter.

 

The most important thing though is to keep the food uncomplicated. This cucumber, feta open sandwich is a perfect, light, delicate sandwich packed with the tang of feta and the crunch and crisp of cucumber.

 

Adapted from Martha Stewart

 

What you’ll need:

Cucumber slices

Feta

Slices of Baguette

Salt and Pepper to taste

How to:

Crumble feta on to a slice of baguette, layer cucumber on top and season with salt and pepper.

CLEAN POTATO SALAD

Only a fool argues with a skunk or a mule or a cook.

- Cowboy saying

 

 

 

I went through a hectic phase recently where all my friends suddenly decided to make plans and throw parties. Simultaneously I got staffed on a difficult, new transaction and a personal project of mine started to reach fruition. For a few weeks I barely had time to breathe and I promised myself more quiet time and sleep.

 

The phase passed and suddenly the deal died, my friends ran off to do their own thing and the project stalled. Now I'm bored out of my mind and I'm irritated with myself for being bored because I know when things pick up I'll be complaining again. Actually I'm still complaining. Basically I never stop complaining.

 

Chronic discontent needs to be recognized as a serious physiological disorder because I think it's killing me. Tox/detox/retox or hyperventilate/vegetate/hyperventilate. Maybe I'm actually a tiny hamster on a very large exercise wheel, frantically getting nowhere fast.

 

I turn to potatoes to calm me down. I think it's because potatoes are such a large part of my culture. The people of Bihar may not know when, if ever, their streets will be cleaned but we know our favourite food, vegetable and passion. Potatoes.

 

This is a lovely, clean potato salad, without any of the weighty cream and mayo people usually use. Just simple, fresh flavours - perhaps the most virtuous potatoes you'll ever eat:

 

Serves 3

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

 

What you’ll need:

3 -4 small boiled potatoes (I left the skin on but you can peel them if you prefer) (cubed)

3 -4 tbsp olive oil
Handful of cilantro/parsley (washed and chopped)
Juice of 1-2 lemons
Salt and pepper to taste

How to:

1. Pop the cubes of potato into a medium sized bowl.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients together in small bowl. Pour on top of potatoes. Mix it all together. Serve hot or cold.

Note: Using freshly cracked pepper is always a good idea.
 

RICH, NOURISHING TOMATO SOUP

First we eat, then we do everything else.

MFK Fisher

 

I love making resolutions. I'm usually on a new trip every few months. Over the course of the last 26 years I have been, in turn, a communist, a very observant Hindu, a wiccan, vegetarian, enthusiastic gym bunny and weekend artist. I have gone through nihilistic, Mean Girls, ice queen, party girl and corporate slave phase.

 

Through ups and downs I've moulded, unmoulded and remoulded my preferences and personality over and over again to try to find the fit I'm most comfortable with. Because this is exhausting (and requires too many wardrobe updates) I've decided to pick my next phase not based on my life right now but what I'd like to have for myself in the future. This is proving to be really difficult since I usually don't know where I'm going to be next week forget next year. But if I don't figure it out, then how am I going to invest in classic wardrobe staples that will last me forever?!

 

Through all these phases there is of course an indelible core and my ever-expanding, indelible core loves carbohydrates, sugar and spicy Indian Italian. Which is why I love this classic, rich tomato soup with its intense tomato, garlic and oregano flavors- it's pretty healthy and can be seasoned as aggressively as you like. I've used oregano in mine but you can add whatever you like.

 

This is great for rainy afternoons and chilly evenings.

 

Serves 2

Recipe my own

What you’ll need:

3 -4 tomatoes (cubed)

1 onion (sliced)
500 ml vegetable stock
100 ml tomato puree
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp oregano/thyme/ rosemary/ Italian seasoning or seasoning of your choice
Salt and pepper to taste

How to:

1. Heat the butter and pop in the garlic and onion, cook till the garlic is brown and fragrant and the onion has softened. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook till you have a thick mixture. This might take a while.

2. Puree the mix and adjust seasoning, if needed. Serve hot with crusty bread or a sandwich.

Note: Crack some fresh black pepper for even more kick.