Adventures of the Gastronomic kind

Second time Lucky

2012-01-07T06:52:00.000-08:00

After the 'Butcher's Breakfast' at the Cock Tavern, I was keen on following the Anthony Bourdain trail in London. And the next item on his list was Pie & Mash. Pie & Mash houses have been around in London for a long time, some say even before Fish & Chips made their way into the capital from the north.

The main dish sold in these establishments is, as the name suggests, Pie & Mash. The filling in the pie is most often minced beef, though other fillings like pork and chicken might also be available in some shops. The pie is served with a generous portion of mashed potatoes and, more often than not, a type of parsley sauce called 'liquor'.

The Pie & Mash shop featured in the London episode of A Cook's Tour is F. Cooke Pie & Mash in Broadway market. It’s located in Haggerston in the East London borough of Hackney. It was established in 1862, which makes it one of the oldest Pie & Mash houses in London.

After Friday at Smithfield and Saturday attending the awesome V Festival, Sunday was the earliest that I could make a trip to Broadway Market. So I took the tube to Bethnal Green, which was the nearest metro station and walked more than a mile, only to find that the place remains shut on Sundays. So I kicked myself for not checking this on the web and settled for a Doner Kebab instead. Fortunately the day was salvaged later by a visit to one of the oldest pubs in all of London. More on that later.

Not ready to give up on this, I returned on Monday and sure enough, F Cooke was open for business. The place is not very big, with spartan interiors and wooden benches. What to order is not a problem here. The Pie and Mash with liquor comes for less than four pounds and looks like this.

The stuff is admittedly bland, but there's enough malt vinegar and white pepper to add some taste. And although this was not the best food I had in London, it had to be tried for how quintessentially London it is, if nothing else.

Most Pie & Mash shops also serve jellied eels with liquor. In fact the liquor served with the Pie and Mash uses eel broth. Those who've read this blog before would know that this one's right up my alley. But the Pie & Mash was a big portion, so I had to give the eels a miss.

While Fish & Chips steals the glory when it comes to typical British food, it apparently comes from the north. Pie & Mash on the other hand, is traditional Cockney grub that was created, perfected and is enjoyed to this day in London. And now that you've read this, you know where to get it!!

Heart Attack on a Plate

2011-11-13T06:58:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted to follow the Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations trail....that is, go to a destination and try the food and visit the restaurants shown in the episode. Couldn't do it in Europe, because I had not seen many episodes then. Couldn't really do it in Morocco, coz I did not have access to rich Riad owning families of Fez or the Berber tribes of Sahara.

But in London, it suddenly became possible...to an extent at least. Hunting in the countryside with Marco Pierre White would have to wait. But certain other joints featured on the No Reservations London/England episodes were more accessible. And I wasted no time getting started.

My first stop was at the Smithfield meat market in the Farringdon area. An unlikely place to go hunting for breakfast, you would think. But this was not just any breakfast. Ever heard of the Full English Breakfast?? What I was about to eat (read confront) took the concept a step further.

The Cock Tavern is located in the basement of one part of the Smithfield wholesale meat market and has been an iconic institution in the area for several decades, especially among the butchers working in the market. It's a routine for them to have breakfast with a pint of Guinness early in the morning at the tavern every day after their shift ends. It was on one of the early episodes of No Reservations that I saw Tony eating at the place while chatting with some butchers - their white coats stained with blood.

While the place serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has quite a menu, what it's famous for is the Butcher's Breakfast, named after the men in the blood-stained white coats who frequent the place. You can call it a version of the Full English Breakfast. A quick comparison. The English Breakfast has...Bacon, black pudding, fried eggs, grilled tomatoes, hash browns, baked beans and bread. The Butcher's Breakfast has...Black pudding, white pudding, four pieces of steak, devilled kidneys, bacon and fried egg. In short, it's the baap of the English breakfast sans the veggie stuff and loaded with more meat. No wonder the butchers like it.

When I got to the place, I knew exactly what I wanted and went straight for it. However, I wasn’t sure if I wanted the traditional pint of Guinness with it. I knew that was what the butchers did, but hesitated. Drinking in the morning?? Alone?? On my first day in London?? In the end, I opted for the tea. A decision I wouldn't regret. Oh, this is what the breakfast looks like, in case you're wondering.

The meat was top quality and not a surprise considering the place is in the basement of the largest meat market in London. I started nicely and till the halfway point, I was quite happy with myself for having come to the place. But then I started getting full. Sips of tea now and then helped and I finally managed to conquer the mountain of meat. At the end of it though, I felt like keeling over and dozing off.
Thank god I didn't go for the Guinness...:)

Jaipur

2011-09-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be Hyderabad. Or Lucknow. Or Chennai. Or Bangalore even. Two years back, I went to Delhi with two friends and got the idea of going to other cities in India in search of the best food they had to offer. The plan never took off, though I did keep going back to Delhi for some reason or the other and managed to eat well every time.

Jaipur was never on the list. Not because I thought it did not have good food to offer. It just got hidden behind the more famous/hyped Lucknow and Hyderabad. But as fate would have it, Jaipur found me before I could find Jaipur.

A friend had moved into an awesome house there with his parents and called me over for a weekend. This was April and it would be scorching hot, but I had nothing better to do with my weekend, so I decided to go anyway.

I always make a mental list of things to eat whenever I go to a new place and this time was no different. Spicy meat dishes and the famous Jaipur sweets were on the top of my list.

So I landed on a scorching hot Friday afternoon and headed straight to my friend's awesome house. I couldn’t escape the family dinner (vegetarian) as that would be impolite, so the 'hunting' would have to start the next day.

Laal Maas is probably the most famous Rajashthani meat dish. And Spice Court is the place to try it in Jaipur. It serves good Rajasthani non-vegetarian fare and there's a good feel to the place with lawns, the option of outdoor seating and the famous Rajasthani hospitality.

There were other options on the menu but I knew what I had come for. So Laal Maas it was. My friend pointed to Kheema Bati, which is like a non-vegetarian version of Daal Bati with minced meat in it. It sounded very interesting and was apparently the most sought after item on the menu at Spice Court. So we decided to come back for it later. The Laal Maas was very good and very spicy indeed. Thank god for the chilled beer.

In the evening, my friend insisted on taking me to this omlette place he kept talking about. I wondered what the big deal was, but decided to go along anyway.
Sanjay Omlette is a small shop located in a square in Jaipur that somewhat resembles Delhi's Khan Market. Apparently, it’s been doing business for a few decades and has quite a reputation. We ordered cheese omlettes and they came with not only bread but also, green chutney, red chutney, ketchup and onion salad. Good omlettes and great value for money considering the variety of accompaniments.

The next morning, as planned, we returned to Spice Court to try the Kheema Bati. But my luck had run out and apparently they did not have any. So there was little choice but to go for the other Rajasthani meat dish on the menu - the Jungli Maas. Only one problem...it's the hotter spicier version of Laal Maas...:) Even the waiter called it 'super duper spicy' and told me it was against house rules to make it any less spicy!!

With the other choice being a repeat of the Laal Mas, I decided to brave it and called for a nice chilled beer to take the edge off the deadly Jungli Maas. When the damn thing arrived on the table with the Rotis, I said a short prayer and tucked in. The waiter was right. It was the hottest, spiciest thing I had ever put in my mouth, barring the odd accidental green chilly. But it was also very delicious. Dilemma?? Catch 22?? I don’t know what to call it, but one the one hand I liked it very much and wanted to have the next morsel, but the bloody thing was scorching my palate and I was damn sure it would scorch my digestive tract later. In the end, I managed to fight the heat and almost finished the plate of feared Jungli Maas. I conquered the Jungli Maas!! Or did the Jungli Maas conquer me?? I'm not really sure.

The last items on my list were the snacks and sweets. So, on my last day in Jaipur, we headed to Rawat Mishtan Bhandar. This place is known for its Onion Kachori and Mirchi Vada and both were really good and very filling. The Mirchi Vada is just like the Batata Vada but with a large milder green chili inside the batter. It was time for the sweets next and there's no better place in Jaipur for that than Laxmi Mishtan Bhandar. And when in Jaipur, one must try the Ghewar. There are several types and it comes in many sizes, but most 'exotic' varieties are available only in winter, except for the standard Paneer Ghewar. And LMB as it’s called is the best place for it. So I ended my Jaipur sojourn by savoring the famous Ghewar and packing boxes of it to take back home.

Spicy meat dishes, Omlette stalls, snacks and sweets made a good Jaipur trip. I'm sure there's much more to Rajasthani food than just that and I'm looking forward to coming back in winter to Rajasthan to eat much more in much better weather. As far as the idea to go to other cities is concerned, it's time to get cracking...wish me luck!!

Merci Beau Coup, El Dayaa!!

2011-05-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

I write with a lag. Always. I don't sit at a restaurant taking notes in the middle of a meal. And I don’t rush back from dinner or a trip and write about the blogworthy experience immediately. It’s all stored as a memory in the head and I typically take one or two months to finally get down to writing about it.

But 3 1/2 years is a huge lag. One that owes an apology followed by a good post. So here goes...

During my 3 months in Europe, I was based in Toulouse, France, a great place to eat no doubt. Its home to French classic Cassoulet, has a Sausage named after it, and is also the birthplace of the Entrecote steak. But being on a tight budget, I had to restrict my culinary adventures to times when I was travelling to different parts of Europe. When in Toulouse, my batchmates and I mostly cooked at home. Which is why all my posts from Europe were about the stuff I ate in Italy or Spain or Portugal. Maybe that’s how this one was missed out.

El Daaya is a Lebanese Cafe on Boulevard Lascrosses in Toulouse, right opposite ESC Toulouse, where I studied for a 3 month term, five minutes from where I lived. But this was not just any Lebanese restaurant. It was run by Lebanese immigrants and was frequented by Toulouse's sizable North African/Middle-Eastern community. The owners/cooks were a cheerful lot, knew a lot of their patrons by name and were always eager to entertain. We used to drop in for a mid-day snack and whenever we were too bored to cook.

The spread at El Dayaa was pretty huge. From the standard Shawarma to Keftaa and Kibbeh to the ubiquitous Hummus and Falafel and a never-ending list of salads, dressings and other accompaniments including the ever present Baba Ghanoush. But a favorite with the crowd were their sandwiches. These were wrapped in Durum Bread which resembled a large but thin Roti, like in between a Chapati and a Roomali Roti. And the fillings were....onions, Lettuce, tomato, Sauce Blanche (White Sauce), a spicy red Lebanese sauce called Harissa and your choice from the following: Shwarma/Keftaa/Kibbeh/Chicken Kebab/Falafel. And that’s not all. The sandwich always came with fries and you could choose to either have them put inside the sandwich or served by the side. An El Dayaa sandwich filled with fries could set you up for a day's hard work. What's more it was really, really good.

Shawarma/Doner Kebab places are everywhere in Europe and are probably the most common street food joints on the continent. So, it’s no surprise that I ate a lot of these sandwiches on my travels. Especially after I'd spent a bit too much on the last meal. I can remember Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Barcelona and Rome, but I'm sure there were more. But none were as good or as elaborate as the ones at El Dayaa. During my last few days in Toulouse, I was bored of cooking and ate almost every meal there. No wonder, an ode was long overdue.

So, Merci Beau Coup El Dayaa, et je suis très désolé pour le retard!!

Delhi: Redux

2011-01-22T01:26:00.000-08:00

When I went to Delhi last time, I had thought of following it up with trips to other Indian cities like Hyderabad, Lucknow and the likes, checking out the food scene in each one of those, and then chronicling those trips here. Sounded easy enough, but my work life had other plans. So while I've not been able to make plans for any of these, I've been to Delhi again. Mostly to chill out with some friends, but also to take care of unfinished business.

Five days in Delhi sounded like enough time to cover all the food-joints I had missed when I went to Delhi last time. That was what I thought, till my friends who have been living there for a while now, started bombarding me with one restaurant after another, each one with a different cuisine and a different specialty. Kashmiri Wazwan, the best Kebabs, Israeli and Greek food, places to drink....the list grew many fold, and what had looked like a piece of cake, suddenly looked like it would take some doing. Couldn't do it all, so here's what I did.

State Bhavans are an awesome place to eat in Delhi and after gorging on the spicy delicacies at Andhra Bhavan last time, it was time to choose another state. Assam Bhavan was recommended to us, so we decided to go there. This one has a regular restaurant as opposed to a canteen, which is the case with most other Bhavans/Sadans. Jakoi has a cozy feel to it and the outdoor seating is highly recommended when weather permits. The menu was big with a lot that piqued my interest, but the Parampara Thali sounded like a good deal. It sounded like a huge spread, which it was and had a few choices within it. It was time to try exotic meats and I went for the pigeon curry while a friend went for the duck. Everything on the Thali was good, from the dal and chutney to the freshwater fish (which is not usually a favorite of mine) and the fish steamed in bamboo. The pigeon meat was gamey as expected and the curry was well made, but the duck was certainly better. We ended the meal with a peculiar dessert with puffed rice, milk and molten jaggery. Jakoi doesn’t beat Andhra Bhavan but I would still recommend it, especially if you're a carnivore. That’s 2 hits out of 2 for State Bhavans and I still have some 33 to go...phew!!

On my last visit, I missed Kareem Hotel coz it was during Ramzan, when the restaurant remains shut during the day. So that’s where we went the next day, looking silly riding cycle rickshaws from Chawri Bazaar metro station through old Delhi's crowded bylanes. Now with all the attention, the restaurant has become a bit commercialized and I've heard people saying one should try some of the other eateries in the vicinity to get a more authentic Mughlai experience. But, for lack of time and research, it had to be Kareem's. Over the years, the restaurant has expanded and taken over other shops in the vicinity, so now it occupies several blocks in an alley/courtyard. The menu is small but loaded with several Mughlai classics. We went for the standard Seekh Kebab for starters and I could not resist ordering the Bheja Masala, especially since it had been a while...:) I had to have some mutton, so I ordered a plate of Mutton Burra and my friend got some chicken dish, the name of which I can’t remember now. All of this was really good except for the Burra which was really chewy and seemed virtually uncooked. But surprisingly, the star of the show here was the Sheermal, which is the Roti we ordered to go with the food. It’s a thick, slightly sweet bread that for some reason reminded me of a waffle, but it was easily the best item on the menu. All the food at Kareem's floats in a sea of oil and with the amount we had ordered, I was too full to eat anything for the rest of the day.

The next evening, my friends took me to Khan Market, to an Italian place they really like - Big Chill. This seems to be a real crowd-puller and the decor was really nice. There's decent Italian to be had here and I like my Ravioli and the Pizza we had, but it's still your typical Italian-adjusted-for-Indian-palate kind of a place. The deserts are really good though.

On my last evening, I really wanted to go to this one restaurant I had seen on TV called Yum Yum Tree. It’s a Pan-Asian restaurant in New Friends Colony and the name really caught my attention. Also, while browsing the menu online, I found Pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup I wanted to have for a while.
The place is split into two sections - one for Japanese and South-east Asian and one for Chinese. We did not know this and sat in the Chinese section thinking it was all the same. But determined as I was to have the Pho, I managed to convince the waiter to get it for me. Now I know I'll have to go to Vietnam to know what it tastes like for real, but this one wasn't too bad. Beef, noodles and greens in a flavored broth, it hit the spot. And it went down well with Asahi beer. The pork buns were quite good as well. The place is definitely recommended, but do take care of which section you chose to be seated in.

Two trips and there's still a lot to be done in Delhi. The State/UT Bhavans and Sadans alone will take several visits and I'm not even counting all the stalls at Delhi Haat. Add to this, all the new places my friends have come up with. I think I'll have to make this Delhi trip thing a semi-annual affair...:)

Nostalgia

2010-09-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

A frequent complaint about this blog is that I don't write often enough. Now that's partly because I’m a lazy bum, but also coz I only write when I think the restaurant I visited last week, my last travel experience or the idea in the head is good enough to make a fab post. But this stubborn preservation of standards has taken its toll on the frequency of posts.

So, as a sincere attempt to change this, I have decided to share a few recipes on the blog. Few of them are my own, few are not, but rest assured they are all really good and have something special associated with them.

To start with, I have one that brings back great memories from the IIM Calcutta campus that I called home for two years. There was some great food in that place, but only one thing on the menu stands out as original and unique - Spicy Maggi from the New Hostel night canteen. I've endured the endless wait for the Maggi to get ready (while seeing it getting made) so many times, that I'm pretty confident I have an accurate mental note of the recipe. It looks like this and tastes much better than it looks...:)

Ingredients

Maggi Noodles, 1 packet
Water, 2 cups
Small Onion, 1 no - finely chopped
Tomato, 1 no - finely chopped
Green Bell Pepper, 1 no - finely chopped
Green Chilies, 2 nos - chopped into large pieces
Garlic, 2 cloves - finely chopped
Tomato Ketchup - 2 tbsps
Chili Sauce - 1 tbsp

Method

Bring two cups of water to a boil and mix in the tastemaker in a microwave-oven container. Add the tomato ketchup and chili sauce and stir well. Add the chopped onion, tomato, bell pepper, green chilies and garlic. Break the Maggi into four pieces and add it to the mix. Heat the mix in a microwave oven at 250C for about 5 mins. Stir once and heat for a further 3 mins. Serve immediately.

On campus and outside, I've had several versions of Maggi noodles - Egg Maggi, Chicken Maggi, Fried Maggi, Curry Maggi - but Spicy Maggi from IIMC's New Hostel remains a firm favorite and I’m sure most of my batchmates would agree. Try this incredibly simple recipe and I'm sure u'll agree too...:)

Recipes from the Maghreb

2010-04-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

As promised, I'm gonna share recipes of some of the Moroccan delicacies I've tried to re-create in my kitchen. Most of these are native to North Africa in general and versions vary from country to country. The debate as to where the origins of Couscous/Tagine etc lie and which country has the best recipe is usually between Morocco and its rival-in-the-kitchen Tunisia. It's safe to assume though, that Morocco wins the contest hands down...:)
Secondly, some of these dishes may be hard for you to cook in your kitchen for lack of a Tagine or the authentic Moroccan spice mixes. However, if you manage to find suitable substitutes, do give them a try, for Moroccan cuisine is one agreeable to all kinds of palates and wont disappoint.
So on the menu today is a soup, an Omlette and a Tagine.

Harira
Its the staple soup in Morocco and is found on the menu at most retaurants. It's made from chickpeas and vermicelli and is a good fast-breaker during Ramzan in all of the Maghreb.

Ingredients

Chickpeas, 1 cup
Tomatoes, 2 nos
Onion, 1 no
Garlic, 5 cloves
Cilantro
Vermicelli, 25 gms
Olive Oil, 3 tbsp
Mutton stock or water, 750 ml
Ras-el-Hanouf - Moroccan 45 spice powder, 2 tbsp (Dont know the substitute for this, may be garam masala powder will do)
Moroccan white spice powder, 1 tbsp
Turmeric, 1 tbsp
salt and pepper to taste
Wheat flour, 2 tbsp

Method
Soak the chickpeas in water overnight. Fry the chopped onions and garlic cloves in olive oil till soft. Now add the chickpeas and cook on a low flame for 15 mins. Add salt and pepper to taste and the 45 spice mix, the white spice powder and the turmeric. Add the mutton stock/water and turn up the flame. Let it boil till the chickpeas turn soft. Puree the tomatoes and add to the boiling soup. Add the vermicelli. Dissolve the wheat flour in 1/2 cup water and add to the soup once the vermicelli is cooked. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with flatbread.

Omlette Berbere
This is the mother of all omlettes I've had so far and is usually cooked in a Tagine. It takes minimum effort, and if you dont fuck it up, gives stellar results.

Ingredients
Eggs, 3 nos
Tomato, 1 no finely choped
Onion, 1 no finely choped
Green Bell Pepper, 1 no finely choped
Garlic Cloves, 3 nos finely choped
Ras-el-Hanouf - Moroccan 45 spice powder, 1 tbsp
Moroccan white spice powder, 1 tbsp
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Olive Oil, 2 tbsp

Method
Heat the Olive Oil in a Tagine and fry the Onions and Bell Peppers till cooked. Add the garlic and saute for a minute. Add the salt, pepper and spice mixes and mix well. Add the tomatoes and cook for a minute till soft. Now add the eggs carefully, keeping the yolks intact, so that the eggs cover the rest of the ingredients. Turn the flame off immediately and cover the Tagine with the lid. The eggs will cook in the internal heat of the Tagine and the result is easily the best omlette you've ever had. Here's what it looks like.

Fish Tagine

Tagine cooking is like a sub-cuisine in itself and there are so many varieties, that one could write a book about it. This recipe is from Essaouira and is simple enough to make.

Ingredients
Fish, preferably Kingfish (less bony), 4 cross-section pieces
Tomato, 1 no chopped into quarters
Onion, 1 no chopped into squares
Green Bell Pepper, 1 no chopped into squares
Garlic Cloves, 5 nos finely chopped
Ras-el-Hanouf - Moroccan 45 spice powder, 2 tbsp
Moroccan white spice powder, 1 tbsp
Turmeric, 1 tbsp
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Olive Oil, 2 tbsp
Water, 1/2 cup

Method

Heat the Olive Oil in a Tagine and fry the Onions and Bell Peppers till cooked. Add the garlic and saute for a minute. Add the salt, pepper, turmeric and spice mixes and mix well. Add the Fish pieces and cover with the lid for a minute. Add the tomatoes and Mix well to spread the flavour of the spices evenly. Add 1/2 a cup of water and heat with lid on for a minute. Serve hot with flat bread.

This brings the sequence of Morocco posts to an end...an amazing eight months after the trip actually happened. An unquestionable proof of my lethargy.
Morocco has been one helluva fascinating discovery. Its incredible how much there is to see, do and eat in a country smaller than all its North African cousins. So fuck Egypt and the pyramids, if you want great food, Morocco is where its at.

...And the rest

2010-02-20T09:23:00.000-08:00

What else could I call this post after the one about Place Djema El-Fnaa? That one eating experience was greater than the combination of all the other meals I had in Morocco. However that should in no way make you think that the rest of my stay there was anything less than excellent as far as the food was concerned. During my two weeks there, I ate a lot of great food, missed out on some things and made sure I avoided some others. And the list is pretty long.

The a la Menthe (Mint Tea)
This is to Moroccans what coffee is to the French. It is everywhere, from the wilderness of the Atlas mountains to the stylish streetside cafes of Casablanca. And not without good reason. The flamboyant waiter in red at Djema El-Fnaa even called it Whiskey Marocaine (Moroccan Whiskey). We had seen it on the Globetrekker show and read about it on Wikitravel. We had our first mint tea in a Casablanca cafe and it was instantly addictive. I'm not exaggerating when I say that each one of us had, on an average a litre of mint tea everyday from the time we landed in Morocco. We cannot reach an agreement about which was the best, but my favourite was in a small cafe near the Medina gate Bab Bou Jeloud in Fes. This cafe had only coffee and mint tea on its menu and the tea came in the biggest possible glass, was full of mint and had two sugar cubes on the side. Specialization is the name of the game, even when it comes to something as simple as mint tea!

Tagine
If mint tea is the most common drink to be found in Morocco, the Tagine is the most common sight in any eating place. It's a clay vessel with a large conical lid and lends its name to most things that are cooked in it. So many different things are cooked in a Tagine in so many different ways, it should actually be classified as a sub-cuisine. During my time in Morocco, I tried the following

Vegetable Tagine
Chicken Tagine
Meat Tagine
Meatball Tagine with Tomato Sauce

Other Possible Tagines are Fish Tagine from Essaouira, Chicken Tagine with Plums and many others. My favourite was the Chicken Tagine we had in a Berber tent in the middle of the Sahara desert at Erg Chebbi.

Couscous
Morocco is the true home of what is considered a generic Arab/North African dish. Made with great effort (and skill), it has a texture quite similar to our Upma but is more granular and can be served with vegetables or meat. I wasnt very sure how this would turn out, but a well-made Couscous is definnitely a treat.

Grilled Seafood
Morocco's Atlantic coastline has good fish and two of its beach-towns, Essaouira and Agadir have great outdoor stalls that serve freshly grilled seafood. At Essaouira, I was really spoilt for choice. Giant crabs, lobster, cuttlefish, squid, sardines, snapper, turbot and more. I chose the Red Snapper, Sardines and some squid. This was then grilled and served with salad and bread. The Snapper was easily the best I'd had thus far, so were the Sardines. But the bastards burnt my Squid. Shall never forgive them.

Harira
I've already written about this one in the post on Djema El-Fnaa, but I had a lot of it throughout my trip and it deserves a second mention. It provided much needed nourishment after the gruelling trek to the Jebel Toubkal base camp and we always started our set meals in Fes with it. The Djema version is clearly the best though.

Berber Omlette
This is the mother of all Omlettes, the Omlette to beat all Omlettes. Three unbeaten eggs cooked in a Tagine with onions, tomatoes, peppers and spices. Had it only once on my way to the desert and the taste is still with me.

Fes restaurants
Fes was clearly the best city experience in Morocco. Getting lost in the alleys and souks of its gigantic Medina is an exotic and unforgettable experience. The restaurants in Fes were value-for-money, served great food and had typical Franco-Arab names like Chez Hamid and Chez Rachid. Thank you Chez Hamid for your filling breakfast and Chez Rachid for your Meatball Tagine in Tomato Sauce.

Sweetness in Chaouen
Its peculiar how hill-towns always have great bakeries. And its even more peculiar when you find out that this holds true not only in India, but also in far-away Morocco. Chaouen is in the Rif Mountains, known for 'relaxation'. After getting suitably 'relaxed', we stumbled upon an awesome bakery called Aziziya. It had awesome pastries, ice-creams and milkshakes - treats we could appreciate even more since we were 'relaxed'.

Pastilla
One of the things I missed in Morocco was this sweet-cum-savoury Chicken/Pigeon meat filled pie. The idea of a meat-filled pie being sweet in taste didnt quite appeal to me and the portions would have been too large for 2 non-vegetarians.

B'saara
This is Harira's poorer cousin and is only found in Fes. Its a soup made with butterbeans and garlic and is served with a dash of olive oil and bread. I couldnt try it for lack of time in Fes and the inconvenient location of the stalls serving it deep inside the medina.

Kalia
I knew I wouldnt be eating this the moment I saw it on Bizarre foods. Its meat preserved in fat and stored for weeks before its cooked with eggs. It smells awful and is supposed to taste even worse. Wonder how Moroccans eat it.

Morocco certainly lived up to its reputation for great food, and though I've never been to Tunisia, I'm sure Le Maroc will kick its ass in the contest for best food in North Africa. I've managed to smuggle some spices home and have also brought back a small Tagine. Will share recipes from the Maghreb in the next post so watch this space...:)

Panacea!!

2009-12-06T23:10:00.000-08:00

Of late I've been trying to follow the trails of my favorite food/travel shows, whenever I decide to travel to a new place. It's a different kick when you've seen the restaurant on TV with Bourdain/Zimmern/Wright having memorable, delightful or even epiphanous experiences and then go and check the place out for yourself.
So when I decided to spend this year's vacation in Morocco, I had to check out the relevant episodes in my favorite travel and food-related shows. I had already seen the two Morocco episodes in Season 1 of A Cook's Tour, but Bourdain being a finicky eater and a stickler for authenticity, had recognized that the best Moroccan food is to be found in homes and restricted himself to family-owned Riads apart from the whole roasted goat with Berber nomads in the desert. Both these experiences were beyond reach for me, so I turned to other shows and downloaded the Globe Trekker episode where Ian Wright travels to Morocco. And then later, I found an episode of Bizarre foods where Andrew Zimmern goes to Morocco in search of exotic eats. In both these shows, there was one and only one common venue. And this one made it look like Bourdain had a bad day in the office as far as the Morocco episode was concerned. How could he have missed this one? It was so obvious!
So, when I finally landed in Casablanca, I coudn't wait to get to Marrakech, where I knew something special was waiting for me. After two days full of trip planning and mint tea, we reached Marrakech on a Monday evening. After checking into a Riad, I wasted no time in getting directions from our host and walked straight to it. Delight, temptation and intimidation were just some of the feelings I experienced at first sight. This would definitely be a memorable evening.
Place Dejmaa-El-Fna is a large open square in the heart of Marrakech, just inside the walls of its ancient medina. It's about one square kilometre in area and has been described as the largest banquet in the world. During the day it is mostly occupied by Orange Juice stalls, hawkers selling trinkets, snake-charmers and street-performers. During the evening, most of these make way for several hundred food stalls and locals and tourists alike flock to it every night.
Having seen the place on TV, I knew a bit about what was on offer here. Not that it would help me in any way. As soon as I entered the maze of food-stalls, I felt completely lost. And the persistent touts at every stall didn't help either. The guy in the red coat at stall no. 15 proved the most difficult. I really didnt want to make a choice this soon with so much on offer. Moreover, this was a regular restaurant stall and I wanted to try the specialities first. So we got out of eating there by promising that we'd come back after checking the other stuff out.
We started with the Orange Juice stalls, of which there were about ten at one end of the square. I had never given orange juice much thought until I had a glass of it at Djemaa El-Fna. The oranges were some of the biggest I'd ever seen and they were bright orange, even on the inside. And the juice was so good, it made us come back for more. Lonely Planet calls the Orange Juice at Djemaa El-Fna the best in the world and I have to say I agree.

The orange juice stalls have the snail soup stalls for neighbours, so thats where I trained my guns next. Five dirhams for a bowl was a good bargain, but getting those little bastards out of their shells was tough. In the end, I chucked the toothpick and used my hands instead...:) The snails were good but the best part was the broth remaining at the end of it. Now, I had a nice little video of me devouring those snails but it got lost on its way here. So much for the first ever video on http://hungrykya.blogspot.com. Such is life...:(
The Orange Juice stalls and the Snail Soup stalls form a T with the Goat Head stalls!! I had seen this one in the Bizarre Foods episode and 15 Dirhams for a quarter of a head was an absolute bargain. The heads are kept in a stew inside a gigantic pot and after taking your order, the guy at the stall pulls one out, chops it into four, shaves the meat and cartilage off a quarter and serves it to you with a piece of bread soaked in the stew. There's also a plate of slat-pepper-spice mix at the stall, which you can use for seasoning. This was definitely the piece-de-resistance at the Djemaa. Have a look!!

After the goat's head, we kept our promise and ate at stall no. 15 which was one of the regular restaurant stalls. More than the food, it was the entertainment provided by the guy in the red coat, which was the highlight here. Not a single tourist could pass the vicinity of the stall without being accosted by our man and he did manage to lure quite a few. But the place did make good Brochettes and a mean Couscous.

I was completely stuffed when I walked out of the square after eating so much but I knew I had barely scratched the surface here. So it was no surprise when we went back the next night. This time, I went to the Goat Head stall and ordered the brain. This is done a little differently. The brains are lying on the mise-en-place at the stall and the chef takes one and drops it in the stew. After a couple of minutes, he takes it out, chops it into four pieces, and serves it with a bit of the goat's head and the stew-soaked bread. Sinful!!

Harira is the staple soup of Morocco and there are about 10-15 stalls that serve it along with dates at one end of the square. The soup is made from chickpeas and vermicelli, seasoned with spices and thickened with flour. Only 3 Dirhams for a large bowl of piping hot soup with bread and 3 Dirhams for the dates. In retrospect, I had Harira many times after the Djemaa, which was my first, and it was by far the best.

Two visits to Place Djemaa El-Fna and I knew I would still miss out on something or the other. The tripe I saw on the menu at some stalls, the offal. But the time I spent there was the best in the entire trip. It is unlike anything you've ever seen before. It has become my new favorite place in the world and I have appointed myself as it's unofficial brand ambassador...:) I also strongly believe that a place like this is the solution to all problems in life. Hard day at work? Break-up? Feeling down? Let's go to Djemaa El-Fna! Stuff yourself and forget about it for a while! We need a Djemaa El-Fna in every city in the world!!

The Real McCoy

2009-11-05T10:08:00.000-08:00

I love it when I walk into a restaurant expecting nothing and it surprises me with some stellar food. But I love it even more when I go expecting a lot and the restaurant still manages to knock me out with killer food. And what happens when I walk into this restaurant only by chance, because I coudnt go someplace else? Magic...that's what.
And magic definitely happened when I walked into an empty Moti Mahal. It was my last meal in Delhi and I actually wanted to go to Kareem's. But it was Ramzan and Kareem's would only be open at night. I was disappointed, but very soon my thoughts turned to Moti Mahal, which I'd seen a couple of times when I passed by it on my way to the Paranthe Waali Galli and to Red Fort. And since I had heard of it as the place that invented Tandoori Chicken, it became an obvious choice.
The restaurant is quite close to Kareem's so getting there was no problem. But upon arrival, we found the place almost empty. The courtyard and the entrace looked shabby and even the interiors were in need of a makeover, paint peeling off the walls and all. For a moment, I was in doubt. Was this really the original Moti Mahal? The one I read about, the one I saw on Vir Sanghvi's 'A Matter of Taste'? We decided to give it a try anyway.

But before I start singing the paeans, there's time to digress for a short history lesson. Tandoori Chicken, as we know it today was invented by one Kundan Lal Gujral in his restaurant called - no prizes for guessing - Moti Mahal in Peshawar during the late British Raj. The Tandoor was originally used to make rotis and naans only. But Mr. Gujral, in an attempt to attract customers with something innovative, started roasting marinated chickens in the coal-fired oven. And thus, our beloved Tandoori chicken was born. At the time of partition, Gujral moved to Delhi and so did Moti Mahal. It was here that it gained fame and even became a favorite of Prime Minister Nehru. And as if this wasn't enough, a cook in the Moti Mahal kitchen later invented another Indian classic, Butter Chicken!
Back to the main story now...we obviously began with the Tandoori Chicken and needless to say, it was the best I've ever had. First of all, it looked different from all the others I'd had till then. That's because unlike all the other places, they dont use artificial colouring to make their chicken look bright red. This one's the normal brown. And it's piping hot...coz it's cooked in an actual Tandoor with burning charcoal and not on some gas stove or electric grill. Go back to all the 'Tandooris' you've had so far and try to recollect...have any of them been cooked in an actual Tandoor or have any of them looked like they have been cooked in an actual Tandoor? Chances are, your answer is no. So those are the three things that make Moti Mahal's Tandoori the best - It's the original, it uses no colour and its cooked in an actual fuckin Tandoor with burning charcoal.

So after the Tandoori Chicken, it was time for some Butter Chicken with rotis. And surprise surprise, this turned out to be the piece de resistance! Once again, I'm gonna make you go back and think of all the Butter Chicken you've had in the past. What makes Butter Chicken? The cream/butter, the tomato and the spice. Now think back and you'll realise that every time you've had Butter Chicken, it was either too creamy or had too much tomato or too much spice. Have you ever had Butter Chicken with all three in perfect proportion? That's the kind of Butter Chicken Moti Mahal makes. Coz its the ORIGINAL.
But it's not only the food that makes Moti Mahal such a great place. Its also the hospitality. After the meal, our waiter came to us and asked how we liked the food. When we said we loved it, he quickly responded, "Mera dil behlane ke liye toh nahi keh rahe hai?". When we asked to see the Tandoor, his eyes lit up and he gave us a tour of the entire restaurant and kitchen. Not only did he show us the Tandoor, he also introduced us to the people who cooked our food that afternoon.

I left the restaurant in a state of trance. Needless to say I'd recommend Moti Mahal to anybody who's going to Delhi anytime soon. But what disturbed me was the emptiness of the place on a Sunday afternoon. By the time we left, a lot of Westerners had actually come in but the place was still half empty. For the kind of food this place serves, Delhiites and tourists alike should be flocking to it. Moti Mahal deserves to be packed to the gills for lunch and dinner, on weekdays and weekends. It deserves no less.

Of State Bhavans and Tandoori Chicken

2009-09-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

I had been thinking of this for a while. The idea came to me during my travels in Europe and also from TV shows like Anthony Bourdain : No Reservations and Thirsty Traveler. The plan was to travel to different Indian cities and sample the best local food at cult restaurants in each of them. Just like Anthony Bourdain does in No Reservations and Andrew Zimmern does in Bizarre Foods. Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bangalore were the cities on my list. I was really excited about this idea till I started working and it was all but forgotten. But more than a year later, when a friend who had come down from the States suggested that we take a weekend trip together with another friend who had moved back for good, the idea popped up from the back of my head and I said "Bring it on!!''.
We decided to go to Delhi for 3 days and I was already making a list of all the places I wanted to eat at. My friend suggested a 1 day journey to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and I could only see it as a needless waste of one awesome meal..:) So I talked her out of the plan and made sure there was time for six awesome meals during our time in the capital!
So we landed in Delhi on a hot Friday morning and headed to our hotel first. After checking in, it was time for our first meal and I had just the right place in mind. The awesome Delhi metro took us to Connaught Place and after a bit of searching, we were at Nirula's, Delhi's very own fast food chain. A lot was on offer, from Rajma Chawal and Chhole Bhature to Burgers, Pizzas and Ice Creams. I ordered the Mutton Burger with fries and a Strawberry milk shake. The grub was decent, but I have to admit, I still prefer McDonalds. However, spending a lazy weekend afternoon munching on Burgers and sipping milkshake at Nirula’s looked like a typical Delhi thing to me and I am glad I did it. No regrets. Friday evening was spent catching up with a colleague at TGIF over drinks and office gossip. Not much to write about in terms of food eaten.
Saturday began with breakfast at another Delhi landmark, the Parathe Waali Galli. Much has been said, written and shown on television about the Parathas served by many small eateries in this maze of narrow lanes in Old Delhi. I had to find out what the fuss was about. The place took some finding but we eventually got there and saw several hole-in-the-wall Paratha-serving places that all looked the same. We finally stopped at one shop and were greeted by pictures of Sonia-ji and Sheila-ji devouring Parathas at the aparently century-old eatery. Over the next hour or so, we ordered a variety of Parathas between the three of us. From the standard Aloo, Gobi, Mooli to Paneer and Tamatar. The best thing about this meal was the amazing variety of accompaniments served with the Parathas. Sweet and spicy chutneys, fried chillies and two Sabzis. On the flipside though, they seem to have become stingy with the filling..:( All in all a decent breakfast.
Not everybody knows this, but Delhi has a representative house for each state and union territory of India and most of these Bhavans/Sadans have very good canteens that serve cuisine from the state. Of these, the Maharashtra Bhavan and Andhra Pradesh Bhavan are particularly recommended. So, after visiting the Red Fort, India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan, we decided to have lunch at Andhra Bhavan. On reaching the place, we found a long line. A sure sign that the place was worth it's reputation. We wanted to try the Biryani but were told that it's served only on Sundays. So it was the standard Thaali and a plate of Chicken Fry. I love idiosyncracies of people working in restaurants and found one such character at Andhra Bhavan. This guy takes care of the queue and shouts token numbers before escorting you to a table. And he does it in his own peculiar style. "65...66..67 tokayn first sir please tokayn first...68...69...70" he makes the place that little bit more special. After getting our seat, we were treated to an extremely filling, extremely tasty and extremely spicy Andhra meal consisting of chapatis, papads, several spicy vegetable dishes, pickles...the works. And the Chicken Fry was spicy as hell and yet to die for. Best meal in Delhi thus far.
In the evening, we paid a visit to one of my favorite places in Delhi...Dilli Haat.
This is a large compound like place with handicraft stalls from all over the country and food stalls from almost every state..my favorites are the ones from the North East which serve awesome Pork Momos. However, we were so full from the meal at Andhra Bhavan , that we had to give the Momos a miss.
For dinner that night, we went to what is probably the most recognisable Indian retsaurant on the globe...Bukhara at the ITC Maurya Sheraton. It's very highly rated, very exclusive and a place to be seen at. My friend had an Amerian acquantance living at the hotel so she joined us for dinner. The menu at this place is limited to say the least. Its rotis, kebabs, the famed Dal Bukhara and desserts, thats it. We had the Seekh Kebab and Murgh Malai Kebab with some rotis and the dal. The food was decent, but worth a place in the Restaurant Magazine's top 100?? No way.
Moreover, the bill burnt a hole in our pockets. So when it was time to fill the feedback form, our American friend decided to get back at the management and wrote "Over-priced" and "Food not up to the mark". This prompted the manager to rush to our table and ask for a detailed feedback. I have to admit, I was left pretty red-faced by the whole incident but it was fun and made for an interesting story in the end.
Sunday was our last day in the capital and for lunch, I wanted to go to another celebrated but much more humble eatery that's considered a carnivore's paradise...Kareem's. This joint is in the heart of Old Delhi near Jama Masjid. But to our disappointment, we found upon reaching the place that it was closed for lunch during Ramzan. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise coz I then thought of going to a place which we would otherwise have missed. It was in Old Delhi itself and is famous for being the restaurant that invented the Tandoori Chicken...Moti Mahal. When we got there, we found the place almost empty and had our doubts as to whether this was in fact the original Moti Mahal. But one bite of that Tandoori Chicken and all doubts were laid to rest. Its was simply the best I had ever had. Even the Butter Chicken we ordered later, the Kebabs, the Rotis, couldnt be better. Add to it, the hospitality of the staff. This place should be packed 24/7. After the meal, we were shown the Tandoor and even met some of the cooks. This place beats the shit out of Bukhara. I am so impressed, I'm gonna write a separate post about Moti Mahal very soon.
That was our last proper meal in Delhi and probably the best one. There's a lot of great food to be had in Delhi. Perhaps the best thing is food from all over the country, thanks to Dilli Haat and the State Bhavans that are located here. It also has some legendary retaurants for Punjabi and Muslim food. Do try some of the places I've mentioned the next time you're in the capital. And keep watching this space coz Hyderabad is next!

Nasty Bits??... This Way Please!!

2008-12-25T00:47:00.000-08:00

Everyone draws a line somewhere when it comes to food. I mean, there are things you love to eat, then there are things you think are so-so, others you hate, and then others you can’t even imagine eating. Somewhere between the third and the fourth, you draw the line. Anthony Bourdain draws no line. And at the other end, there are strict vegetarians - the religious ones and the vegans/PETA activists. If Tony and the vegans were at the right and left ends of the spectrum respectively, then I’ve always been seen as a far right guy. I've been called Weirdo, Savage, The-Guy-Who-Eats-Goat-Balls, Potential Cannibal and god knows what else owing to some things I choose to eat. This post is to show that what I eat is in no way weird, and maybe shift some of the readers a bit to the right.
But first let me tell you that I do in fact, draw a line. I don’t think I can eat insects, I would not eat endangered animals, or a lot of things Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmern eat on their shows. But, this side of the line, there are a few things I regard as delicacies. Allow me to explain in ascending order of apparent weirdness.

Whole Fish
I don’t know why people find this weird but they do. Maybe a lot of my friends have not grown up eating fish at home like I have. So it’s understandable that they get weirded out seeing me pop the eyeball into my mouth and eat the flesh around it as well. They don’t like the idea of me eating the roe sacs either. These are however, some of the best tasting parts in most fish and letting them go would be a sin!

Country Fowl (Desi Murgi)
Most people of my age group don’t even know what this tastes like. That's coz they've grown up eating the commercially produced broiler chickens. And they don’t feel sufficiently disgusted till I tell them about the bunch of unhatched eggs that is sometimes found inside the slaughtered chicken. But believe me, these unhatched eggs of various sizes are a delicacy when cooked along with the chicken in a curry. Broilers can’t hold a candle to this stuff!

Pork and pork products
For most Indians, pork brings with it images of dirty pigs roaming around in filth on the roadside. But pork comes second only to fish in my list of favorite meats and the list of amazing meat products that the pig has blessed us with makes me wonder - why all the hate? Ham, Salami, Bacon, Sausages...there you go...the four greatest meat products...all from one animal!

Offal
Now this is what disgusts people the most. For those of you who don’t know, offal is the name used for the internal organs of a butchered animal, often a goat. No, I did not grow up eating this stuff. But I acquired a taste for it and the credit goes to a no-frills roadside place in my lane that served lip-smackin good offal in fried and gravied form. I've eaten offal at quite a few places by now, but none can match the taste at Sadabhai's. Brain (Bheja), Liver (Kaleji), Kidneys (Gurda), Intestines (Vajri) and Testicles (Kapura) were on offer and I've spent many evenings sitting on a stool on the footpath dipping Pao into his brilliant Bheja Masala. That fact that this place packed up two years ago is a big personal loss and I'm compelled to share with you, his unique recipe of Bheja Masala.

Ingredients:
1 Goat Brain
1 Small Onion - Finely Chopped
1 Tomato - Finely Chopped
Ginger and Garlic Paste, 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon
Red Chili Powder, 1 teaspoon
Gram Masala Powder, 1 Teaspoon
Salt to Taste
Coriander Leaves
Paya Soup, 1 small cup (This is the secret ingredient)
Refined Oil

Preparation:
Heat Oil on a large frying pan and spread it across the pan. Place the whole brain in one corner of the pan and cover it with a large cup or plate. Now, fry the chopped onion on the same pan. After a minute or so, add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for some more time. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder and sauté some more. Now add the chopped tomatoes. Divide the fried brain into medium-sized pieces with a spatula and mix it with the rest of the ingredients on the pan. Now add a few teaspoons of Paya Soup and cover with a cup or plate. Add a little more Paya Soup from the outside and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Now remove the cup and add the rest of the Paya Soup. Heat for a while and add the chopped coriander. Serve hot with bread (Pao) or Roomali Roti.

This recipe is just one example of how stuff you guys see as 'weird' can actually be a delicacy. Food of this kind is eaten and liked in every part of the world, whether it’s Europe, Asia or even the United States (sheep testicles are called 'Rocky Mountain Oysters' and relished in the Midwest). Watch any food-related show on TV and you'll find this to be true. So next time, do what scares you and try some of the food on this post. I'm sure it will change your opinion. And I'll end this post by quoting Andrew Zimmern from Bizarre Foods - "Remember, if it looks good, eat it!!”

Whatever happened to Grandma's cooking

2008-05-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

The mention of grandmothers certainly brings a lot of memories with it. Prayer lessons, hymns, lazy vacation afternoons, even scoldings and beatings. But while some of these things I still have, it's the food they cooked that I miss the most. And the magnitude of its loss is something I’m just beginning to realise.

The best part of whatever grandmoms cooked was its authenticity. They never used mixers or non-stick pans. No readymade spices or curry pastes either. It was all pestle and mortar, grindstone and fresh ingredients that came all the way from the native village. I think the use of a gas cylinder as opposed to a wood-fired stove was the only thing that kept the food from being one hundred percent authentic.

Then, there were the recipes. So many of them are now lost and those that are still made at home just don’t taste the same. I'll start with my paternal grandmom. An orthodox, stubborn, short-tempered woman from North Goa who liked to rule her house with an iron fist!! She was a great cook though and spent a lot of time in the kitchen. She was an expert at fish and went to the market every Sunday for fresh catch. And unlike how it’s done now, she shelled and de-veined the prawns and gutted and sliced the fish all at home. She used a lot of coconut in her food and all the grinding was done using an old grindstone that she got from her ancestral village home. She made a great variety of fish curries and all of them were lip-smackin good. Some of my favourites were dried shrimp and mackerel with grated coconut and chillies called 'Kismoor' in Konkani, her brilliant Solkadi (even the kokum pods for it came straight from Goa), and fried Pomfret stuffed with coconut chutney. When she made chicken on Sundays, she never used broiler, it was always the 'desi murgi'. And sometimes a bunch of unhatched eggs of different sizes came along with it, which went into the curry. Fuckin amazing is all I can say!! The desserts she made were the most unique ones I’ve ever had. Grated cucumber mixed with jaggery and steamed in a banana leaf, yellow bananas heated in sugar syrup and served with puris. I rest my case.

My other grandmom was a much mellower and likeable character, but she was an amazing cook as well, so much so that distant relatives from Mom's side of the family frequently dropped in to have lunch at her place. I spent many summer vacations there and every time I came back a few pounds heavier. She was great at cooking crabs and shellfish of all kinds. And even with her faded eyesight in old age, she was just as good. Sucking on the bone-marrow from her mutton curry is a favourite childhood memory. Come Diwali and she used to start her routine of preparing traditional sweet and savoury snacks. These were so popular, that demand for them came from all parts of the family, near and distant. Always eager to please, she would send out these goodies in packets to everyone who asked for them. The snacks we buy from shops for Diwali these days don’t even come close.

Then there are the memories. Going to the fish market on Sundays with my paternal grandmom was an experience in itself. All the fisherwoman turned their attention to their most regular and most demanding customer and she always managed to get the best catch and the best bargain at the same time. Mom and Dad have been trying to do that for years now, without much success. During summer vacations at maternal grandma's place, crabs used to be brought home and declawed alive. The terrified look on my cousin's face as she jumped up on the kitchen table is also a favourite vacation memory.

I could go on and on about the food my grandmoms cooked, the methods and ingredients they used and the stories surrounding their cooking. But the more I write, the more nostalgic I get. So I'll just end this post with a random but beautiful thought. How about a restaurant where only grandmoms cook all the food?

Europe - Hits and Misses

2008-05-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

They say that all good things have to come to an end and so have my foodie stories from Europe. But going to Europe has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life, both in terms of the amazingly varied food i've eaten and otherwise. So its only fair that I write one final post dedicated to my time in this awesome continent before I return to posts closer to home. There is also a lot that I could not do and eat in Europe and I think all of that should also receive a mention on this blog for the benefit of those of you who might be lucky enough to go to Europe in the near future. So lets take this one country at a time.

En France

This is where I was based during my time in Europe. This is the only country in Europe where I cooked my own food. And yet somehow, this is where I missed out the most. Since I was on a tight budget, expenses on food also had to be controlled, which meant that restaurant visits were restricted to trips outside my base in Toulouse. Within France, I only went to Marseilles, Nice and Paris. While I had a good French meal in Marseilles, I did miss out on Bouillabaise, a fish stew invented in the city. Even in Toulouse, where I stayed, I missed out on the local speciality, the Cassoulet - a very popular stew made of beans and pork. Other more well-known specialities of authentic French cuisine that I missed out on were Grenouille(frog legs) and Escargot(snails). Dijon in Burgundy was where I desperately wanted to go for gastronomic pursuits. Dijon is famous for its wine, and produces the best mustard and beef in the world. The Champagne region, wine from Bordeaux, mussels from Arcachone and Biarritz, the list just goes on. Well, lets hope I can revisit France soon enough and get a taste of the joie de vivre, atleast as far as food is concerned.

In Deutschland

Germany is not really known for its food and my disappointment with the food at Oktoberfest makes me feel that I did not miss out on much here. But I had the good fortune of being in Munich at the right time and gulp litres of the world's best beer(Paulaner). However, there was some good food in Munich, albeit in bits and parts. The sausages with mashed potatoes were undeniably good and so was the Apfelstrudel. I only had German food at the Oktoberfest and maybe there is lots more to it. I'd rather reserve my judgement.

In Italia

The trip to Italy was marked by a few highlights. Pesto in Liguria where it was created, Gelato in a historic quarter of Rome, and Pizza in Pizzeria Da Michele of Napoli - The temple of Pizza. But then there were disappointments too. The Italian cucina is as vast and varied as any other and a week-long trip meant that I couldnt even scratch the surface. What did I miss here? Canoli(pastry), Frittola(assorted meat fats) and Marsala wine from Sicily, cheese and ham(best in the world) from Parma, a plethora of meat-based dishes from Bologna(Lasagna is the best known), Rissotto and Polenta from the north, Sambuca from Lazio, Antipasti from Florence and more pasta and sauces than you can eat in a lifetime. Well, I can go to Italy 10 more times, maybe even live there and still have regrets about not trying some dish or the other. It's best to just let it go.

En España

While in Spain, I only went to Barcelona and did have some great Catalan food while I was there. Escalivada, roast pork and desert at the gelataria, it was all brilliant. But my greatest regret also came in Spain, when I could not go to Valencia. Paella Valenciana at a roadside cafe near the Americas Cup coastline - It would have been the highlight of the trip! Tapas were also left untouched as I could not go to either Madrid, Seville or San Sebastian. Gazpacho(tomato and bread soup), Sherry, Serrano ham and Chorizo sausages are just some of the Spanish delicacies I would have tried, had I been able to spend more time there. But I'm all set to go to Spain next year for the running of the bulls and its only a matter of time before I get my hands on that Paella!

Em Portugal

Portugal was where I went last in Europe and by that time I had saved some cash. Plus food was the cheapest here and so I made sure I did not miss out on the must-haves. Francesinha and Port wine in Porto and Bachalau(cod) and Pastel de Nata(custard tarts) in Lisbon, I had them covered. But if only Europe could be conquered that easily. Porto is a meat-lover's paradise. Grilled Octopus, fish-head stew and tripe cooked in typical Porto style are few of the many delicacies found in Porto's home-style restaurants. Lisbon, on the other hand has more ways of cooking the codfish than there are days in a year. Some of its restaurants also serve the delicious suckling pig. Pico wine and Ginjinha are some of the drinks I could not have. But there will definitely be a next time!

Europe has so much to do, see and eat that a lifetime is not enough. I tried my best to experience as much of it as I possibly could in one trip. But the most important thing is that Europe worked its magic on me and I'm sure i'll keep going back to it for more.

The Monk who sold his Secret

2008-03-14T01:54:00.000-07:00

Porto or Lisbon - which is better? Opinion is generally divided on this one. Both the cities have a lot in common, yet they have their differences. Both have similar picturesque riverfronts and sloping cobblestoned streets. But Porto is like a small town, Lisbon like a big city. The former is foggy and overcast in winter while the latter is still sunny. Porto is known for its meat, Lisbon for its seafood. There is also a strong rivalry between the tripeiros (residents of Porto) and the Lisboetas. So after I struck the very Christmassy Porto off my list, it was time to head to its southern rival.
I got off my train to Lisbon at a station called Oriente - just to have a look at it from outside. Built for Expo 98 in a modern style, it's huge, brightly lit arches and elegant design has made it quite a tourist attraction. After admiring it for a few minutes, I went down to its metro station to take the subway to my hostel. Lisbon metro is like an underground art gallery and every station has graffiti with a certain theme painted on tiles. Oriente had an elaborate one too. So far, the going was good. My next stop was the Baixa district in the heart of downtown Lisbon. Baixa is a maze of pedestrian streets lined with small cafes and souvenir shops and just like the streets of Porto, it was brightly lit for Christmas. The spoiler however, was the huge police presence. Even on my way to the hostel, police cars and bikes constantly went past with sirens blaring. This was very unlike Lisbon which is known for its low crime rate. I only found out later that the Lisbon treaty was to be signed the next day.
I have written about almost all my trips in Europe, but this is the first time I’m gonna talk about the hostel I stayed in – the very popular Black & White. Run by a very cool brother-sister duo – Miguel and Ana – and painted entirely in black and white as the name suggests, this is the place to stay in Lisbon for a budget traveler. Miguel was a total dude and could be seen playing poker or sharing a beer with some of the guests in the lobby at night. His sister Ana is no less cool and told me about all the places to see and things to eat in Lisbon. Moreover, breakfast the next day was really awesome – a lot of fiambre ham, freshly brewed coffee – and set me up for the day.
When you are in Lisbon you have to take the tram no. 28. It was brought to Lisbon from San Francisco in the 20’s and takes you through Lisbon’s oldest and most fascinating district – Alfama. Alfama is a pre-medieval district and going through its narrow sloping streets on an old rickety tram takes you back in time. There is a lot to do and see in Alfama and I started at one of the many terraces that offer spectacular views of the old city. The one was called Portas do Sol which means gates of the sun in Portuguese. The name is fitting and it’s altitude along with Lisbon’s weather certainly makes you feel as if the sun has come out to shake hands with you! The view from Portas do Sol was awesome and I couldn’t help noticing that almost every house in Alfama had Orange trees (called Laranjeiras) in the courtyard. I was tempted to walk down from the terrace and pick some but decided against it. I guess I wasn’t prepared enough for an old Portuguese lady chasing me through Alfama’s labyrinth. There was a small café on the terrace and I ordered a ham sandwich, along with a glass of Sagres beer – Lisbon’s answer to Porto’s SuperBock. Ham, chilled beer and an awesome panoramic view of whitewashed housed with tiled roofs – it was the best way to start a day in Lisbon.
After seeing all there was to see in Alfama – The Se Cathedral, St. Anthony’s church and the Saint George’s castle – it was time for lunch and for Portugal’s national dish – the Bachalau. Bachalau is codfish and the Portuguese have so many recipes for it that some restaurants have a different version for every day of the year. I had my Bachalau at a small restaurant just outside Castelo do Sao Jorge. It was the whole codfish, fried and served with a garlic sauce, fried potatoes bread and pieces of Castelo Branco cheese. Have a look!

After Alfama, I headed to Belem – the district of Lisbon which is dedicated to the age of discoveries. The magnificent Jeronimos monastery, the Belem tower, the Monument of Discoveries are just some of Belem’s sights dedicated to Portugal’s medieval explorers. But more importantly, it is home to Lisbon’s signature desert – Pasteis de Belem. These are custard tarts with a crisp exterior and very sweet liquid custard inside. They are served with cinnamon and sugar and are a must have when you are in Lisbon. The best place to have them is a bakery aptly called Antiga Casa do Pasteis de Belem which claims to be in possession of the secret recipe for the tarts.
According to legend the tarts were invented in the nearby Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, a prayer house for departing sailors in medieval times. The recipe was a secret but with the fall of the Portuguese empire, the monastery fell on hard times and one of the monks sold the secret recipe to Antiga Casa. Since then, the small bakery in Belem has guarded the recipe fiercely, so much so that apparently it is kept locked in a vault and only four master bakers have access to it.

Antiga Casa is always crowded, but I managed to find my way to the counter and place an order. I bought four tarts and went straight to Jardim de Belem – magnificent gardens on the riverside. A little cinnamon, a little sugar and the tarts were ready to eat. They were piping hot and I burnt my tongue with the first bite! But they were so good that I finished all four in one go.

The next day was my last in Lisbon and I still had one thing to do – find Pico wine. This is a rare wine grown on Portugal’s Pico island in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. Grown in the crevices between volcanic rock, its vineyards have been given UNESCO World Heritage status. But finding this unique wine proved to be more difficult than I thought and after spending half a day searching for it, I finally had to give up. After a short trip to nearby seaside town of Cascais, it was time to leave Lisbon and Portugal. It was an awesome trip but just before leaving I realized that I completely forgot about a drink I could have found more easily in Lisbon and wanted to try for a long time – Ginjinha, a very sweet liqueur made by fermenting cherries in a mixture of brandy, water, sugar and cinnamon. ‘Never mind’, I said to myself – I have one more reason to come back to Lisbon.

When Christmas comes early

2008-02-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

I have always been fascinated by my colonial connection. Being from Goa meant that while the rest of the country celebrated 15th August as its independence day, for us it was 19th December. It made us different and I got a huge kick out of it. My grandparents were probed constantly with endless queries about their life under Portuguese rule. Grandpa had Portuguese as a compulsory subject in school, a fact which he came to regret when I decided to learn the language from him. So it was natural that when I finally found myself in Europe, I couldn’t possibly leave without a visit to the 'motherland'.
Unfortunately, by the time a trip to Portugal became a reality, my friends had become homesick and headed back to India. So I would be making this trip alone. On the bright side, my flight to Porto was from the one city in Europe that I have the best memories of - Barcelona! I decided to get to Barca a day before my flight coz I was yet to visit the Camp Nou, home to one of my favorite football clubs - FC Barcelona. And since I was in Barcelona, I couldn’t resist going back to La Rambla - the one street in Europe so vibrant and buzzing with life, it makes the Champs Elysees look pale. Barcelona never fails to surprise you and while strolling in one of the Rambla's bylanes I came across a Gelataria. A lot was on offer and I picked one of the desserts rather than the regular ice-cream. Banana-stuffed waffles topped with Vanilla ice-cream, chocolate sauce and loaded with pralines - Brilliant! A work of art, just like everything else in Barcelona. After a visit to Estadio Camp Nou the next day, I headed for Girona from where I had a flight to Porto. After a Ryanair journey that took two hours instead of one and scared the shit out of all the passengers (they were actually clapping after landing), I was finally in Porto.
After a rather longish ride on the metro, I got off at Bolhao and saw a huge cloud of smoke at the exit. There was no need to worry though, it was winter and time for Castanhas Assadas - roasted chestnuts sold all over Portugal by street vendors. I bought a few and devoured them on my way to the hostel. After a quick check-in, I headed out for a stroll. What struck me immediately was how each and every street in Porto was lit up for Christmas. Moreover, every street had its own pattern of lighting. Buses went past with 'Feliz Natal (Merry Christmas in Portuguese)' written on them. When I asked a man on the street for a lighter, he too said "Feliz Natal" after my Obrigado. At Aliados square, there was a six-storey high Christmas tree with elaborate decorative lighting on it and an artificial ice-skating rink for kids. What's so surprising about all this you ask? Well, it was the 7th of December. Looks like Christmas comes early in this part of the world.
After a quick visit to the famed Ribeira district, it was time for dinner for which I had the perfect plan in mind. As always, a local specialty. A meat bonanza. The Francesinha! Porto is known for its meat and Ham and Sausage-making tradition and the Francesinha is what captures it best. Wet-cured ham (Fiambre), a spiced Portuguese sausage called linguiça, roast pork and beef steak stuffed between two slices of bread, covered with Saloio cheese, baked (so that the cheese melts) then drenched in tomato and beer sauce and loaded with French fries. Are you salivating already?

Restaurants serving Francesinha can be found all over Porto and I wasted no time in entering an affordable-looking one near Aliados. I ordered beer in anticipation of a heavy meal and was served Porto's very own brew - SuperBock. It was an excellent beer and the waiter even served assorted meat and fish cutlets - all complimentary! The Francesinha was brilliant too and once again, I was stuffed on my way back to the Hostel.
The next day started with a walk through Porto's famous market - the Bolhao, which was very close to the hostel. Fresh fish, big chunks of ham, a huge variety of sausages and vendors shouting at the top of their lungs - it was a heady mix. Porto has a lot of interesting sights and I managed to catch quite a few of them that morning - splendid Azulejos (tile paintings) at Sao Bento railway station, Sao Francisco church ( I have never seen so much gold in one place), and the Douro riverside. But the moment of the trip came when I was in another famous church - Igreja dos Clerigos - and a group of youngsters at the altar started singing Christmas Carols in Portuguese. I cannot describe the feeling - I am so happy to be here! I don’t care if I am alone, I don’t care if my friends are not with me, they are the ones who missed out. This trip is a Christmas gift! - that's how I felt.
After all of this, there was one last thing left to do in Porto - taste and buy Port Wine. After years of drinking the cheap Wedding Bells brand that came from Goa, it was time to try the real thing. Signs of the Port-making tradition can be seen everywhere in Porto, especially in the traditional boats called rebelos that were used to transport the wine down the Douro in medieval times and are still seen parked on the riverfront.

The Port Wine lodges are located in a town called Vila Nova de Gaia which is across the river from Porto and I got there by crossing the Dom Luis bridge - built by Gustav Eiffel in his characteristic style. There are several wine lodges in Vila Nova -Taylor, Croft, Sandeman, Calem etc. I went to Taylor's, the best known lodge only to be disappointed when the guard said "Segunda só (Mondays only)". So Croft it was. Thankfully this one was open to visits and it did not disappoint. It had a plethora of equipment traditionally used to make Port Wine and also, some of the oldest barrels used to store it.

There is an Old Portuguese proverb which says 'Every wine would choose to be Port if it could'. I couldn’t agree more when I tasted some of the vintage stuff. I bought a bottle of Tawny (a bottle of vintage can be really expensive) on my way out.I don’t know how to explain it but Porto was the one place in Europe that I found the most welcoming, I felt at home here. I don’t know why, maybe because I knew the language, maybe because of the Christmas spirit. But I felt a certain joy here that I did not feel in the rest of Europe. I will return for sure.

Il Templo del Pizza!!

2007-12-31T02:15:00.000-08:00

Pizzeria da Michele. The pizzeria that invented the Margherita. Established in 1870. Still in operation. Aptly called 'Il Templo del Pizza' meaning 'The Temple of Pizza'. I first saw it on television in 12th grade when Justine Shapiro toured southern Italy with Lonely Planet. One bite of their Marinara pizza and she said "No exaggerations, this is the best Pizza I’ve ever had in my life". That's when it became one of my must dos. Having a pizza at the very Pizzeria where it was created more than a century ago.Seven years later I was finally close to ticking this one off my list. We were on a trip to Italy and in Cinque Terre on the Ligurian coast in the north. Naples is in the south and it was a long journey. But I remained insistent and convinced my friends that the 'pilgrimage' was worth the effort. When we took the train that night, I must admit, I was having second thoughts. If the pizza was not as good as I said it was, my head would be on the chopping block.To make matters worse, the train journey was very uncomfortable. None of us could get any sleep. Throughout the night, I convinced myself that this is a pilgrimage to the 'Temple of Pizza' and that pilgrimages aren’t supposed to be easy. Moreover, the idea of going all the way to the south of Italy just to have a simple pizza made the foodie inside me very proud. The pilgrimage had to face new problems at sunrise, when the train came to a stop somewhere between Rome and Naples. It wouldn’t go any further and we had to take another (extremely crowded) train for the rest of the journey.When we finally arrived in Naples, my friends had become vocal with their threats. 'This better be good' they kept saying. After a 10 minute walk we were finally there. It took some searching but we finally found Pizzeria da Michele in a lane off the main street. The place didn’t look like much. It was small and the decor was similar to the many Irani restaurants one finds in Mumbai. This made me happy coz the best food is usually found in places like these. The menu was so small, it could be learnt by rote in one single reading. Only two pizzas: the Marinara and the Margherita. And Coke, Fanta or beer to drink. That's it. No fancy toppings, no deep-dish or extra thin crust bullshit. This was definitely a no-nonsense place.Since, we weren’t spoilt for choice, we ordered both the Margherita and the Marinara. Watching the pizza being made was an experience in itself. Much has been written and said about the meticulousness and eccentricities of Neapolitan Pizzaiolos and there I was, seeing all of it live. The dough cannot be rolled with a pin and must be hand-tossed. The base must not be more than 3 mm thick at the centre. The tomatoes used for the sauce must be of the San Marzano variety and must be grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. The mozzarella cheese must be made from the milk of a Campania buffalo. Olive oil must be poured on the pizza in exactly three clockwise spirals. The Oven must be wood fired and maintained at a temperature of 485C. The pizza must be baked for only 60-90 seconds

When the pizzas were served at our table, I knew we would not be disappointed. The Marinara was the simplest possible pizza and was made with only the tomato paste, basil, garlic and olive oil, with the heat of the oven actually cooking the raw garlic in 90 seconds flat. No exaggerations, this is the best pizza I've ever had and no other can come even close. The Margherita had tomato paste, basil, oregano and Mozzarella cheese as toppings and was brilliant but second best when compared to the Marinara.

Threats turned to gratitude and all of us agreed that the pizzas we'd just had were worth the effort we'd put to get there and more. With this story, the search for the perfect pizza has ended. The visit to Da Michele has also strengthened a few beliefs I have about good food. The original recipe cannot be surpassed or bested. Whether it's Biryani from Hyderabad or Pizza from Naples, the original is always the best. Secondly, the best food is not served in fancy settings or Michelin-starred restaurants, but in small, simple places like Da Michele. The trip has also made sure that whenver I bite into a Pizza slice, I will definitely remember the small Pizzeria in a crowded bylane of Naples and long to go back.

A love affair begins

2007-12-27T00:34:00.000-08:00

Hold on! Its not what you think, this is a love affair with a difference. No dates, no gifts, no quarrels, no making up and sadly no making out. This is a love affair with a city! Yes, a city. A city with a difference, a city like no other. Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a rollercoaster ride, coz tonight we're talking about Barcelona!
Even before we left for Barca, friends had given us a fair idea about the rocking place that it was. But till we reached the city and got out of Liceu metro station, we were yet to know what we were dealing with. Our first sight of Barcelona was La Rambla, a wide pedestrian street in the centre of the city that is equally popular with tourists and locals. Choc-a-bloc with roadside cafes, bizarre street performers and regular people, the sheer amount of life in the city left us speechless and I guess we spent at least 10 minutes standing agape at the metro exit.
Our first meal in Barcelona was dinner at an Indian restaurant. Now, I wasn't keen on having Indian food in Europe, but after almost a month away, my friends were longing for it. So I reluctantly agreed to accompany them, and as expected was disappointed by the quality of food. I was in Catalunya and wanted Catalan food. So the next morning, when my friends headed back to the Indian restaurant for lunch, I went to a place that is an institution, not only in Barcelona, but in all of Catalunya. I went to Restaurante La Fonda.
Located in a small alley off La Rambla, this restaurant was huge. It had a humongous dining hall with an equally huge mezzanine floor and basement. And yet, I had to wait for quite a while before I got a table. The menu consisted of traditional Catalan fare and I started with a classic - the Escalivada. Mine consisted of bell peppers, with mince meat stuffed in a tart and served with white sauce. Needless to day, it was perfect. For the main course, I ordered Pork Roast Catalan style. Big chunks of pork served with potatoes, onions, bell peppers and a tangy sauce. Delicious it was, but quite a task to finish. Half a kilo of pork and two pints of San Miguel were consumed before I could be absolutely sure about skipping dessert. After that blissful meal, walking to Port Olympic to catch up with my friends looked like a mean task.
We lived it up that evening. Watching surfers at Barceloneta beach, cocktails at HardRock Cafe, partying at Maremagnum, we did it all. Tired, we went back to our hostel at around 4 am. And true to its spirit, Barcelona was still alive and kicking. The restaurants had closed but people were still strolling on the Rambla and no kidding, there were long lines outside some of the night clubs.
The next day was plagued by strained finances and for a quick bite, we headed to the ever popular Bagel Shop. This is a small cafe in a lane off the Rambla that serves Bagels with toppings of your choice. It was time to go Catalan again and I topped my Bagel with among other things, the Butifarra sausage. Simple but good, and a perfectly good meal if the budget is tight.
It was time to leave that evening and at Sants station, looking at my friends' faces, I could tell that they were in love with the city too.
On a serious note, Barcelona left a big question mark in my mind about how we have chosen to lead our lives. How the rat race in other big cities drives the simple joys of life into oblivion. But it also answered the very same question. For Barcelonetas, fun is serious business. Be it strolling the Rambla or surfing on the beach or more importantly, supporting their darling football club, Barcelonetas do everything with passion. Barcelona has shown me as I am sure it has shown countless others, how important it is to have fun.
So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags, take the next flight and go. Go!! Now!!

Austria Conquered!!!

2007-12-13T11:35:00.000-08:00

After the Oktoberfest fiasco, it was time to head to our next destination - Austria. Well, I know it's not really known for it's food, but what the hell, it was part of our plan. And surprise surprise, it turned out to be the setting for one helluva foodie story.
Our first stop was Salzburg, home to Mozart and 'The Sound of Music'. Most of our time here was spent getting over the hangover of Oktoberfest. We had to check into a slightly high-end hotel coz all the youth hostels were fully booked. But you know what you get when you check into a slightly high-end hotel, dont you? A sumptuous breakfast buffet, that's what you get! Chocolate cereal, marmalade, ham, bacon, salami, it was all there. After the breakfast however, there wasn't much to right home about in Salzburg - atleast on the food front. Lunch meant some pasta and dinner meant McDonald's. It was beginning to look like this was gonna be a dissapointing trip for Mr. foodie. Till we arrived in Vienna.
I wasn't expecting Vienna to be any different from Salzburg when it came to food. But there was one thing I wanted to try. The Hot Dog I had seen Anthony Bourdain try in one of the episodes of No Reservations. Its called the Wurst in German and comes with your choice of German sausage. So the Wurst stand outside our hostel was the first place I went to the next morning. I had my Wurst with the best-known German sausage - the Frankfurter. Pretty damn good, I must say. I thought I had scaled the peak of Austrian food, till I went to lunch at a traditional Austrian eatery.
I was with two friends - both carnivores - and after browsing the menu for a while, we decided that the meat platter was our safest bet. And boy were we wrong! When the platter arrived, we realized that the bet was anything but safe. The platter was loaded with meat enough to feed a banquet. The embarrasment on our faces was a perfect photo-op and the entire clientele - and staff - had smiles on their faces, some were even giggling! We started with the meat nervously even as we tried to hide our embarrasment and tried hard not to look at any of the smiling staff or customers.
I thought that we'd be left to ourselves after a while, but that wasn't how the script was written. The smiling, giggling and commenting continued! After a while, I had had enough. This was too much to take for a foodie. I had to come out of this with my head held high. That's whan I told my friends, "Guys, we are better than this. We are gonna finish this damn thing, no matter how long it takes!". That was it, game on! We attacked the platter with a new found vigour and egged each other on when we thought we were getting too full. It took a lot of time and a lot of extra Coke but in the end we managed. The smiles on people's faces turn to astonishment as we walked out, obviously exhausted.
With this latest victory behind us, it was soon time to leave Austria, but not before I tried the Wurst again, this time with another German sausage - the Bratwurst. The picture on top of the post will tell you, it was only better than the first one. As our train started moving out of Vienna, the title for this post struck me - Austria Conquered!!

Oktoberfest!!

2007-10-24T06:01:00.000-07:00

No smart titles on this one. This is Oktoberfest, a one of a kind occasion, not to be messed with. The largest and most popular beer festival in the world. It had been a dream since the day I saw it on TV for the first time. So its obvious that it was very high on my to-do list when I embarked on a 3-month trip to Europe.
By the time we got tickets to Munich, Oktoberfest was about to end which meant that we could get there only on the last weekend. The scale of the event and the build-up meant that expectations were sky-high when we got there.
It was raining when we got off at the train station in Munich which meant that we were soaked by the time we got to the venue. Thankfully we got there by 10 am, so getting a place in one of the tents was easier. What was our tent called again? Damn, cant remember the name. These long tongue-twisting German names! Anyway, we settled in quickly enough and got down to business. Eight mugs of beer, holding a litre each, were promptly brought to our table. And it got better when we were told that it was Paulaner beer, specially brewed for Oktoberfest! The beer was accompanied by the quintessential Oktoberfest snack, the Pretzel. Freshly baked and salted, it was the perfect accompaniment for the beer. The beer was so good, that the beer back in Toulouse tastes like piss now!
Meanwhile hunger pangs set in and it was time to order food. This reminded me of the delicacies I had seen on TV and I promptly ordered the full roast chicken. It disappeared off the plate quickly enough but frankly, I've had better chicken. More beer was being ordered and somewhere between my second and third litre, I decided to go for Schweinhaxen, the German style pork knuckles, another Oktoberfest special. And again it was ordinary. Some of my friends ordered Frankfurter sausages with mash potatoes which were good enough. But the day was saved by the Apple Strudel. Just sweet enough, creamy enough, it deserves all the superlatives.
Meanwhile most of us were on our fourth litre and some of us were truly sloshed. Dancing on the benches, taking random pictures, singing loudly with German strangers, it was all happening. A while later though, the party reached an anticlimax. One of my friends passed out after his fourth mug and promptly slumped on the table. That did it and a waitress asked us to leave the hall immediately. And thats how our Oktoberfest ended.
My verdict on the event? The best beer in the world, great party atmosphere, ball of a time! Food is a disappointment, but that shouldn't stop you from going to the biggest party in the world!

Marseilles and my faux pas

2007-10-04T05:18:00.000-07:00

One week after my arrival in Europe, me and my friends make our first weekend trip - to Marseilles. It's the Provence Alpes-Cote D'azur, the French Riviera. Most of all we would be getting our first sight of the Mediterranean sea and I am predictably excited!! The thought of all that fresh catch coming out of blue waters and me devouring it has whetted my appetite already.
We walk though the busy streets of the city to it's famous Vieux Port where all the yachts are docked. A leisurely stroll onward leads us to a boulangerie where we have a mind blowing Calzone(folded Pizza). But there is one dish that I want to have in Marseilles the most. It's the Bouillabaise, a stew cooked with an assortment of fish from the Mediterranean. But I'm still coming to terms with high prices in Europe and the Euro 20 price on a single portion of the stew makes me back out. Shame?? I know. I'll do better next time, I promise.
But wait a minute, that's not the faux pas. After an awesome stroll on the Marseille coast and chilling out at a seaside cafe, its time for dinner. So we head back to the Vieux Port which is lined with affordable cafes. We pick one which offers a decently priced meal with 1 entree + 1 main course + 1 wine/beer and 1 dessert. And then comes the faux pas. I order fish for entree and main course and red wine on the side. My friend quickly pounces on the error and I am the punching bag for the rest of the meal.
However the trip to Marseille was a great one. Mediterranean Europe is what I wanted to see and that is what I got. Wondering what comes next?? It's Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany!!

Many sorries for the hiatus

2007-10-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

First things first, sorry for not having updated the blog in such a long while. But you know what, I couldnt help it. I was preparing, preparing for something big. I was preparing to come to Europe!!
Yes, you got that right! I'm in Europe, Toulouse to be specific for a period of three months on a student exchange program. This can only mean one thing. I am gonna travel the length and breadth of Europe in search of the best grub and the best poison.
So be prepared coz for the next three months, you're gonna be hit by one mouth-watering story after another. France, Italy, Germany, England, Spain, Portugal. It's all gonna be there.
So, watch this space for more.

Bellissimo!!

2007-07-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

Oops!! Did the title and the picture give it away too easily? Sorry for that. Yes, it is an Italian restaurant. And in Kolkata this time. I've been living here for more than a year now, so it's only fair that I write about at least one of its restaurants.
Well, I did not discover the place, the credit for that has to go to one of my friends on campus. The first visit was forgettable considering the fact that we spent a ridiculous amount of time roaming around Little Russell Street - stoned - looking for the place. When we got there, my friend realized that he was too drunk already and halfway through his Risotto, left the table and threw up in the restroom.
Oh, I almost forgot, the place is called 'Fire & Ice'. So, the next visit was on Christmas Eve. This time there were three of us and believe it or not, we ended up stoned and spent 15 minutes looking for the place AGAIN!! But when we got there, we were treated to a meal none of us is likely to forget for a long time. Here's a summary.
Tomato soup - Super-duper thick and comes with a generous helping of Parmesan cheese. My thumbs up!!
Foccacia - Isn't this supposed to be an Antipasta?? It was almost bigger than a regular pizza. Very nicely done as well.
Pizzas - We ordered a Proscuitto e Funghi (Ham and mushroom topping). It was perfect, had a super thin crust and was a welcome break from the Domino's and Pizza Hut routine.
Pasta - Penne with Pesto. A very good combination and again, it came with a lot of Parmesan.
Dessert - This was probably the best part. The piece de resistance. Crepes with different fillings (sugar n lemon, honey, nutella) and - hold your breath - Strawberries in White Wine. The most innovative and brilliant dessert idea I’ve come across so far. The glass even has a little honey at the bottom.
I've been to Fire & Ice several times after that night and what is really remarkable is that not a single food item I’ve had there has ever disappointed me. I've introduced the place to a lot of my friends on campus and all of them are hooked on. So the next time you're in Kolkata do take the time to go. And yeah, don’t go stoned!!

And then there is Bourdain!!

2007-07-22T02:16:00.000-07:00

Chefs. They are a peculiar species. You could call them a cross between executives and artists, creating and serving works of art (well, sometimes) and running a kitchen for a professional enterprise all at once. Let's look at some of the best in the business.
Ferran Adria - El Bulli, Spain
Gordon Ramsay - Various restaurants
Thomas Keller - French Laundry, LA
Nobu - Nobu's, various locations
Famous, talented and awe-inspiring they are, but there is one who has chosen to be radically different from all of them and has in the process created a fan following his peers could only dream of.
Womanizer, two-pack-a-day smoker, self-confessed cocaine and heroin addict, vegetarian and vegan loather. Doesn’t sound like much, does he?? Hold on, don't judge him till you've read through this post. For all you foodies out there, he's a lesson on being a foodie. Ladies n gentlemen, I give you Anthony Bourdain!!

Bourdain started out by doing odd jobs in restaurants in and around the New Jersey area. But he wasn't like any of the Michelin star chefs I mentioned at the start. He was a maverick - and still is. He wasn't in it for the Michelin stars. He wasn't in it for the fame. He had two needs - he wanted women, and he wanted drugs. Being a chef gave him both. His first big break in the business was a job at an upmarket New York restaurant called Brasserie Les Halles where he is the executive chef today.
So what makes our man so special? Well there's a twist in the tale. He's taken to traveling around the world sampling cuisine wherever he goes, writing books and making TV shows while he's at it. Now, there are other travel show hosts who do this but Bourdain is different.
Firstly, there are no five star hotels or resorts or big restaurants on his show. The man eats with regular local people wherever he goes. In Portugal, it was a friend's farmhouse, in Mexico his assistant's village and in our very own Mumbai the Khau Galli. Secondly the man will eat anything; I repeat anything that is offered to him. Wanna know some of the things he's had to eat? Here goes.
(Warning: This is not for the faint hearted)

Ant-eggs in Mexico
Cobra with beating heart in Vietnam
Sheep testicles in Morocco
Seal eyeball somewhere in Scandinavia
And finally the piece de resistance -
Warthog anus in Namibia!!

Despite all his idiosyncrasies and his maverick status, the fact remains that Bourdain is a rock star and a blessing for foodies around the world. I am definitely hooked on and even you should be - if you're a foodie that is. I leave you with a list of his books and TV shows.

Bibliography

Fiction

Bone in the Throat
Gone Bamboo
The Bobby Gold Stories

Non-Fiction

Kitchen Confidential
A Cook's Tour
Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical
Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook
The Nasty Bits

TV Shows

A Cook's Tour - Discovery Travel & Living
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations - Discovery Travel & Living

A gift from Canada

2007-07-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I had asked for a bottle of Pernod Absinthe, which my friend did get, but it was accompanied by another bottle - yes, it was maple syrup. I hadn't asked for it but my friend had come from CANADA. And that's what you get when someone comes from Canada. So I thought, you know, whatever, I’ll use it as a topping. For waffles, for vanilla ice cream, for whatever needs a topping. And that's what I did for a while.
But experimenting with ingredients is a part of me and my cooking and it was just a matter of time before the bottle of maple got a piece of the action.
I was in the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon when I saw some basil seeds in a cup and decided to make falooda. Now I had apna desi Kesar and Khus syrup for the flavoring but I decided to test the maple syrup for its use other than as a topping. The end product did pass the test as far as I was concerned and also got thumbs up from mom n dad - the guinea pigs for all my culinary experiments.
Not long after that, Mr. Maple was tested again - this time in an original recipe that I had come up with in my free time. In this one, Mr. Maple had fruits, butter, rum and his old friend Vanilla ice cream for company. And this time, he passed with flying colors, winning a place on the topmost tray of my refrigerator (a place reserved for special ingredients) in the process.
For the benefit of foodies and amateur cooks, both the recipes have been included in the post. Bonapetit!!!

****Maple Falooda****

Ingredients
Sweetened Milk - 2 glasses
Basil seeds (sabja/takmariya) - 6 tbsps
Boiled Vermicelli - 6 tbsps
Maple Syrup
Vanilla Ice cream

Preparation
Soak the basil seeds in water overnight. Take two glasses. Add 3 tbsps boiled vermicelli in each glass. Add 3 tbsps soaked basil seeds. Fill each glass with sweetened milk. Add maple syrup to taste (about 3 tbsps). Top with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.

****Fire & Ice****

Ingredients
Bananas - 2 nos.
Alphonso Mango - 1 no.
Litchis - 8 to 10 nos.
Castor sugar
Butter
Old Monk Rum
Maple Syrup
Vanilla Ice Cream

Preparation
Slice the bananas lengthwise. Dice the mango and deseed the litchis.
Add 2 tbsps butter to a pan on medium heat. Add the fruits to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes. Add castor sugar to taste and sauté for 5 more minutes. Add 4 tbsps of maple syrup and sauté for 2 more minutes. Flambé with Old monk Rum.
Serve in two bowls and top with Vanilla ice cream.

What is it about Goans?

2007-06-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

Seriously, what is it? Coz every time two of them meet their conversation is centered around - no prizes for guessing - Fish!!

Now, there are parts of the world where there is a bigger fish-eating culture than in Goa. Japan, for instance is probably the biggest producer and consumer of fish. Even Goa's colonial ruler Portugal has a cuisine centered around seafood. They say in Portugal, 'If it comes out of the ocean, we'll eat it!!". Closer to home, Bengalis are known for their passion for fish. And yet, when it comes to talking fish, very few others do it as frequently and as passionately as Goans.
My earliest memories of a food-related discussion are mom and dad arguing about who buys the best fish and gets the best bargains at the local fish market. Or my dad arguing with my uncle about which market in Mumbai brings in better and fresher catch - Girgaum or Citylight.

I recently spent a few weeks with my cousin in Pune when his in-laws from Mumbai decided to pay a visit. Both mom-in-law and dad-in-law happened to be Goans. Though our conversation over a few pegs of whiskey began with the upcoming elections and the political turmoil in our home state, it eventually came to the point. Over the next few hours all matters relating to creatures of the sea and those who earn their livelihood from them were discussed. Mom-in-law turned out to be an expert on the subject and was remarkably passionate about anything that involved either fish or Goa. Here are some of her quips.

'Oh you like squid? You must come home sometime. We make stuffed squid every Sunday!!'
'Fish in Goa has a different taste. You cant get that in Mumbai!!'
'Don't ever buy fish from bhaiyyas remember, only kolis!!'
'Freshwater fish is bullshit! Real fish comes from the ocean!!'

Throughout the conversation mom-in-law's face exuded passion. And every species of fish that received a mention brought a million-dollar smile to her face. By the time our conversation ended, almost all the creatures dwelling in the Arabian Sea had found mention. At the end of it all, I could only think of the tagline from a much appreciated Mastercard commercial. Here's a modified version.

1 Whole Pomfret - Rs. 500
1 dozen large prawns - Rs. 400
10 slices of kingfish - Rs. 250
1 large lobster - Rs. 1000
The look on mom-in-law's face - Priceless!!

Girgaum's Secret Revealed

2007-06-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

The secret lies tucked away in a bylane in crowded Girgaum. Is it really a secret?
I don't quite know. Every Girgaumkar knows it. If the Girgaumkar is a carnivore, he adores it. And for every Goan in Mumbai, it's akin to a pilgrimage spot! Even Rashmi Uday Singh praises it in her 'Times Good Food Guide'. And yet, it remains relatively unknown to a majority of Mumbai's foodies.

Lets cut to the chase. I'm talking about a small grade III eatery that goes by the name 'Anantashram Upahar Griha'. It serves(mostly non-vegetarian) Goan Hindu meals and is located in the picturesque lane of Khotachiwadi at a walking distance from Charni Road station. I had last visited the place as an 8 year-old with my mother who worked at the bank next door. Back then I was too young to really appreciate what these guys were doing. Many years and several passionate recommendations later I decided to pay the place a visit.

So, there I was on a summer Saturday at 12:30 pm(I know it's a little early but the owners are known to shut shop at 2:30 for their siesta in true blue Goan style!). Let's be frank. If you're hung-up on ambience, decor n stuff, this is not the place for you. The place is small with barely eight tables, there is no paint on the walls and the owners double-up as waiters. Anyway, I seated myself at one of those tiny tables and glanced the menu written on a board hung up on the wall(Yup, no menu cards here). After some thought, I decided to go for the Mutton curry with Chapatis and rice. I also ordered a plate of fried fish(Pomfret). The meal arrived in good time and I promptly tucked in. After having eaten my fill, I washed it all down with a cup of Solkadi. The verdict was simple. It was the best Goan meal I had eaten in a long, long time. Goa Portuguesa, Viva Paschim and Konkan Cafe can eat their hearts out!

How do these guys do it? I know that it's a bold statement to make but the place even manages to beat some of the best home-cooked Goan meals. I held on to that thought as I went into the kitchen to wash my hands(Yes, the only wash basin here, is the one in the kitchen!). And then it struck me. The kitchen had no modern equipment at all. Pestle and mortar, grindstone, wood-fired stove. Food is made here like it was in old-time Goa. It's Anantashram's resistance to change that has retained it's charm, distinct appeal and most importantly, the quality of it's food.

As I walked back(stuffed) to the station after the meal, I realised how Girgaum is one place in Mumbai that has stayed the same while the world around it has changed completely. The same Chawl system, the same old-fashioned people and fesivals celebrated with the same-old pomp. Stiff resistance to change of any kind. I think Anantashram, more than any other place, symbolises the stubborn, unchanged spirit of Girgaum. Hope it stays the same, always.