Good News This Christmas:

Wine DOES NOT make you FAT
it makes you LEAN…
. . .against tables, chairs, floors, walls and ugly people.

………………….

No Suprise…Very Talented

Excellent

Shocking

Bloodied and dazed, Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi is hustled away by bodyguards last night after being struck in the face at a rally.The 73-year-old had just addressed cheering supporters in Milan when a man threw a model of the city’s cathedral at him from close range.

Coldplay are to sell items from their ten year career through internet auction website eBay.Dubbed their ‘End Of Decade Clearout Sale’ fans will be able to purchase items including guitars, keyboards, amps, posters, platinum discs and a globe.With the proceeds going to charity Kids Company, bidding on the items begins on Thursday 17 December (5pm GMT), concluding on New Year’s Eve.In a statement on their official website the band said: “All items will either be signed by the four of us, or accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, again signed by all of us.”A catalogue detailing everything for sale will be published on their website before the sale begins.

OMG !!!!

I think I Just Peed Myself

Nestlé looking at the possibility of Cadbury offer

Prince William to share Queen’s duties: Treasury document reveals secret plan to make him the ‘Shadow King’

The Queen is to hand over a substantial part of her public duties to Prince William to help him prepare for the day when he becomes King, according to a confidential document obtained by The Mail on Sunday.Secret papers reveal that plans to ease the strain on the 83-year-old monarch and her 88-year-old husband, Prince Philip, are at an advanced stage.The disclosures come despite months of denials from the Palace that the Queen was planning to step back from her official work in favour of her 27-year-old grandson.

The information is contained in a briefing note written by Chancellor Alistair Darling’s Treasury officials about new financial arrangements for Prince Charles and his sons.Key paragraphs, disclosing the reason for the changes, are blacked out.But this newspaper has obtained an uncensored version of the document which confirms that the Queen is grooming William as a ‘Shadow King’.

One blacked-out line states that ‘the Princes [William and Harry] will increasingly incur expenditure when undertaking engagements on behalf of The Queen’.Another censored section, stressing the key role for William, says that ‘from next year, it is expected that HRH The Prince William will spend a significant part of his time on official engagements . . . we need to put the necessary provisions in place in anticipation of that’.The leak will add to speculation that the Queen believes William, rather than Charles, represents the best long-term interests of the monarchy, and will raise new questions about the timing of William’s long-anticipated engagement to his girlfriend Kate Middleton.The breach of secrecy caused alarm at the Palace last night, with a senior Royal source expressing concern that the private details had been leaked in ‘unredacted’ – the official term for uncensored – form.The reaction reflects the extreme sensitivity over the issue of the Queen’s future in public life – and how to promote Prince William without undermining the monarch or Prince Charles.It is bound to lead to new speculation that when the Queen dies, the monarchy could skip a generation, with the Crown bypassing Charles and being handed straight to William, although Royal sources strongly discount this option.The Treasury document was prepared for Mr Darling in the run-up to April’s Budget.The announcement that he was granting Charles tax relief worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, by allowing him to deduct his sons’ official expenses from his tax return, was slipped out on Budget Day in a separate ministerial note and was picked up by newspapers only several days later.The tax perk funds an office at St James’s Palace, with six members of staff, which for the past few months has been organising the affairs of Princes William and Harry. Previously, the Princes had been represented by Charles’s staff.

The previous MoU on Royal Taxation had been agreed in 1993.Charles currently receives £16million a year from the Duchy of Cornwall estate, which was established in 1337 to provide an income for the heir to the throne.The disclosure comes amid growing speculation about the Queen and Prince Philip’s continued ability to carry out their punishing schedule.

Last year, she performed 400 official engagements, including two overseas tours.Onlookers said she appeared more frail than usual during last month’s State Opening of Parliament and at the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad a week later, the couple’s only foreign trip this year.In February, she cancelled a State visit to the Middle East because she and the Duke ‘had too much on their plate’ – the first time an overseas visit had been abandoned on workload grounds.

Significantly, William will undertake his first official overseas tour in January when he represents the Queen in New Zealand and Australia. He is also expected to attend the World Cup in South Africa.

Publicly, the Palace has denied any plans for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to scale down their responsibilities, always insisting that the pair are in ‘robust’ health – although Royal sources have let it be known that theQueen would like other family members to bear much of the burden of her duties during the Diamond Jubilee in 2012.Enquiries direct to the Duke about his fitness have been met with a curt: ‘Do I look bloody ill?’Last night a spokesman for Republic, which campaigns for an elected Head of State, accused Buckingham Palace and the Government of mounting a cover-up.‘We have been misled,’ the spokesman said. ‘This shows that planning is well under way to prepare for the next succession.’Here we have proof that the Palace is preparing William to take over the Queen’s duties.‘The Palace operates in secrecy, doing deals behind the back of the British people to ensure a smooth transition to the next King.‘In addition, we discover that at a time of recession, Charles is secretly lobbying for an exclusive tax break worth hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.’The fact the Treasury attempted to cover up this lobbying shows they knew it would be scandalous if made public.’

A spokesman for St James’s Palace said: ‘Both Prince William and Prince Harry have gradually increased the number of engagements they carry out in support of the Queen, although their focus remains on their full-time careers in the Armed Services.‘The Royal Household and HMRC agreed to update the Memorandum of Understanding for the first time in many years to reflect changes in the Royal Family. The previous Memorandum still included the Princess of Wales and not Prince William or Prince Harry.‘The new MoU merely streamlined the bureaucratic arrangements concerning Prince William’s and Prince Harry’s official lives.‘The new MoU made no difference to the amount of tax paid by the Prince’s Household.’

Katie Price and Pamela Anderson turn heads in garish dresses at British Comedy Awards

In a room full of predominantly male comedians, Katie Price and Pamela Anderson stood out from the crowd.Not least because they both wore eye-popping dresses.The pair are not known for their comedy genius, so perhaps it was an odd choice to have the model and Baywatch actress presenting awards during the evening.

……..

Show-stopping: Katie Price and Pamela Anderson were at the British Comedy Awards in London last night to present awards

But both came determined to impress.Katie poured herself into a hot pink and black printed silk dress which showed off plenty of cleavage.Pamela Anderson wore a short orange draped dress with a low back, which was printed with blue stars and yellow swirls.Katie, 31, presented the best comedy television actor award to Simon Bird of The Inbetweeners with comedian Alan Carr.Carr said he was only dolling out the award so he could appear on the front of OK magazine.

Pamela, 42, joined designer Vivienne Westwood to present the award for best new British TV comedy to Reese Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton for Psychoville.Comedian Miranda Hart later wrote on Twitter: ‘Best thing about comedy awards – seeing Jordan and Pamela Anderson meeting for first time. Fascinating!’During the ceremony, which was presided over by Jonathan Ross, family sitcom Outnumbered was the big winner with a trio of gongs.The BBC One comedy, starring Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner, won best sitcom, best female newcomer for its child star Romona Marquez and the overall best comedy prize.But it was also another good night for Harry Hill who picked up best entertainment programme for his TV Burp for the third time in four years and reclaimed the best personality award which he last won in 2006.

Michael McIntyre and Alan Carr had both been tipped for success with three nominations each. But on the night McIntyre only picked up the award for best stand up and Carr left empty handed.Veteran broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan, who retired from his long-running Radio 2 breakfast show this month, was honoured with a lifetime achievement award.He said: ‘Well ladies and gentlemen, it’s been a journey. This only sustains my long-felt theory in our business if you can stay upright and reasonably sober they’ll give you something in the end.’This is the “I don’t believe he’s going of his own accord but give him something so that he doesn’t come back”.

…..

Glamour: Pixie Lott and Claudia Winkleman both wore black to the awards

‘And I shall take this with me and covet it always, back to the home for the bewildered, the home for infirm disc jockeys, my little room there… put it beside my little tooth mug, besides Jimmy Young’s room.’Jonathan Ross opened the night with a joke about the Sachsgate scandal that saw him sit out last year’s awards.He said: ‘It’s been a remarkable year… for a start I’ve been allowed to work.’Don’t worry the producers have been through the script. It’s been scrutinised more thoroughly than Tiger Wood’s mobile phone bill. They crossed out anything they didn’t like… so good night everybody.It’s ok, they trust me. That’s why there are five snipers up in the balcony and a Heartbeat special ready to go.’Ross added: ‘It’s been a tough year for comedy. You people are under scrutiny, you can’t say anything. I tell you, comedy has taken more hits than Leona Lewis at a book signing… which is an example of the sort of joke you can’t do anymore.’Harry Potter author J.K Rowling presented an outstanding contribution to comedy award to Bolton-born funny man Peter Kay who recently topped the singles charts with a Children In Need charity record.

JK Rowling said she was presenting Peter Kay with his award for outstanding contribution to comedy because he was a “very good friend” of hers.She said: “He’s one of Britain’s best loved comics and the creator of by far the funnier of the two famous Potters and of a kebab stand, my personal favourite, called Harry Pitta.’Even though, Warner Brothers aren’t going for the idea of a death eater from Bolton so he’s going back on tour and it gets him off my back.’Kay said: ‘I don’t know what to say… lovely. Thanks to anybody who’s ever met me.’Anybody who used to work with me in Netto, anybody who used to work with me in Majestic Service Station, me mum, anybody who’s bought a ticket for my new show, and thanks to everybody who’s selling them on eBay.’

British political comedy In the Loop beat Sacha Baron Cohen’s camp Austrian fashion reporter Bruno for the best comedy film and Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse picked up their first British Comedy Award in over 10 years for their sketch show Harry and Paul.Controversial comic Frankie Boyle, who caused offence earlier this year with a near-the-knuckle gag about the Queen on Mock The Week, caused the night’s first blue moment with a joke about sexual abuse.When Ross expressed horror at what he had said, Boyle returned: ‘You have created the climate in which that cannot be broadcast, and then you stand here dispensing awards looking like a five hundred pound haircut on top of a pile of melting ice cream.’

British Comedy Awards 2009

• Best comedy entertainment personality: Harry Hill: Harry Hill’s TV Burp (Avalon for ITV1)

• Best comedy entertainment programme: Harry Hill’s TV Burp (Avalon for ITV1).

• Best television comedy actor: Simon Bird: The Inbetweeners (Bwark for E4)

• Best television comedy actress: Katherine Parkinson: The IT Crowd (Talkback Thames for Channel 4).

• Best new British television comedy: Psychoville (BBC Productions for BBC2).

• Best television comedy drama: Pulling: special (Silver River for BBC3).

• Best live stand-up performer: Michael McIntyre Live at the Apollo

• Best male comedy newcomer: Charlie Brooker: You Have Been Watching (Zeppotron for E4).

• Best female comedy newcomer: Ramona Marquez: Outnumbered: series 2 (Hat Trick Productions for BBC1)

• Best comedy panel show: Have I Got News For You (Hat Trick Productions for BBC1)

• Best sitcom: Outnumbered: series 2 (Hat Trick Productions for BBC1).

• Best sketch show: Harry & Paul: series 2 (Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC1).

• Best comedy film: In the Loop (Optimum Releasing: Peter Capaldi/ Tom Hollander/ Gina McKee/ James Gandolfini)

I hate waking up in the morning and finding fucking snow on my car.

EastEnders lovebirds Stacey and Bradley tie the knot again

The path of true love did not run smoothly the first time for EastEnders couple Bradley Branning and Stacey Slater.But it looks like they are willing to give each other another shot.Viewers saw the divorced couple kiss on Friday night and the reunited couple are to remarry.

Lacey Turner, 21, who plays Stacey, and Charlie Clements, 22, who is Bradley in the soap, were spotted filming scenes for the wedding ceremony.But is Stacey hiding something under her coat? The character looked as if she had a bulge in her dress which could indicate an EastEnders new arrival.The couple divorced in June after sensational story lines involving Stacey’s infidelity with Bradley’s father, a miscarriage and Stacey’s bipolar condition.But unlike other East End weddings, such as Ricky and Bianca’s, the rest of Albert Square have not been invited.

Only Bradley’s dad Max, played by Jake Wood, and Stacey’s mum Jean (Gillian Wright) are witnesses at the wedding.But how long can the couple’s happiness last this time?Actor Charlie Clements is quitting the show and EastEnders producers have promised a big, memorable exit for the character.The wedding scenes are due to be screened in the new year.

And  A Christmas Day Whodunnit…

One Walford resident murders Archie

The Mitchells wake on Christmas Day in various houses across Walford. Peggy leaves Dot and Jim’s home and heads across to see Phil, who stayed with Shirley. Peggy’s disgusted when she sees a drunken Shirley and Phil sharing a kiss. With that, Peggy shouts that Phil should have finished off Archie when he had the chance. Roxy and Amy, meanwhile, wake at Jack’s house and Archie soon turns up with a sack of presents for his granddaughter. Jack’s unhappy with Archie’s presence and goes to visit Ronnie in hospital. Archie then turns up to see Ronnie, but she’s unable to look her father in the eye. Jack returns to Ronnie’s hospital room and throws Archie out. With Archie gone, Jack tries to calm Ronnie down as she paces the ward in a state, but she declares that she wants her father dead. After fetching a doctor, Jack panics when he discovers that Ronnie’s disappeared.

Later, Janine and Archie are upstairs in The Vic celebrating their dream come true. Archie reveals that he’s paid Tracey extra to open up earlier. Instead, she unexpectedly resigns. As Janine recounts her childhood in The Vic, Archie assures her that he’ll sort out Christmas dinner. Janine’s later intrigued when Archie hands her an envelope – the first clue in a treasure hunt. Janine searches for the clues and she eventually finds the final one under the Queen Vic bust. Janine’s not impressed, though, when she opens the last envelope – it’s not what she’d expected in the slightest. With that, Archie hands Janine her suitcase, admits that he’s been using her and throws her out of his pub. Peggy’s enraged by what Archie’s done to her and her family, while Ronnie walks back to Walford with intent. A broken Janine, meanwhile, stares up at The Vic with a murderous look in her eyes…

Meanwhile, over at Pat’s house, the kids are desperate to open their presents and Bianca eventually agrees that they can. Janine turns up asking what time they’ll all be over at The Vic for lunch, though Ricky insists that he’s staying where he is for the day. Furious by her brother’s betrayal, Janine says that she’ll never forgive him. As Janine walks away from the house, she bumps into Ryan who reveals that he’s quit his job at the pub. The Jacksons’ Christmas dinner descends into a food fight and among the chaos, Bianca insists that Ricky doesn’t have to move out as she loves him. Before Ricky knows what’s happening, Bianca’s proposed that they tie the knot! Their elation, however, is short-lived when they’re suddenly interrupted… Elsewhere, Bradley and Jean are concerned for Stacey’s welfare; Bradley, Stacey, Mo, Jean, Charlie, Jim and Dot turn out in force to spend Christmas Day with Abi and Max; after dinner, Mo encourages the family to go to The Vic, but nobody seems interested and Stacey heads off home; and Max takes Abi’s phone and secretly makes a call to Tanya.

Furious by Archie’s treatment of Ronnie, Jack pays him a visit at The Vic and pushes him up against the bar. Threatening Archie, an enraged Jack warns him never to go anywhere near Ronnie ever again, before leaving the pub. Afterwards, Archie finds Ronnie behind the bar staring at him. Archie’s nonchalant and unapologetic about his actions towards Ronnie, while she calmly admits that she’d be happier if he were dead. After making a cruel remark about Danielle, Archie throws his daughter out of The Vic. After Ronnie’s encounter with her father, Jack and Roxy attempt to placate her rage. As Jack leaves the flat, Roxy goes to check on Amy but when she returns to the room, Roxy’s perturbed that her sister’s disappeared.  After being thrown out of The Vic, an upset Janine heads over to Pat’s house, much to Ricky and Bianca’s surprise. As the Jacksons head out to the carol concert, Ryan stays to talk with Janine. He walks away, though, when he listens to her scheme to exact revenge on Archie. Later at the Car Lot, Janine angrily grabs a knife and walks out into the Square. Outside, Bianca’s concerned that she’s blown her chances with Ricky after proposing. Will he give her the answer that she’s waiting for?

Meanwhile, at Shirley’s flat, an inebriated Phil attempts to dress himself. As he staggers towards The Vic, though, he bumps into someone that he’s not happy to see. Afterwards, he goes to the Arches and collects a crowbar, before continuing his journey to the pub… At The Vic, Peggy gives Archie an ultimatum – either leave The Vic tonight or he’ll face the consequences. Unfazed by his wife’s threats, Archie hands back the divorce papers in the hope of spending one more night with her. Peggy’s disgusted by his suggestion and quickly leaves, but watches The Vic from the shadows outside… Later, Archie’s knocked to the ground by a mystery assailant and when he hears a noise, he looks up to see who’s around him. As he does, though, his attacker delivers a fatal blow to his head.

Whilst On The Cobbles….On Xmas Day

Kevin’s stunned by Sally’s shock revelation

At the Websters’, Kevin’s distracted, while Sally, Rosie and Sophie excitedly open their presents. He’s desperate to see Molly, who’s across the Street trying to drum up enthusiasm after opening Tyrone’s extra special gift for her – a karaoke machine. Unable to wait any longer, Kevin makes an excuse to leave the house and a shocked Molly sees him in the backyard of her house. Furious, she steps outside on the premise of taking some rubbish out and slaps him across the face. Kevin, however, won’t take no for an answer and insists that he can’t wait any longer – he wants to be with her forever and he wants them to tell their families today! Molly’s stunned but swept away by the danger and romance of the situation. She agrees and the clandestine lovers return to their partners to break the devastating news to them.

However, when Kevin returns home and finally convinces Sally to take a break from her Christmas dinner preparation, she breaks down and stuns him with some devastating news of her own – she has breast cancer. As a shell-shocked Kevin struggles to take the news in, he realises that he has to get to Molly before she tells Tyrone everything. But will he make it in time? Meanwhile, completely unaware of the drama unfolding across the Street, the Barlows try to enjoy Christmas with their extended family for Simon’s sake. He’s thrilled with his bike from granddad Ken, but when granddad George turns up with a games console, Ken finds himself – and his gift – sidelined. Will the warring grandparents be able to keep the peace?

There’s no shortage of drama and tension at the Platts’, either. When Tina and Jason turn up for Christmas dinner, Tina’s stunned to be greeted by the handsome stranger she kissed earlier in the week – and she’s shocked to realise his relation to the family. After an uncomfortable dinner, Tina makes her excuses and heads home, leaving David wondering what exactly is going on Elsewhere at the Rovers, Steve and Becky enjoy their first Christmas together as a family and as Steve watches Becky with Amy, he can’t help but wonder if the time has come to give Amy a brother or sister. But how will Becky feel about her husband’s idea?

Todays Toons

Todays WTF !!!!

OMG where has the year gone???? I almost can’t believe that 2010 is just around the corner! Felt like it was just yesterday that I moved to Italy. This time last year I was grumbling about the cold. I guess you need a little time to get used to the cold. Yesterday it was about 1 degree outside, and somehow, I feel like I’m getting accustomed to the cold. Let’s hope I don’t jinx it and get ill later on!

Anyway, the hubs and I have been so freaking busy, you have no idea. It’s the house that takes up most of our time and energy these days. Coupled with the fact that I have more classes to teach these days and also classes to attend, I practically am out of the house from morning to night. When I come home, I whip up dinner, have dinner, have a shower and then collapse in bed. And the next morning, the cycle repeats itself. And ironically, these workers who come to our house LOVE coming at 8-8.30 in the morning! That’s still not too bad. What’s worse is when they SAY they’re coming at 8 and then turn up at 10. Gah I hate that. Wake up so early and waste a few hours of precious sleep waiting for them to arrive. Oh well, at least I see the light at the end of the tunnel. The final work;  touch-ups of paint around the house is being done as I type this. Once that’s done, we can remove more things from the boxes strewn all over the house. The kitchen part is done. I took ONE FULL DAY to organize my kitchen items & ingredients. And I thought I’d need like 2-3 hours at most >____<

Anyway, once the boxes are out of the house, we can get our new sofa delivered, and then have the housewarming party. Which leads me to my recipe of the day I decided to try out this particular recipe to see if it works well, and whether it would be good enough to serve to the guests. The thing is, I want to make something that’s Malaysian. But what IS Malaysian food? I can only think of Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, Char Kuay Teow. But OMG, the Italians are so very, very unadventurous with their food. Most of the Italians I know do not like Asian food. So what do I cook for them? I can’t exactly be making pasta coz that would be akin to having an Italian cook nasi lemak for me. It just doesn’t seem right. So, like it or not, I’ve decided to make some Indian and Chinese food for the party, BUT I’ll stick to the mild ones, hence my dish below; Tandoori Tikkas.

Tandoori Tikkas

Tandoori Tikkas

How, nice or not? I know that self praise is no praise, but the tikkas sure tasted good The only thing missing was the mint raita which I had planned to make. The supermarket had run out of mint leaves, so we had to do without the raita. I substituted with some cut cucumber and a piadina. After my failed attempt at making chapati, I figured that it would be simpler to jut buy some piadina. It looks like chapati but tastes different, just slightly.

Here it is, the recipe for Tandoori Chicken Tikkas

Ingredients

500g boneless, skinless chicken thigh – cut into bite sized pieces

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup yoghurt

5 tbsp ginger & garlic paste

2.5 tsp tandoori masala

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 green chili (or to taste), minced

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp red chili powder (or to taste)

Salt, to taste

A packet of bamboo skewers – soaked for at least 2 hours

Method

1. Wash chicken and cut into bite sized pieces.

2. Add lemon juice to chicken and let it rest for 5 minutes

3. In a smaller bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Taste whether it is to your liking (esp salt).

4. Add chicken to the marinade and mix well.

5. Leave it to marinate in the fridge for a few hours, or preferably overnight.

6. Thread the chicken pieces onto the bamboo skewers.

7. Place skewers on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and greased.

8. Place in oven on BROIL or GRILL mode for about 10 minutes on one side and 8 minutes on the other OR till the chicken pieces brown / caramelize at the sides.

9. Remove from oven, garnish with onions, cucumber or lemon wedges and serve with mint raita.

And oh, I am a happy girl We went to Ikea and I got myself a pestle and mortar to replace the tiny, fragile one that the hubs had (that one couldn’t even pound one onion!)

Ikea Pestle & Mortar

Pestle and mortar from Ikea, made of marble. Don’t play play ok. Now I’m gonna pound everything and let the stupid neighbour beside us complain however much they want. *GLEEFUL*

By Michael MacLeod

A TANDOORI restaurant waiter is facing jail for stealing customers’ credit card details when they were paying for meals.

Ansar Shahban, 25, was employed to serve food at Edinburgh’s Himalaya Tandoori in Bruntsfield Place last year.

When first charged with theft he denied all charges and was due to go to trial.

But he came clean today (Thursday) at the capital’s sheriff court, admitting illegally copying the details of credit and debit cards on three separate occasions between October 5 and November 15 in 2008.

Shahban, of Gorgie Road in Edinburgh, is not charged with using the cards, or spending any money with them, and was bailed.

Further details of the crimes were withheld until sentencing next year, while reports into Shahban’s offending are sought.

But Sheriff Deirdre MacNeill QC told him: “Obviously I’m going to be looking at imprisonment or community service.”

Defence agent Stephen Donald said Shahban now worked in a newsagent in the capital’s Mayfield area.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

The Curry Club

394 Bridge Rd, Richmond

9428 6455

www.curryclubcafe.com.au

There’s nothing exclusive about this Indian restaurant when you walk past on a Sunday lunch session and see the place packed to the brim. Indian wedding? Nope, but there must being something about the curry that makes people come back for more. So in summary, Indian is all about:

Pakoras- battered veg with Indian spices

Samosas- just like the Nepalese, curried pototoes and peas in flaky pastry transcend any mountain

TANDOORI EVERYTHING- chicken, prawns even mushrooms! A deliiiiightful (best Indian accent) experience when done by the experts.

CURRIES- take your pick! From traditional blends of roasted spices, tomatoes, onions to the Goan delights of Vindaloo whereby your tolerance of heat will be tested (definitely not for IBD patients!!!!) By the way- for those of you who don’t know Goa is a region of India colonized by the Portuguese in the late 1500’s. (I will have to right a new post for my knowledge on Goa thanks to MasterChef Kate for introducing me to her grandmother!)moving on…

SAAG- creamy buttery pureed spinach cooked in an array of secret spices (better than the kernals!)

And one of my favourites, Mughlai Korma- cooked in yoghurt, cream, nuts, spices and the main differentiator- Saffron

Balti Stir-fries- originating from thr North-West region aligned with Pakistan where the Normadics use Balti woks (Google it!)

Moving on to regional specialities:

Madras fish curry- mustard seeds, curry leaves, tamarind pulp are the main ingredients

Kerala Prawn Curry- yet to be tried, but if you have, let me know what it tastes like!

Chicken tikka masala- a version of tandoori, you can never go wrong

Lamb Roghan Josh- cooked in Kashmiri sauce

So all that’s covered, but we’ve forgotten that most of India are vego’s so here we go:

Dum Ka Paneer- Cottage cheese chunks in a tomato and cashew sauce

Palak Paneer- well known, cottage cheese in pureed spinach and spices

Eggplant Masala- now we’re mixing veggies with sauces!

Aloo Palak- gym killer I call it! Potatoes cooked in a cream/spinach puree with spices

Dal- now the king of Veggie food can be made using either yellow split lentils or red lentils. Depending on the region of your chefs, be culturally adapt and enquire about what type of lentil they use. You will impress your waiter (no doubt, with a big smile in return!)

BrBreads- how many can you name?

Naan, garlic naan, kheema naan (minced lamb), Kashmiri naan (nuts), paratha (wholemeal), aloo paratha (with potatoes), masala kulcha..ok ok enough enough…just don’t forget to order some raita and a curry lover drink, Mango Lassi!

If you’re looking for even more choice, just a few doors down is

Orion Vintage Indian Restaurant

398 Bridge Rd, Richmond

www.orionindianrestaurant.com.au

(please indicate to chefs before ordering whether your on your chilli L’s, P’s or full licensed and any attempt to exaggerate your spice tolerance will end in bowel-shock, so don’t!)

Note: I wrote this yesterday and totally clicked “publish”. Yet wordpress in its infinite wisdom saved it to “drafts”. Rat bastards.

Almost as if I were a normal person with a real job, I was out of the house for 12 hours yesterday. I had an extra lesson tacked onto the beginning of my schedule, plus I had to run a bunch of minor but vital errands (pick up a score, get some books for students, buy new bike lights etc) before work, then we had rehearsal. This is what I ate:

Breakfast – Toast and an apple
Lunch – 1 Chinese bun
Snack at around 4:30 – 1 energy bar, which I’d had the forethought to pick up while buying bike lights at MEC
Dinner (11 PM) – Giant amounts of Tandoori chicken and naan. Thank god for the Lahore Tikka House, that’s all I can say. Every neighbourhood needs an Indian restaurant constructed entirely of scarves that is open late on weeknights.

So I’m still tired and sore, and after I finish teaching tonight I need to design squid costumes. Any ideas on how to make a squid headdress that won’t fall off when you dance?

DO PIAZA CHICKEN

A Simple recipe for the ultimate Mughlai Cuisine

By

VIKRAM KARVE

If you want a first impression of the authenticity of a “Mughlai” Restaurant, the first dish you must order and taste is a “Do Piaza” and it will give you an idea of the standard and authenticity of Mughlai Cuisine you can expect there.

Indeed the “Do Piaza” may be considered the culinary benchmark to judge and evaluate a Mughlai Restaurant.

And if Do Piaza [Mutton or Chicken] doesn’t figure on the menu, you better order Chinese or Continental, or stick to the ubiquitous “Punjabi” Butter Chicken-Naan routine!

“Do Piaza” means “two onions” or rather “double onions”.

Now how did this dish get its name?

Maybe it’s apocryphal, but legend has it that this delicious dish was invented by Mullah Do-Piaza, a renowned and celebrated cook at the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s court. One of the Navaratnas (nine jewels), it is said he could conjure up culinary delights using only two onions, and a Mughlai dish cooked in that particular style is called a “Do Piaza”.

Water is not used at all when cooking a Do Piaza.

Onions (Piaz or Pyaaz) are used twice – hence the name “Do” [“Two”] Piaza, or Pyaaza, spell it whichever way you like.

Come Dear Reader and fellow Foodie; let’s together cook a Chicken Do Piaza. It takes time, but it’s easy.

THE FIRST PIAZA

First cut a generous number of onions (the more the onions the sweeter the gravy) into rings, yes separate onion rings.

Now, in a large cooking vessel, put in the chicken pieces, add a liberal amount of curds and mix well. Copiously layer the chicken-curd mixture with the onion rings, cover with a tight lid and set aside to marinate for at least an hour.

Remember, do not vigorously mix in the onion rings; just liberally layer the chicken-curd mélange with the onion rings.

After marinating the chicken-curd-onion ring mixture for an hour or more, place the vessel on a slow fire with the lid on, and let the chicken cook slowly in its own juices and those released by the onion rings, till the onion rings are reduced to a pulp and, finally, the liquid almost dries up.

This is the first “Piaza”!

THE SECOND PIAZA

In another pan, pour in and heat pure ghee and fry sliced onions (the “second” piaza) till crisp brown, add finely chopped ginger and garlic, bay leaf, slit green chillies, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, and then an adequate amount of chopped tomatoes, stir and fry on slow fire, and when the ghee separates, add the chicken [cooked in curds and onion rings] from the first pot, and stir fry till well browned and the gravy becomes nice and thick.

I don’t like to add garam masala, turmeric, red chilli powder, or any other spice powders; but if you like it, go ahead.

I always find it best to taste the gravy and add the minimal amount of salt as necessary almost at the end of the cooking process.

Remember, do not add water at any stage or you will ruin the dish.

A “Do Piaza” cooks in its own juices – during both the first and second “piazas”.

EATING THE “DO PIAZA”

Place in a serving dish, squeeze a lemon, garnish with fresh green chopped coriander and your Chicken Do Piaza is ready to eat.

But first let’s “visually” savour the Do Piaza in our mind’s eye.

It looks appetizing – nicely browned generous pieces of succulent mutton, in translucent juicy onion rings in scrumptious gravy.

It smells good too – heavenly mouth-watering aroma wafts towards you making you smack your lips and salivate in anticipation of the gastronomic treat that awaits you.

It tastes marvellous – absolutely delicious, not spicy hot, but mild and flavoursome, the unique sweetish zest of onions is discernible and as the heavenly medley of flavours and fragrances synergizes inside you, and you feel a sense of supreme satisfaction.

Relish the Chicken Do Piaza with hot chappties, phulkas or even a piece of soft fluffy pav, and you will experience sheer bliss.

For more such mouthwatering recipes do read my foodie book Appetite for a Stroll

http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2

Happy Eating.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

vikramkarve@sify.com

En 2000, à l’aube d’un nouveau millénaire, j’ai décidé de me mettre au rock français. Après tout, même si ma langue natale n’est pas la plus appropriée pour le genre, trouver du bon rock français ne devait pas être impossible. Il y avait déjà la référence absolue Noir Désir, alors pourquoi ne pas en trouver d’autres.

C’est à peu près à ce moment-là qu’est sortit Saez avec déjà sa gueule de con et ses faux airs de poètes maudits. Jours étranges, premier opus de cet abrutit, est un petit bijou de son époque. Un zitgeist délicieux, le message mal-être d’une génération qui s’emmerde et qui va encore au lycée. Jeune & con, c’est pour moi les années bac, la loose, un avenir qui se dessine doucement, une rébellion plus contre soi-même que contre la société et des amours qu’on sait faites pour mourir. Un an après, Noir Désir sortait, le 10 septembre 2001, Des Visages, Des Figures et de là, la musique française ouvrait, ce qu’on appelle encore  huit ans après, la “nouvelle scène française“. Des chanteurs à textes pullulaient de tous les cotés. Entre temps, certains sont devenus des cadors de la variet’, d’autres des quarantenaires chiants et nostalgiques comme un vivement dimanche de Drucker, ou bien encore des folkeux talentueux sortit de nul part, des chanteuses post new-wave incroyables et des rockeurs, des vrais avec de la disto à s’en faire péter les tympans et des tempos endiablés.
Au milieu de ce joyeux bordel sous la même étiquette, j’ai eu le coup de cœur pour un groupe en particulier Eiffel. Déjà à cette époque, je n’écoutais quasiment jamais la radio donc on ne peut pas dire que c’est le matraquage qui m’a poussé à m’intéresser à ce groupe, c’est juste le hasard d’une soirée où j’ai entendu leur single du moment Te Revoir. Une voix hyper particulière, hyper nasillarde comme je les aime souvent (n’oublions pas qu’une de mes idole est Billy Corgan des Smashing Pumpkins), des paroles très spéciales et surtout un coté punk qui me rappelait pas mal de souvenirs d’adolescence. J’ai dévoré encore et encore Abricotine, leur premier album. Un vrai coup de foudre. Le second album, le 1/4 heure des ahuris, a eu un impact encore plus fort. Il se rattache à une autre époque, à une autre vision des choses et à une évolution musicale que je cherchais à ce moment-là. Je suis un ahuris comme les autres, je les ai vu en concert pour les dernières tournées, rencontré et j’ai continué à écouter religieusement ce groupe assez unique.
Je raconte tout ça pour aucune raison particulière sauf qu’hier je les ai vu en concert.
Depuis la rentrée, un tas d’albums sort et pratiquement tous les artistes que j’aime m’ont complètement déçu. Le dernier -M- est une panne d’inspiration complète et un problème de schizophrénie ridicule, Emilie Simon s’est muté en une sorte de Kate Bush française qui aurait trop trainée dans les comédies musicales de Broadway mais au milieu de cette mauvaise fournée, Eiffel fait très bonne figure et maintient le cap avec l’excellent A tout Moment.

Eiffel n’a plus de maison de disque, a quitté Labels (racheté par Virgin), se retrouve dans la nature et a terminé son dernier concert à l’Olympia en disant qu’ils ne savaient pas ce que deviendrait d’Eiffel. Quelques mois après, ils avaient enregistré une session avec Bertrand Cantat au chant pour deux titres un peu faiblards mais le groupe était encore vivant, c’était l’essentiel. 2009, le duo Humeau revient avec un nouvel album et Nicolas Courret, batteur originel du groupe.

Concert à La Cigale, salle à 3/4 remplie, un public de trentenaire, une bonne ambiance, jusque là tout va bien. Romain Humeau vient lui-même présenter la première partie et nous demande d’acclamer Montgomery. Make some noise ! Voilà ce qu’ils vont faire pendant quarante cinq longues minutes, du noise. Le noise est un style musical avant-gardiste dans le rock indé. Pour faire simple, les structures musicales sont non-conventionnelles, les mélodies vont à l’encontre des harmonies classiques et les voix sous mixées mélangées avec le reste. Montgomery complète le cahier des charges avec une grande habilitée mais il faut dire ce qui est, c’est imbitable et fatiguant. Comme le veut l’adage, trop d’effets tue l’effet et un bordel atonal incommensurable en est le résultat. Une musique qui pourrait être intéressante dans le cadre d’une B.O. ou lors d’une projection cinématographique d’un film muet  où un groupe jourait en live. Dans n’importe quelle circonstance mais pas en première partie d’Eiffel. Ça pourrait ressembler à Kaolin à leur début qui a prit du Sigur Ros dans la tronche et a été salit par Animal Collective. Bref, une longue, trop longue première partie qui a un peu cassé toute l’énergie que j’avais en entrant dans la salle.

Changement de plateau, les roadies déménagent le bordel ambiant et petit détail sympa, le groupe est là à monter lui-même son matos comme un petit groupe pourrait le faire. C’est rien du tout mais le fait que ça se fasse naturellement et simplement fait oublier l’attente et donne un coté chaleureux, voir familial. Ils font des balances vite-fait bien fait, sortent de scène, le concert peut commencer.
En format quatuor, loin de la pléiade de musicos présents sur la tournée précédente, le groupe débute par Minouche où la guitare folk se mélange parfaitement avec la saturation lacérée de l’électrique. Enchainement direct avec Le Coeur Australie et son refrain que le public reprend en chœur et à tue-tête. Tout est en place, la voix de Romain Humeau est chaude et rauque, le nouveau guitariste, qui ressemble à un Beigbeder de poche, est hyper mobile et a un sacré touché rock, Estelle Humeau, égale à elle-même, est stoïque et fait claquer la basse. Le dernier album A tout moment est bien sur très présent mais Eiffel varie les plaisirs en jouant des anciens titres comme l’incroyable Il Pleut des Cordes, Inverse Moi ou Sombre. Au trois-quart du concert, le groupe entame Bigger than the Biggest, présente sur Tandoori, le morceau dans sa progression prend une tournure punk hallucinante avec un Romain Humeau en transe, un moment extatique incroyable.

Eiffel va très bien voir même mieux que d’habitude avec une envie palpable de donner tout ce qu’ils ont. Musicalement irréprochable, Eiffel revient avec une pêche incroyable fort d’une maison de disque qui les soutient et d’un single qui cartonne. Un public très présent, très chaud composé de pas mal de nouveaux ahuris qui ont découvert le groupe dernièrement par le biais de A tout Moment la rue peut aussi dire Non et on ressentit cette puissance à la Noir Désir qui nous manque tant. Le meilleur groupe de rock français en activité actuellement à écouter d’urgence à défaut de les voir en live. Et dire que j’aurai pu aller voir Muse à la place et leur dernier album si incroyable alors… ironie quand tu nous tiens.

Pour avoir une idée de ce que ça peut être en concert, une petite vidéo de Eiffel en duo avec Craig Walker (ex-chanteur d’Archive) à Taratata qui reprend Search & Destroy de Iggy & The Stooges (On y a eu droit hier mais sans Walker bien sur)

Igår på väg hem från skolan ringde en otroligt glad mamma och ville bjuda på middag. Jag och Simon fick välja ställe.

Vi tittade på varandra, Simon sa “Nowrooz?” Jag sa “indiskt?” Det blev indiskt.

Två stycken ytterst politisk inkorrekta king prawn karahi och en tandoori chicken Sizzla vars namn påminde mig om hur mycket den jamaicanska dancehall artisten Sizzla har förgyllt mina sena nätter.

Det är något speciellt med att se en hungriga lillebror bli serverad minst 300 gram kött. Dessutom på en platta som fortfarande sprakar och steker vid servering. Han ler, jag ler. Man blir lycklig.

Vi hedrade vårt bengaliska blod och mammas ca från och till tio år i Bangladesh genom att beställa in en stor kraftig flaska bengaliskt öl.  Jag dricker inte öl men fick höra att den var mycket god. Prova.

A few weeks ago the freezer door was left open overnight + there was a need to use up the spinach + peas that had defrosted. Ugh.Totally bare cupboards. Or so they seemed. Went on pantry expedition + emerged with block of vacuum sealed tofu, an onion hiding behind the muesli, can of coconut cream + a packet of nuts. Now to the fridge. hmmn. I’m sure there was some tandoori paste* in there somewhere…

1 brown onion diced

1 tbsp oil

1 block of firm tofu diced

handful of nuts (almonds. cashews, whatever)

the last of that jar of tandoori paste that’s been hibernating in the fridge (approx 2 tbsp)

1 2ooml can coconut cream

1 pkt frozen spinach

First of all put your rice on to cook. Chuck spinach in microwave dish + defrost (if you have not had foresight to leave freezer door open overnight). Saute onion in pan with oil on medium heat until translucent. Add tandoori paste*, tofu, nuts + stir for a 5 minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn. Add coconut milk, spinach + nuts. Turn heat down + let simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve with rice + whatever greens you’ve got hanging around.

*I am well aware that tandoori paste was never meant to be taken advantage of like this. It should be lovingly mixed with tofutti+lemon juice/yoghurt substitute + slathered over tofu chunks to bake for an eternity in the oven. But these were desperate times. Plus Dutchboy loves tandoori. You can substitute a curry paste of your choice. Anything would work here. Red, green, yellow thai curry pastes, or any indian ones. Its food. Mix it up.

Every tourist guide has the major attractions and restaurants that “everyone” should visit, but how many of them show you the true face of a town? I am not convinced that many of the restaurants and hotels of which articles are published in magazines and tourist guides did not pay for those publications in some way. And who decides anyways which hotel or park should be included in a guide and which should not be?

This is why I would like to start a page about cities I have lived in and got to know  to a certain extent that enables me to give an insight to others and recommend some places that are typical of the place. I will start with Edinburgh where I presently live.

I will not write about the Royal Mile and Princes street, there are a million articles written about those places, but instead I will give you advice on where to go if you want to see how locals have fun, or where they get their daily staples: fish and chip, or macaroni cheese.

Let’s behave as good Scotsmen do and start the day in a pub! I am a great cider fan and there is no better variety of beers and ciders than in Hector’s of Stockbridge on the corner of St Bernard’s Row and Deanhaugh Street.

My personal favourite is Fruli, a Belgian strawberry beer or Kopparberg a Swedish cider both for a little over £3. If you have a sweet tooth then start with Fruli and finish up with a bottle of Kopparberg. But beware they are both pretty strong drinks that can make you tipsy in no time.

To air your head go for a short walk along the Water of Leith Walkway that is normally quiet any time of the day and is easily accessible off St Bernard’s Row. The walk will take you to the Dean Gallery and the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art. From there you can either take a bus downtown or simply walk another twenty minutes through Newtown to Rutland Square.

As every men’s life is dominated by his stomach I shall tell you where to go to fill it. The best and cheapest place to have lunch or dinner is Marcella’s Italian sit in and take away by the Meadows in Brougham Place, a ten minute walk up Lothian Road from Rutland Square.

The native Italian owner will serve you the best take away in town at low-low prices. For example a spaghetti bolognese for two cost only £3,5 or £4 if you sit in. A can of Irn Bru, the national brew of Scotland is only a quid.

There is also pizza, lasagne, bread rolls and several different home-made cakes on offer. Let us hope the owner will stay with us in business for a long time after his eye operation.

From Marcella’s you can go to the Meadows to sit on one of the benches or if you are lucky and the sun is out then you might as well lie down and have a little snooze after lunch.

If the weather does not permit the park then no better place to spend the afternoon than the cinema. There are a number of options within walking distance from Marcella’s such as the Cameo on Home Street or the Filmhouse and the Odeon on Lothian Road. Tickets in Cameo range from £4.50 on bargain Mondays to £6.50 on other days.

The next stop should be a restaurant and no other than Kebab Mahal, another local’s favourite. Hop on bus number 2 by the Odeon cinema and it will take you right there. The bus stop is just outside the restaurant that is sandwiched between two grocery stores.

The food on offer are tandoori and curry dishes all freshly made in the kitchen and served in a friendly atmosphere. A dinner for two will never cost more than £20 with drinks, but do not expect alcoholic drinks as this is a restaurant that strictly abides the rules of the Quran. They even close for prayers on Friday so to avoid disappointment do not visit then.

Presumably you are gonna be exhausted after a day’s walk and talk so you might wanna head up to your bedroom for a good night’s sleep. No better place to do so than in a value for money hotel such as the Holiday Inn Express on Picardy Place, a short taxi or bus ride down Nicolson Street.

They have offers on the internet from £39 and all prices are per room per night with continental breakfast. The hotel is bang in the centre of the city housed in an old Georgian style building.

Day two will follow tomorrow as I am going to sleep now, Goodnight!!!

This morning does not go well.  I slept out of pure exhaustion rather than comfort, which isn’t to say that the accommodations weren’t comfortable—the mattress is hard, which I like, the room is cool, which I also like, but my main problem is the discomfort I am in from sickness/jet lag/sleep depravation.  I slept hard, but around 4am local time started waking up periodically because I was in so much discomfort, and would then drift back off to sleep.  The noise outside kept tricking me into believing there were people in the apartment; at worst, they would kill; at best, I was late and Surender was already here making breakfast.  I feel very safe here with the guards and the gates, but just the same it’s hard to believe that those burly latches across the doors are a decoration. 

The other sounds—pigeons cooing and cows mooing—cause me to wake and wonder where the heck I am periodically.  Sometime around 5:30am local time I give up and just get up.  And I feel terrible.  I can’t breathe and have pretty bad lung congestion.  Stuffy nose, headache, queasiness.  You name it.  I take a bunch of medicine and drain the rest of the water I have, then set out exploring the apartment. 

One of the things I did not notice last night: that every large window here leads onto a balcony—and I explore these at length today.  The red sun is peaking through the haze as I step outside onto the overlook, scaring several pigeons away.  I’m sure the pollution isn’t helping things with me either; the smog is thick.  Directly below me is a lot of construction—most of Gurgoan (or at least the business district) is 3 years old or younger.  There is a lot of building going on around here.

The cars and trucks honk busily below, and become louder as the day gets older.  I decide that I should go back inside and take a shower, which ends up being cold as I can’t figure out how to work the hot water tank until afterwards, and don’t bother waiting for it to heat up. 

*                                                                      *                                                                      *

So far today we’ve lost power three times, and it isn’t even lunch yet.  I’ll be heading out with Abhishek and Shubhendu for lunch today, which will be a nice follow up to breakfast.  Surender showed up right then he said he would and asked me what I’d like for breakfast, offered a suggestion, and set to work as I began answering emails.  Surender is a wonderful cook, and as much as I dislike being waited on, his presentation was worth it.

Before long he came out with a cheese omelet, tea, and toast with sour cream and chive dressing (and only after which did I really remember that I should be avoiding the unpasteurized dairy).  Then when I thought we were done he came back with a bowl of fruit, which made me nervous.  I knew I was supposed to stay away from raw vegetables, but I couldn’t remember about fruit; on top of that, I was pretty sure I was seeing palmegranite, which I’d never had before.  Well, I’m bound to get sick sometime, and I’m not about to insult Surender after all he’s done.  I dig into my bowl of pears, bananas, and pomegranate (which looks like a pile of red corn kernels). 

As I finish my tea, hoping the heat has killed whatever was in the milk, Surender shows me he has made me a lunch of noodles and chicken, and that I should pop it in the microwave when I’m ready for it.  It’s funny how helpless I am here.

*                                                                      *                                                                      *

The doorbell rings around 10 and I get up from the laptop to answer it.  When I open it, and diminutive woman in a vibrant green and blue sari darts into the apartment, makes brief eye contact, and disappears behind a corner.  This must be one of the cleaning women Surender was talking about.  Either that or I’m about to get robbed.  I set back to work.

As I respond to emails I hear her (and occasionally see her) bustle around the apartment.  She sweeps the floor with several different brooms—brooms made of twigs and branches—and wipes the floors.  She doesn’t seem interested in interaction, so I leave her be. 

*                                                                      *                                                                      *

At about 1:30pm the doorbell to the guest house rings and I am greeted by Abhishek and Shubhendu, two friendly and charming coworkers from the India office.  They’ve offered to take me out to lunch to introduce me to some Indian food and culture (“a little at a time”, says Abhishek).  Immediately after leaving the apartment compound the disparity in wealth becomes apparent.  There are shanties and makeshift houses all around—I see a large wild pig on the side of the road nudge a stray dog, which bares its teeth and snaps at the pig’s snout.  The pig jumps back and jaunts away.  Shubhendu drives as Abhishek gives him directions from the back seat.  We head back onto the highway, and I take the opportunity to actually ask the two of them about the honking-is it really a warning?  “People honk,” says Abhishek, “when they have a fight with their wife.”  And he and Shubh laugh.  “Really it is a courtesy; you honk to let them know you are there.  If I am going to squeeze through the lane, I honk to let them know I’m coming.  If I don’t and I hit them, they would be like ‘why didn’t you honk’?”

We pull into a large plaza that by western standards looks like an abandoned lot.  Cars are jammed in in all manners on the dirt and rock parking lot—we walk into what looks like an abandoned building, which I find strange until Abhishek explains to me that it’s actually the opposite—these abandoned buildings are actually all in the process of being built, as Gurgaon is constantly growing.  Thin layer of dust on everything gives the place a deceptively old look.

Because I still have my Indian food training wheels on, the guys take me to restaurant that’s not totally traditional.  “That place,” Abhishek says, pointing to the restaurant across the way “has traditional food.  You’re not ready for that yet.  Hot.” He waves his hand in front of my mouth to illustrate what I’m in store for.  “Maybe at the end of your trip.”

Once we are seated Abhishek orders us the buffet, which with a Hindi accents sounds amusingly like “boofay”.  We start with Kabobs and are then let loose on the buffet itself.  I work very hard to not let my instincts take over—I avoid all uncooked dairy and all salads; unless it’s steaming, I don’t touch it.  I’m worries I’m a bit annoying about it, but Abhishek assures me that “it’s safe”, even after I ask if the sugarwater that dessert is sitting in has been boiled.  It has.  We make small talk as we eat; I learn about Shubh and Abhishek’s work and life histories, and I get a crash course in Indian family traditions—there is much less personal time in India; unlike Americans, Indians as a culture spend much more time with their families and thus have fewer individual activities, I am told.  It’s also one reason they don’t mind working late, Shubh pipes in.  This is something interesting about the culture; the entire workday is pushed back.  People show up for work about 10am (sometimes 10:30), have lunch around 1:30, work til 6-7:30, then go have dinner between 9-10pm.  “It’s just how it goes,” says Abhishek “I don’t really know why.”

Throughout the meal I am given instructions on what—and what no—to eat.  Abhishek warns me about the hot foods, which I take in moderation.  I surprise them when we talk food preparation and I know what a tandoor is, and I know a few dishes.  They know I’ve had Indian food in America, but I don’t dare say I know what I’m doing or that I can handle the hotness—because I am sure there’s a very sharp learning curve, and I have no desire to test it this early in the trip.

We talk business for a bit, finish our beers (Kingfisher is the most popular beer in India), and head back to my apartment so I can get back to work.  The guys say they’ll get in touch with me later to plan out what I’ll get to see this weekend. 

*                                                                      *                                                                      *

At about 6 I get a call from Alam’s assistant; am I tired or would I be up for Alam taking me around for a drive tonight?  Oh no, I say, I’m fine; I’d love to join him.  In truth, the phone had woken me on the couch where I’d fallen asleep with the laptop on my chest.  But I’d like to meet Alam, and I need to stay away for a little longer.

I meet Alam outside and get into his silver Honda.  We zip around the complex, wave to the guards, and pull up on the side of the road.  “We’ll just wait here for my wife and little one,” he explains.  Before long a smiling woman a child climb into the back seat, and I am introduced to Alam’s wife, Vandala, and their daughter Rhea.  They are an attractive family; Alam has soft features, and an air of fun about him; he loves to tell stories and give me interesting facts about the area.  Vandala is extremely warm and caring, teases Alam occasionally, and frequently asks me if there’s anything I need.  Rhea, one can plainly see, is extremely smart for her age, and is very curious. 

After driving a ways Alam pulls us into a large complex—one of Gurgaon’s many malls—to go to a beer garden there that he enjoys.  This particular mall is five levels and boasts—wait for it—1km per level.  That’s over three miles of shopping.

After opening the trunk for inspection and walking through an explosives detector we take an elevator up to the third level.  Vandala and Rhea head off to Fun City, an indoor amusement park, while Alam and I head off to the beer garden.  It’s not what I expected; it’s a German place.  I suppose given the size of India and the pervasiveness of the German tourist, this should be of no surprise, but I hadn’t ever imagined I’d be drinking weiss beer in India while trying to decide if I’d like bratwurst or chicken curry.

Alam is a very smart man, and it’s a pleasure to talk with him.  He jokes often and does his best to explain cricket to me (which I baited him for in asking if he understood America sports).  He also talks a lot about Indian culture, and why the workday starts so late (likely because no one wants to eat dinner at 6pm when it can still be close to 110 degrees).  He also goes into the labor cheapness and explains that this is why India has top hotels and an excellent service industry; the cost of labor is extremely inexpensive.  When we had driven in to the parking garage, there was an attendant there to press the automated button to dispense the parking ticket and hand it to the driver; this was so the driver wouldn’t have to stretch or open the car door.   

After our second beer, some fries, and some chicken Kabobs, we go to meet his family at a Punjabi restaurant on a lower level.  I’m very full, and am feeling a little queasy, but know I should eat and want to spend some more time with this wonderfully interesting family.  I am beginning to see how travelers can get sick eating this food, however; it’s not that it’s bad—it’s actually very, very good.  It’s the fact that it’s different, and it’s rare than when you order Indian takeout in America that you’d have it for every meal for a week straight.  The spices can be a little tough on you when you’re used to inter-dispersing relatively bland meals.

We order duck, which Alam makes a joke about to the waiter punning on the less-benign 4-letter rhyming work.  “Everyone likes a good duck!” he says as Vandala shakes her head.  “Did you hear what I said?” He asks her “do you think he got it?” Vandala nods “yes, I think so.”  This family is awesome.  I’m amazed how quickly they’ve made me feel comfortable—I feel very much at ease, which is difficult when you’re meeting new people from a different culture in a land that puts you completely out of your element.  Alam affectionately calls Rhea ‘punk’.  “Hey Punk,” he says “you filling out the comment card?”  Rhea loves to fill out the comment cards.  So much so that, Alam tells me “that people know my name in restaurants because of how many times she’s filled them out.  They just started calling me by my name one day.”  Rhea decides, with some help from Alam, that the rating of the duck was “yummy yummy”, and that everything was excellent.

We stop for a cigarette on the way home at a place that sells them in singles for 5rp, which is something like $.12, and slightly less than half of my idiotic tip to the driver the first night.  Vandala also advises me that, while there’s never any real danger in India for me, because I have a ‘whiteface’, people will assume I am rich and try to sell me things.  I find this term interesting; I’ve heard it before, and find that it’s used more as a noun than an adjective and a noun.  I am a ‘whiteface’, and ‘whitefaces’ buy stuff.

Once we are back at the complex we enjoy the night and look at the leftover Diwali lights that are still hanging from some of the apartments.  As some of the lights flicker, Vandala asks me if I had expected this level of rolling blackout.  It’s not bad, I tell her, I was told that you guys don’t even blink when it happens anymore.  They don’t, but if it stays off, she tells me, call the guards.  No bijli, I tell her, which means “no power” in Hindi and takes her aback slightly.  “You did some research before!” she tells me, but I let her know that it’s on the apartment cheat sheet.  “You must have had some time in the apartment then, she says.  Yes, a little bit.

The far off music lets us know that there’s a wedding going on, and I half debate walking out of the complex and having a stroll around, but it’s late.  Aside from that, there are rabid dogs, wild pigs, and a population I haven’t really interacted with yet, and jumping in the deep end at 10pm doesn’t seem like the best idea.  It’s a safe country, but I can imagine the comments I’d get—“did you think the guards were a decoration?  I hope that wild pig enjoys your left pinky.”  It’s probably best if I turn in.

In an effort to wind down I call Regis, who isn’t there, then my parents and my brother.  It’s hard not being able to hear familiar voices before you go to sleep, and while the apartment is big and beautiful, it seems larger and more vacant in the night time.  It feels like I am living in seclusion, and given what I’ve learned of Indian culture today, I pretty much am.  I have, however, been waiting for this moment since I woke up this morning, and as my head hits the pillow I have just enough time to set my alarm before I slip off into a deep sleep.

Hungry in the capital city? Thankfully, there is opportunity in such adversity.

And to seize on that opportunity, all you need to do is head to Old Delhi. Besides being home to a World Heritage site and a centuries-old marketplace, this area is often visited to check out the Red Fort and the Chandni Chowk. But if these attractions still give you time to address your hunger pangs, there are three distinct options that have to be checked out. These are no less attractions in their own right. And absolutely finger lickin’ good ones, at that!

First up is the historic Paranthe Wali Gali. This is one walk no food-respecting gourmet would want to miss out on. Off Chandni Chowk, this nondescript bylane is a veritable treasure trove of paranthas of every conceivable type. Said to have been visited by legendary names like Jawaharlal Nehru to the modern day celebrities, the no fuss eatery joints here offer over 50 different types of paranthas – and it’s an all vegetarian affair. The humble paranthas that are found widely elsewhere take on a multitude of interesting avatars – potatoes, cauliflower, radish, paneer, dal, pudina and many more…hotter, tastier and ever so popular.

The second stop has to be the most historic. Ever wondered what the Mughal emperors had for lunch and dinner? Now, how about tasting that very same fare? Yes, one of the most popular spots in the walled city has to be Karim’s. Just behind the imposing Jama Masjid is this age-old favourite of Dilliwalas. Started by a descendant of the chef to the Mughal emperor, Karim’s is truly a non-vegetarian’s paradise. With chicken and mutton dishes named tastefully after the Mughal rulers, the flavour is unbeatable. Such is the fan following of Karim’s that the outlet could not help opening 3 more branches in Delhi.

Last, but not the least, is a perennial favourite of the Delhi palate. The best of North Indian cuisine is what Moti Mahal stands for. From the ethnically turned out, turban and Pathani suit wearing waiters to the delectable range of food from the Dal to the Tandoori items, this is one restaurant that has been a part of over five generations of Dilliwalas. Situated in Daryaganj main road, this too has seen many legendary names dining here. And Kundan Lal Gujral, the man behind Moti Mahal, is no less a legend than this famed landmark.

So, the next time you are in the Old Delhi area (or for that matter, anywhere in Delhi) and are famished, you know where to head for.

Whew! Today has been a long one and it is not over yet. Kyle is being awesome and helping me analyze some data from a food science project I am doing. It is called “prunes as a fat replacer in chocolate cupcakes.” Here are some fun pics of the final products:

I forgot which is which (sorry) but there are four varieties: full fall (butter), 15% prune puree/85% butter, 30% prune puree/60% butter, and 60% prune puree/30% butter. We had a taste panel of 20 students and after the results are analyzed we will figure out which version is the worst. Fun times.

Lunch was leftovers:

Roasted Fennel and Tomato Pasta

It was still yummy. This was a large portion and I ate it all!!!

Snacks included 1/4 of each variety of cupcake and a few different versions of another group’s snickerdoodles. I was sugared out after all the tasting!

Dinner was quick and easy thanks to the help of these ingredients:

I used the tandoori paste (mixed with plain yogurt) on some slabs of tofu and baked at 350 F for 40 minuted. I served it with the rice shown above (delicious) and some steamed broccoli.

It was a nice satisfying meal.

On another (and cuter) note, Dremps has been having fun with all of Kyle’s bags that are lying around from his trip:

He’s so proper huh? Love him!!!!

Have a great night!

Today I made Naan, which is Indian Tandoori Flatbread. Lacking a Tandoori, which is a large clay cooking vessel with fire and coals in the bottom, I used a turned over cast-iron skillet and my oven set on broil.

The bread turned out so well, but is only really good fresh and hot. I think also I needed to let the cast iron skillet heat up more so the bottom would get crispier. I would make this again anytime, so tasty. Click on the link to get this recipe for Naan Flatbread.

The garden is still bountiful.

I’m getting excited about planning my birthday dinner on monday night. Even though my birthday isn’t until wednesday my brother and his girlfriend are in town this weekend so we’re celebrating early. So far the menu consists of  Autumn squash soup, roasted chicken and roasted vegetables, and then my favorite- Cream Cheese and Pecan pound cake. Exciting!

Y’all know I’m not a professional food writer (No, really?). Nobody pays for my dinner, no one even buys me a drink actually, for writing this stuff. And I’m sure you realise this, when reading some of my reviews which may have been less than flattering. The ones I can’t pick any holes in? They’re just really good – there is no bias. It’s also worth considering that I do drink – and when I go to a curry house, I sometimes drink more than one beer. I just like to think I’m reviewing in context, anyway.

So on Friday night, the opportunity for a curry presented itself, somewhere new. In CliftonVillage there is  some stiff competition in terms of curry houses ( I can think of maybe 4 within a 5 minute walk) and loads of other places to eat, Joy Raj doesn’t particularly stand out for me in the street. But, Greedy Companion girl insisted and down we went. And we went downstairs, were greeted and sat down immediately. The tables we really wanted were booked out (always a fairly good sign that people would bother to book for a high street curry house in Bristol) and they were fairly busy so I don’t think our spot was the good, but it was lit well and comfortable. The decor wasn’t stunning.. by any means, but it was clean and bright.We had pickles and poppodoms to start – the pickles were delicious, and I am fairly picky about pickles . So far so tasty. When ordering our the rest of our food I got into a conversation with our charming waiter about one of my obsessions, the tandoor. Would I like to go into the kitchen and watch them cook in it? Would I? You don’t need to ask me a question like that twice. So I waited until the chef was ready and I tottered in. I know I don’t get out too much, but wow, it made my night! I think the kitchen staff were a bit bemused as I stuck my head down and started taking photographs of the oven, but you know, simple things for simple minds..  The other bonus, as an inveterate nosy parker who is always trying to stick her head through the kitchen door, is that its always nice to see that your food is being freshly prepared (it was) and that everything is nice and clean (it was) and that people working in the kitchen at the very least, appear happy, and clean (they did). This may seem like some fairly basic criteria to people who aren’t always poking their nose about but believe me, not all is as you’d hope in some of the least obvious places. And to avoid getting sued by anyone in particular, I’m going to stop it there.

So, I went and sat back down and our food arrived very shortly after. I had lamb saag (the best dish out of the three mains), greedy companion girl had a lamb dansak and greedy companion boy had a tandoori mixed grill. We also had garlic naan, mushroom rice and saag bhaji. It was all lovely, with beautiful fresh flavours. The naan was particularly delicious, light and fluffy and without any dry or burnt spots – seemingly so hard to acheive in some places. Oh naan, how do I love thee? All very trad curry house of course, and nothing surprising, but theres really nothing up with that on a friday night after a beer or two.

With all our chatting, eating and drinking, we must have been in there a long time and I think we were the last to leave. Staff were extremely welcoming and we never got any feeling like they were waiting for us to get lost so the could clean up and go home. In fact, apart from a small incident with an unpleasant drunk (hazard of a friday night curry), which got cleared up very tidily, the atmosphere was lovely all through. In short, it was a great curry, a great night and a great place to go.

Joy Raj, Clifton

I decided to do an Indian theme for dinner the other night so I chose a tandoori-style chicken and some oven-roasted vegetables. This recipe can be made with breasts or thighs. It tastes a lot like tandoori chicken to me, the only difference being that this wasn’t cooked in a tandoori oven. I made it on the grill, but it would also work in a really hot oven.

Adapted from Rachael Ray

Tandoori-Style Chicken

• 1 cup Greek yogurt (I used Fage)
• 2 tablespoons turmeric
• 2 tablespoons coriander
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Mix yogurt, spices and lime zest and juice in a glass bowl. Cut the chicken into large pieces and make sure each pieces is coated in yogurt mixture. Marinate for several hours in the fridge.
2. Take chicken out about 30 minutes before you start cooking and let it come to room temperature.
3. Heat your grill to high and arrange chicken on a slotted grill rack. Close the lid and grill until edges are charred and juices run clear. This took 15-20 minutes for our chicken, but varies depending on size of pieces and how hot the grill is. Cut open the largest piece of chicken and make sure it is cooked through. That’s how you know if all the pieces are ready.
4. You can also heat your oven to 500°, put the chicken on a grill rack, and bake until edges are charred and juices run clear.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve while warm.

All the spices and lime zest waiting to become a marinade

Chicken breasts in the spice & yogurt marinade

Tandoori style chicken, straight from the grill

]]> http://jenquest.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/iftar/ Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:37:09 +0000 jenquest http://jenquest.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/iftar/

Homemade Tandoori Chicken. Have it with chips, chilled coke with a slice of lemon and some ketchup.

A TRENCHERMAN’S ”incomplete” and “outdated” Value For Money GOOD FOOD GUIDE to MUMBAI and PUNE

By
VIKRAM KARVE

(Vikram Karve’s incomplete and outdated Good Food Guide to eating out in South Mumbai and Pune)
I love good food.

And I love walking around searching for good food – on my frequent ‘food walks’ as I call them.

Let me share with you, dear fellow foodie, some of my favourite eateries.

Most of them are in South Mumbai, near Churchgate, where I lived for six of the best years of my life, a few (where mentioned) are in Pune which is my home town and where I stay now.

Read on.

It’s my very own Vikram Karve’s Value For Money Good Food Guide.

I’ve walked there and eaten there. It’s a totally random compilation as I write as I remember and I may have missed out some of my favourites but I’ll add them on, in subsequent parts, as and when memory jogs me and also keep adding new places I discover during my food walks and trails.

Try some places and let me know whether you liked it.

Vada Pav – CTO Vada Pav (Ashok Satam’s Stall) alongside the Central Telegraph Office (CTO) at Flora Fountain ( Hutatma Chowk). Or at Sahaydri at Churchgate. In Pune, the ubiquitous Joshi or Rohit or Siddhivinayak Vadewale but their vadas are not as crisp or zesty as Mumbai’s CTO vada.

Misal Pav – Vinay Health Home in Girgaum . Walk down Marine Drive, cross the road near Taraporewala Aquarium, take the lane between Kaivalyadhama Yoga Centre and Ladies Hostel ( it’s called Income Tax Lane), cross the railway overbridge, walk straight on Thakurdwar Road, cross Girgaum (JSS) Road, walk a bit and Vinay is to your right. In Pune try Ramnath on Tilak Road or Bedekar in Narayan Peth.

Kheema Pav – Stadium. Next to Churchgate Station. Kyani at Dhobi Talao.

Seekh Kebabs – Ayubs (Chotte Mian). Take the lane to the left of Rhythm House Music Store at Kalaghoda and let your nose guide you. Or else head for Bade Mian near Regal or Sarvi at Nagpada. Sadly there seems to be a dearth of authentic value-for-money kabab joints in Pune.

Jeera Butter – Ideal Bakery. Kandewadi, Girgaum. And try the sugarcane juice at Rasvanti next door.

Chicken Stew ( Kerala Style), Malabar Paratha, Mutton Korma, Fish Curry and Appams – FountainPlaza. In the lane off Handloom House. Fort. [Brings back nostalgic memories of Ceylon Bake House in Ernakulam Kochi (Cochin )]

Chicken Biryani – Olympia, on Mumbai’s Colaba Causeway, is my all time favorite. In Pune it’s Dorabjee & Sons restaurant on Dastur Meher road off Sarbatwala Chowk in Pune Camp or Goodluck in Deccan. I like the Biryani at Blue Nile near GPO and George on East Street too.

Mutton Biryani – Shalimar. Bhendi Bazaar. I like the Chicken Chilly and Raan – it’s exquisite, like Karim’s of Delhi. And I love the Tikka Biryani at Noorani.

Dabba Gosht – Delhi Darbar, Grant Road or Colaba. In Pune try Sadanand at Baner.

Malvani Cuisine – Sachivalaya Gymkhana Canteen. Opposite Mantralaya. Nariman Point. Bombil Fry, Pomfret masala, Kombdi (Chicken) Vada and Lunch Thali.

Gomantak Cuisine – Sandeep Gomantak. Bazargate Street. Fort.

White Chicken, Dabba Gosht, Chicken Masala and Khaboosh Roti – Baghdadi . Near Regal. Off Colaba Causeway.

Nihari – Jaffer Bhai’s Delhi Darbar. Near Metro.

Nalli Nihari – Noor Mohammadi . Bhendi Bazaar.

Berry Pulao – Brittania . Ballard Estate.

Puri Bhaji – Pancham Puriwala. Bazargate street. Opposite CST Station (VT).

Kolhapuri Cuisine – I go to ‘Purepur Kolhapur’ at Peru Gate Sadashiv Peth in Pune for authentic Kolhapuri Pandhra Rassa, Tambda Rassa and Kheema vati. In Kolhapur it’s Opal.

Gulab Jamun – Kailash Parbat. 1^st Pasta Lane. Colaba Causeway.

Rasgulla – Bhaishankar Gaurishankar . CP Tank.

Khichdi – Khichdi Samrat. VP Road . CP Tank.

Vegetarian Thali – Bhagat Tarachand. Mumbadevi. Zaveri Bazar. I like the Bhagat Tarachand on Laxmi road in Pune too. And of course, Samrat, Churchgate, Rajdhani and Golden Star. In Pune it’s the authentic Shreyas on Apte Road and Satara Road, Panchami on Satara Road and Durvankur on Tilak Road. Not to forget my favorite Mayur on East Street and Deccan on Jangli Maharaj Road.

Navrattan Kurma – Vihar. JT Road . Shanker Jaikishan Chowk. Opp Samrat. Churchgate.

Veg Burger and Chicken Cafreal Croissant – Croissants. Churchgate. Or Burger King at the end of East Street in Pune.

Tea while browsing books – Cha-Bar. Oxford Bookstore. Churchgate.

Just a refreshing cup of Tea, Irani style – Stadium. Churchgate. Goodluck, Pune.

Ice Cream – Rustoms, Churchgate and Bachellor’s, Chowpatty (green chilli ice cream). In Pune Ganu Shinde and Kawre on Laxmi Road. Or Gujar Mastani House on Satara Road near City pride for the unique delicious thirst quenching Mastani.

Pav Bhaji – Lenin Pav Bhaji Stall. Khau Galli. New Marine Lines. Near SNDT. Sardar, Tardeo. Sukh Sagar , Opera House.

Jalebi – Pancharatna Jalebi House . Near Roxy. Opera House.

Milk Shakes, Juices and uniquely flavored ice creams – Bachellor’s. Opposite Chowpatty.

Stuffed Parathas – Samovar. JehangirArtGallery. Chaitanya, opp FergussonCollege, Pune

Grilled Meat, Sizzlers and Steaks – Churchill. Colaba Causeway. Sundance, Churchgate. Sassanian, near Metro. Alps, behind Taj,Kobe and Sizzlers - The Place on Moledina Road next to Manney’s in Pune.

Sea food – Anant Ashram. Khotachiwadi. Girgaum. And so many places around Fort – Mahesh, Apoorva, Trishna, Fountain Inn, Bharat, Ankur .

Non Veg Multi Cuisine – Jimmy Boy near Horniman Circle, Polka Dots in Aundh, Pune

Apple Pie and Ginger Biscuits – Yazdani Bakery. Cawasji Patel Street. Between PM Road and Veer Nariman Road. Fort.

Cakes – Sassanian Boulangerie. 1^stMarine Street. Near Metro.

Buns, Breads and Pastries – Gaylord Bake Shop. Churchgate.

Falooda – Badshah. Crawford Market. Shalimar, Bhendi Bazar.

Curds – Parsi Dairy. Princess Street.

Sandwiches – Marz-o-rin. Main Street. MG Road. Pune.

Chole Bhature – Monafood. Main Street. Pune. Darshan, Prabhat Road Pune.

Shrewsbury Biscuits and Choco-Walnut cake– Kayani Bakery. East Street . Pune.

Mutton Cutlet Curry, Kheema Pav, Biryani, Tawa Ghosht – Good Luck Pune

Veg Cutlet – Swagat Dadar TT Mumbai

Lamingtons, carrot cake, patties, samosas, cakes, soy milk – Spicer Bakery shop, SpicerCollege, Aundh Road and their outlet off Main Street in Camp

The mere thought of Shrewsbury biscuits and Lamingtons evokes in me a sensation I cannot describe. I am feeling nostalgic and am off to Pune – for Shrewsbury at Kayani, wafers at Budhani, Sev Barfi at Bhavnagri, Amba Barfi and Bakarwadi at Chitale, Mutton Biryani and Dhansak at Dorabjee, Misal at Ramnath, Kachori at Apsara, Sizzlers at The Place, Pandhra Rassa at Purepur Kolhapur, Mango Ice Cream at Ganu Shinde, Mastani at Sujata and Kavare, Bhel at Saras Baug, Canal, Kalyan and Kalpana Bhel,  and on the banks of Khadakvasla lake, Pithla Bhakri, Kanda Bhaji and tak on top of Sinhagarh Fort, Chinese at Kamling (Oh no. Sadly it’s closed down so I’ll go across to the end of East Street to the East End Chinese takeaway next to Burger King. And Latif too has metamorphosed into a takeaway).

Of course, who how can I not mention the delicious vegetarian satiating fulfilling thalis at Shreyas, Durvankur, Sukanta, Janaseva and Mayur and the newly opened multi cuisine MoMo Café at the Courtyard Marriott in Hinjewadi near the IT park.

And guess what?

The moment I used to arrive by train in Pune, I used to walk across the station and enjoy a refreshing Lassi at Shiv Kailas. And then walk down in the hot sun to Main Street. One thing I miss is the non-veg samosas at erstwhile Naaz on the West End corner at the entrance to Main Street. The good old Naaz and Kamling are two places I really miss. Good Luck in Deccan and Blue Nile and George in Camp still go strong and their Biryani is as good as ever. But what’s happened to Sunrise, I wonder? The place is demolished; has the café been relocated?

Of course there is Nisarg for Seafood, Mainland China and Suonmoi for authentic Chinese, Soul to stir your culinary soul and many lovely places springing up all over Pune.

Now I am busy discovering [and rediscovering] interesting eating places in Pune.

When I lived near Aundh, I liked the multicuisine Polka Dots at Parihar Chowk for it’s Roasts and Shepherd’s Pie, Chicken Teriyaki, and Puddings, Season’s and Sarjaa for family dining, a few down-to-earth takeaways and Maharashtra Café near Bremen Chowk look promising, Diwadkar for Misal and vada pav, Spicers for Lamingtons and cakes et al, Babumoshai for roshogullas and lavang lata, Shiv Sagar for Pav Bhaji, and the usual Udipi fare, a place called Thomson which serves non veg Kerala cuisine, Delhi Kitchen which I’m planning to try but did not venture into as it was deserted (crowded ambience and busy rapid turnover are the leitmotif of a good eatery), Diwadkars for Bhel, Vada Pav, Misal and Mann Dairy for a delicious lassi.

I foodwalked in Aundh and was thoroughly disappointed though the hills of Girinagar have only fauna and flora to offer.

In Aundh there are all the usual fast food pizza and burger joints, some high-falutin restaurants and a few nondescript commonplace characterless eateries serving run of the mill stuff; but sadly there are very few authentic value for money down-to-earth no nonsense Spartan eateries around here where I can relish genuine cuisine to my heart’s delight.

Now, far far away, in the back of beyond, amidst green hills, lakes and forests, I can only nostalgically reminisce about my “good old foodie days” and relish those sumptuous delicacies in my mind’s eye; and once in a while head for Pune to satisfy my gastronomical cravings.

Dear fellow foodies, please do send in your comments and let us know of your foodie adventures and discoveries so I can keep updating.

Meanwhile I keep exploring Pune for good food and shall soon come out with my very own authentic food guide to eating out in Pune.

After all, the proof of the pudding is in the eating!

Happy Eating!

VIKRAM KARVE

This is updated from an excerpt from my book  Appetite for a Stroll

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A CLEAN WELL-LIGHTED PLACE

“A Clean, Well-Lighted Place!”

That’s the first thought that instantly comes to my mind the moment I enter Courtyard’s MoMo Café on Saturday afternoon.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is the title of my favourite Ernest Hemingway Short Story – the phrase depicts the café where the story is set.

Well that’s what MoMo Café is – a Clean Airy Well Lighted Spacious Friendly café with wonderful feel-good ambience and superb food, tasteful décor and pleasant aesthetics which make you feel fresh, cheerful, comfortable and relaxed. Yes, the bright vibes of the place certainly lift my spirits and make me feel good the moment I enter the lobby of Courtyard.

We walk in the spacious “courtyard”, past MoMo 2 Go, the “to go” grab and go deli, stocked with tempting baked delights, for those in a hurry.

Well, I am not in a hurry, so I leisurely stroll past the spic-and-span counter adorned with tempting goodies and the appetizing buffet spread. There are pickles, in traditional jars, a mix and match and toss your own salad counter, and soups and broths. Everything is so visually pleasing that I can sense the appetite being built up inside me.

It is heartening to see the immaculate open display kitchen – it always feels reassuring to see your food being cooked in front of you with impeccable standards of hygiene and quality.

I look around. MoMo Café is a happy place and the seating is comfortable, ample, user-friendly and well-designed.

It is a leisurely Saturday afternoon cosmopolitan crowd comprising a delightful assortment – joyful families, young IT executives, couples, singles, friends, business guests, eager foodies, relaxed tourists and cosy friends spending a leisurely afternoon over a chilled beer, a tasty bite and snug conversation. There is plenty of space, there is plenty of light, freshness in the air, and everyone, the kids and the adults, seems to be having a pleasant time, enjoying the food and the friendly atmosphere.

A discerning yet innovative menu features an imaginative choice of select dishes from a variety of cuisines, from the Orient and the Occident, ranging from starters, soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas and pastas to Kebabs and an astute selection of traditional Indian dishes, sumptuous main course delicacies, and exclusive desserts to round off your meal. Despite the impressive array of multi-cuisine, it is a short and sweet uncluttered concise well thought-out menu – a sure sign of a restaurant that takes its food seriously.

We are wondering what to order, when Subhash, the Executive Chef, joins us, so we leave it to him to do the honours. He asks to select anything we fancy from the impressive array of dishes laid out for the lunch buffet and then we’ll try his recommendations from the a-la-carte menu.

I pick up some Seafood Broth – it’s non-spicy with a combination of seafood and lots of vegetables and nourishing, just like a basic Seafood Broth ought to be. The buffet seems to be very popular perhaps because the spread is so elaborate and I wonder what to sample. I start off with some bhuna gosht – it is excellent – succulent flavoursome pieces of mutton in luxuriant gravy. The scrumptious Mustard Fried Fish and Stroganoff tempt me to try out the whole buffet lunch but Subhash has already ordered a pizza from their wood fired pizza oven – I’ll only say this: The thin crust pizza is probably the best pizza I have ever tasted – it’s light, the crust melts in the mouth and allows the tongue to fully relish the taste of sauce, cheese and delectable toppings.

“Let’s have a Momo,” I say, harking back to mouth-watering memories of my Shillong days when I first relished the yummy wholesome Momo. At first I thought that maybe MoMo Café was a Momo place but Vyshnavi and Subhash educate me – the name MoMo Café exemplifies the concept of Modern Living and Modern Eating. But surely, isn’t it apt that MoMo Café has Momos on its menu – maybe next time!

Subhash orders Nasi Goreng for me and Conchiglie Pasta for my darling vegetarian wife. There is an interesting choice of wines, spirits and cocktails, but we prefer freshly squeezed orange juice as an accompaniment.

We are indeed fortunate to have an opportunity to interact with Subhash who is a veritable human encyclopaedia on wining and dining and all things culinary. The enlightening “foodie” conversation is sheer delight and Subhash’s  sincere love of food, passion for cooking and impressive repertoire of culinary knowledge enhance the eating experience and make our meal even more appetizing and intellectually stimulating.

The Nasi Goreng, Spicy Prawn Fried Rice with soft fried egg and Chicken Satay, is lip-smacking and fulfilling. I have a bite of the vegetarian Conchiglie Pasta too, savouring its inimitable taste of spinach in basil flavoured sauce, as Subhash explains the intricacies – the foam and the way this delicate dish is made.

For dessert, we have Tiramisu, the pièce de résistance of the meal. MoMo Café’s inimitable signature Tiramisu is marvellous – a fitting climax to a splendid meal. Subhash tells us it is a non-alcoholic Tiramisu, to cater to children and local preferences, but let me tell you that it is the best Tiramisu I have ever had and the delightful symbiosis of delectable tastes lingers within me for a long long time.

I will cherish mouth-watering memories of this lovely Saturday afternoon forever. I am sure MoMo Café is going to be a hit, a boon to the foodies of Pune, due to its unique location, superb food, vibrant ambience, impeccable standards of hygiene and quality, and the warm and friendly service.

I am going to certainly going to eat at MoMo Café again. And this time I am going to check out the Indian Cuisine. I’ll start with melt-in-the-mouth dissolve-on-your-tongue Galawat Kebab, savour a Nalli Nihari – let’s see how it compares with the authentic versions of this luscious fortifying breakfast dish I’ve relished in the heart of Delhi and Mumbai. Then I’ll try some Dum Biryani and end with a soothing Kulfi Falooda.

A true Foodie eats twice, first in his mind’s eye, and then with his taste buds. So whenever a Foodie ventures out to a new place he builds up some expectations – MoMo Café certainly exceeded my expectations in all aspects and we thoroughly enjoyed the overall dining experience.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

Dear Reader, if you enjoyed reading this, and want to relish more such delicious foodie adventures, do read APPETITE FOR A STROLL

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http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2

http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

Seen this place a million times but not until a friend took me here did I realise what I had been missing for so long! A small eatery, Singh’s is very famous, not only for Andherities but others as well. Not the biggest menu but that shouldn’t be a deterrent for anyone. While we were here, tried the Chicken Tandoori and the Chicken Biryani. The Tandoori was easily the best I have had so far. Freshly out of the ‘bhatti’ (oven), it was hot, and cooked well. The leg piece wasn’t burnt and was utterly delicious! Made me ponder if I should have had two of them cause the Biryani let me down a bit. Well cooked again, it wasn’t hot but mildly warm as the Biryani was already made sometime back (And they make kilos of Biryani every hour or so it seems!). Though the Quantity for the half plate of rice was acceptable, it could have done with a bit more chicken in it! Though it was good biryani nonetheless but again, a bit more chicken wouldn’t hurt. Though I wonder, if that is the case with a full biryani as well.

So that was what we ate at around 10:00 PM. A meal totally worth the money paid. Not often do I say this but for tonight it was true. I am surely coming here again!!

Ratings:

Service: 6/10 (Wouldn’t have hurt if the dude was a bit friendly!)

Ambiance: 7/10 (7 may seem too much but for a place that sees maddening crowds it is Quite clean!)

Price: 9/10: Affordable! Very Affordable!!

What to eat: Tandoor and Biryani. Period.