A Life of Spice

A deep red, November 2009

2009-11-11T15:05:04-05:00

A Deep Red

Wine is a mystery to me—I don't understand all its nuances, but I revere it. Still, it has always held a special place in my heart. Choosing the right type of wine, I am told, is an art: the wine should be in perfect harmony with the food it is served with.

Sometimes, though, it's about more than just the palate.

A few years ago, my husband and I visited my uncle in the Austrian Alps. We were on vacation and decided to spend a few days with him and his wife. I had never met her and had not seen him in over 30 years.

He had left India at 20. I was about a year old then. He now ran a pension nestled in the heart of the ZellAmSee alps just outside of Salzburg. An Indian king had once remarked that the Kashmir valley reminded him of heaven on Earth; ZellAmSee begged the king’s claim – a stunning valley adorned with nature’s best gifts. Cows grazed in the emerald pastures on hills studded with yellow-hued flowers. Tiny houses that looked almost like doll houses lined the roads. It was so tranquil - even the sounds of the cars seemed strangely in harmony with nature. An amber sun ready to scatter vermillion rays had just begun to set. The valley reminded me of the perfect postcard pictures of the Alps on the covers of tiny Lindt chocolates I ate as a child. It was heaven on earth.

We had arrived on a cool, crisp May morning, and spent the day hiking and sightseeing in the city. He asked that we be home in time for aperitifs.

We returned from the hike famished and thirsty. He must have sensed it and immediately led us outside onto the deck. He had laid a beautiful setting with appetizers, wines, and pretty white embroidered Indian napkins. The weather had cooled even more and there was a slight chill in the air. I sat and accepted the glass of wine he poured for me. The atmosphere seemed a bit awkward—though related by blood we lived in separate parts of the world and were practically strangers.

Overwhelming was the word that came to mind as I sipped the wine offered to me so graciously. I am not sure if it was the heady sensation from the strong tasting wine or my uninitiated palate, but a strange thought came into my mind. My father had once told me about an Indian queen whose skin was so translucent that when she drank wine, it showed through her veins. My neck was surely not translucent, but the wine was so deep red I wondered if it showed through.

It is Indian etiquette to drink what your host offers you - and so I did politely, gasping with each sip. The woodsy wine played devil’s songs down my gullet. I am not much of a wine drinker and the wine made me a bit edgy. I even worried about getting drunk on an empty stomach in front of strangers and this strong red, a merlot, did not help. But the hand that poured the wine seemed so gentle and hospitable, I felt it ill-mannered to ask for a different drink. The deep red consumed my attention-I observed it in the finely cut crystal glass. How could something so beautiful taste so unfriendly? My lack of taste was clearly not shared by my husband. He seemed to cherish each sip, oblivious to my questioning glances.

Baby pink onions mounded over thick slabs of smoky sausages, puff pastry filled with strongly spiced minced lamb, small potato and onion stuffed bread wedges and lime pickle set on the table seemed to fight with the wine to gain the upper hand.

I remembered my uncle only through the stories my maternal grandmother—his mother—would share with me about his youth back in India. I recalled the most colorful one and shared it at the table. He was seventeen at the time, she said, and it was a big day. He was sitting for the entrance exam to a very prestigious college. She had waited by the door all afternoon for his return. When she saw him, her pounding heart calmed down. He was smiling, "I did great Mama," he yelled, "great- I will pass with flying colors." She hugged and kissed him and let him go out with his friends. When the test results came, he had failed the exam, miserably at that she said. She was mad: why had he not told her? "Simple," he said, "if I had told you then, I would have gotten yelled at twice!"

We laughed, the ice was finally broken.

My uncle's eyes softened when he turned to me and his voice became gentler. I am a mirror image of my mother and I suspect I reminded him of her, his sister. "Eat," he prodded, just as his mother used to, "take some more. You haven't touched the food."

He fed us until we could eat no more, and served more wine. I quietly sipped the wine as I listened to him reminisce about how his only memory of me was holding me as a baby. The wine seemed to get gentler, fruitier.

It turned out to be a long night. After all, we had 30 years to catch up on.

He signaled for more wine. I found myself nodding, yes. It was beginning to grow on me. We reminisced about Delhi, our birthplace - the same place from two totally different view points, about the same heritage, yet from two totally different worlds.

The last toast of the night was his. To my family, he said simply, to my family. His eyes hazy with tears said the rest. We drank the deep red. I had stopped fighting it and it had rewarded me kindly. A warm spicy flavor now teased my tongue. Our conversation appeared to take the lead from the wine-a bit awkward at first, then warm and finally inviting and familiar.

Years later at an Indian restaurant, I am debating a drink with dinner. It's a special night. We are meeting some strangers who I am hoping will become new friends. I glance at the wine list and there it is. There it is, on the menu, my deep red friend.

The sommelier politely questions my choice of wine. "Madam, this red? Perhaps a lighter wine for your spicy meal? A red may not be just perfect." he says

But it really is, I say, it really is.

Guest post: Laurie V. Soileau and my Cream of Wheat and Paneer Pancakes

2009-11-11T09:48:51-05:00

Food writer Laurie V. Soileau sends this lovely note about making these Cream of Wheat pancakes. Yes, cream of wheat. Don't run away.. please. It tastes good. Dont take my word for it, see what Laurie has to say -

Guest Post - Laurie V. Soileau

After testing Bhide’s recipe for Cream of Wheat and Paneer Pancakes with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes, I am, for once, wordless. There is absolutely not an utterance, photograph, or gesture or that could elucidate for you the pungent aroma and taste bud-titillating flavor of these hearty, savory and earthy-looking Indian-spiced pancakes. These aren’t your breakfast pancakes dripped with sticky-sweetness for a lazy Sunday morning. And they aren’t child’s play. These are cakes to make your average vegetarian entrée fall over and weep with envy and your taste buds fire in every possible configuration. You’d never know it from my photos, but these are little packages of WOW, a down-to-earth potato-like center draped in a delicate crisp-crunchy coat (thanks to the cream of wheat) but with an aromatic flavor that makes you want to jump up and shout, “I can cook Indian food!”

For me, a great dish is all about the yin and yang. I want crunchy and velvety-soft (which these are); salty and tangy (which these are); savory with a hint of sweet (right again- these are). I want enough peppery heat to make me reach for a glass of something cold, and they do just that. And, while my camera could not capture their elusive magic, these multi-textured pancakes, which double as entrée or side dish, are a feast for the eyes with flecks of bright green chile and chunks of bright red tomato.

This impressive recipe is quite simple and easy, and makes enough for dinner for four or dinner and tomorrow’s lunch for two. A trip to an Indian or international market may be required for the paneer, a firm, white Indian farmer cheese, all other ingredients are found at the local market or in your own pantry, from yogurt to cumin seed to Serrano chilies and canned oven-roasted tomatoes. Once you’ve grated a little cheese and carefully minced the chilies, the process is a simple stir. Cooking is a breeze as you simply fry these cakes up in vegetable oil in a skillet. Modern Spice calls for a non-stick skillet, so I used my favorite iteration, the beloved cast iron.

I also tested these with queso fresco in place of paneer as on my first trek I was unable to locate the Indian cheese, not quite the salute to Bhide’s Indian heritage that Modern Spice is known for, but it is a reasonable and delicious alternative.

These pancakes never made it past the stove for me. While I intended to prepare a full sit-down meal for my daughter and myself, I started nibbling after the first cake was flipped in the steaming-hot skillet and never sat down. Rather than relaxing at the table, I found myself daydreaming of meals to come, flipping through the pages of Modern Spice, making notes, and handing my daughter her plate sideways through the kitchen door. She’ll forgive me. And I’ll be a better mom for it.

Streetside Bestsellers, National Geographic Traveler, November 2009

2009-11-09T21:55:19-05:00

Love reading books? Then check out these Indian book markets in Old Delhi

and my note on how book buying in contemporary India is an art!

Alimentum reviews Modern Spice. November 2009

2009-11-08T22:18:15-05:00

I have great respect for Alimentum and one of my goals has always been to be able to see my name in that journal. Well, I did see my name there tonite but not in the way I had been thinking about. I got an email from a friend telling me that they had (GULP) reviewed Modern Spice. What an honor.

Here is an amazing and in-depth review of the book and as always, I picked a line that I loved and I hope you will too --

"Monica Bhide’s newest cookbook, Modern Spice, is a cookbook that should be read from beginning to end. From a love affair with chaat masala to using peapods to teach her son how to read Hindi, Bhide shows us that the cookbook is not confined to recipes and instructions. For her, food is a kind of literary device that has the power to deepen your senses both on and off the plate."

iSPICE rhapsodizes about cayenne pepper, Washington Post online

2009-11-06T09:07:49-05:00

Love it? Hate it? You gotta read why you need a bit more heat in your life in this issue of iSPICE - all about cayenne.

And a fantastic recipe for spicy pasta with the piece, what is there not to like?

Andrea King Collier made me cry

2009-11-05T11:36:00-05:00

Some of the best things in life are the least expected. A few months ago, I had sent out a tweet asking if anyone wanted to do a little blog post about their cooking experience with Modern Spice. I got several lovely notes from people. Then I get an email from my guru, my essay teacher Andrea King Collier. She wondered if she could do a post. Hmmm.. YES! And then she got busy and I was a bit hesitant to remind her. You know how it is with people whom you want to emulate..

Well, today... I got an email from Andrea. And it included not what I would call a typical blog post but an essay on her love of Modern Spice.

Andrea made me cry.

Guest Post - From Essay teacher and author Andrea King Collier

Andrea King Collier

There’s No Place Like Home

One of the best compliments you can pay a cook is to ask for some of her recipes. I watched the women in my family pass them around on dog eared, lined notebook paper, and faded, vanilla extract splashed note cards all of my life. And now, since I am a 2009 digital diva, I can send you my family recipes via email, or post them on a blog with lightning speed (should I be inclined to share). I am even more fortunate that I have many friends like Monica Bhide, who write cookbooks. How lucky am I? I ask for a shared family recipe, and I get a recipe, a family story and a beautiful cookbook. How I have evolved from the recipe torn out of an old magazine. My grandmother would say, “Stop it. Nobody likes a show off.”

Monica’s cookbook, Modern Spice is even more special because it is a treasure chest of adventure and flavor. At first glance her beloved India seems far away and exotic, compared to the South of my roots. Yet there is comfort and a sense of home in the way she writes about family and food, that reminds me how people are connected in what matters.

Shortly after her book came out, Monica headed home to the place that inspired Modern Spice. I was one of the lucky ones to get little love notes about what she was cooking, how she was scouring the markets for fresh local ingredients, and Lord help me, how she was eating. I just wanted to say, ”stop it you temptress,” instead I would settle in with her cookbook and imagine the adventures, and pretend that I was talking to her as she prepared a meal. Some days I could practically smell the curry.

Wanting to experience what she was experiencing, I decided that it was time to dig in and tackle some of the recipes. And when I started cooking, I realized that the rhythm of cutting, sautéing, stirring and seasoning brought me comfort and lost me in time. I have worked my way through her Red Chile, Garlic and Basil Chicken and then delighted in the Pomegranate Shrimp. But my cultural Ah Ha! Moment came when I came upon the Catfish Curry(recipe here). Of course it brought tears to my eyes. I have never seen a catfish anything that I didn’t love. Give me some catfish and grits, or bring it with some crawfish etouffee mounded on top of a catfish filet, any day of the week. I wear my love of catfish as a part of my true Southern pedigree. So when Monica tapped one of my favorite staples and gave it her own flair, I was all in.

I have 100s of cookbooks, many by old and new friends. And like most, I will sometimes forgo the organic instructions in my head, and hit the cookbooks as a way to discover a perfect recipe. But I also go there to discover a place, a time and a heart. After all, food, aside from sustenance is about the heart isn’t it?

Authors like Monica really write for people like me They want you to cook their food, or look at the pictures of the food they cook and enjoy. I do that with a recipe like Catfish Curry, AND I read for all the wonderful details, stories, what is said, and what is left to my imagination. To read and cook from Monica’s book is like putting on your coat, and your hat, and grabbing your purse to go on a little trip. Off we go to India, off we go to the Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia of my family. Off we go to a family dinner with laughter and love, and a pinch of the ubiquitous and ever present family drama. You know a little catfish and a lot of love will really take you a long way.

*****

So how does one respond to a post like this? Well, in my case I spent the morning in the kitchen preparin a new catfish recipe just for Andrea - Andrea's Indian Catfish - cubes of catfish are sauteed in hot oil with mustard seeds, curry leaves and shallots. then I added ground coriander, turmeric and a touch of tamarind chutney. Serve hot with white rice :-)

Foodblogga reviews Modern Spice (and is giving away copies of the book!)

2009-11-04T09:09:32-05:00

The Google alert came in this morning. The very talented blogger FoodBlogga had posted a review of Modern Spice. i could feel the butterflies in my stomach. I could feel the sweat running down my face.. what did she think.. I wondered. It is like that with every review that comes out, the anxiety, the anticipation never quite goes away. So what did she have to say?

Here is the one line that did it for me -- " By the book's end, Bhide feels like a friend"

One of her favorite dishes from the book is a favorite with our family as well. I hope you will try my tomato and coconut fish curry.

(This photo was provided by Ursala who made this dish for the Modern Spice Virtual Dinner)

You can read the rest of her amazing review here, her comments on several of the recipes she tested and tasted and then of course, please enter the contest to win a free copy of the book. If you win, email me and I will send you a personalized book plate that you can add to the book!

iSPICE - Green Chili Peppers, Washington Post online, OCtober 2009

2009-10-30T08:43:23-04:00

If you love dumplings, then you need to run, not walk, to your closest bookstore (or mouse over to Amazon) and purchase Andrea Nguyen’s “Asian Dumplings” cookbook (Ten Speed Press, 2009). It is the ultimate guide for dumpling lovers.

Read more here about my interview with Andreaon green chilies!

Modern Spice makes America's Top 100 Healthiest, Health magazine, November 2009

2009-10-27T10:56:06-04:00

I am so so happy to share this news. Health magazine has selected the top 100 things in America that are good for you and guess what??! Modern Spice is on that list! I am so very happy!!!

WOOOOHOOO!!

Click here to buy!

Next week on Kojo Nnamdi Show (NPR), October 2009

2009-10-23T16:20:54-04:00

I will be on the Kojo Nnamdi show on Wednesday at 1:00 pm EST talking about Indian food, Indian restaurants in DC and more. Call in and lets chat!! WAMU 88.5 FM