Diary of a Hungry Expat

Week 2: Can Emeril Save the Tuna Fish Challenge?

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 09:45:00 +0000

I decided to stick with the theme of tuna fish as a salad, since I am hoping that a tuna melt will convince Curry Delight of the greatness that is canned tuna.

Emeril has a "Kicked-Up Tuna Melt" that appeared easy enough (more so than some of the crazy recipes with a thousand and one ingredients just for pasta/salad).

4 cans of tuna (drained, duh) 1/3 c mayo (+ some to spread)
1/4 c chopped red onion 4 tsp capers (rinsed and drained)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1/2 tsp coarse salt

1 tsp ground pepper 1/4 tsp dried oregano "crumbled between your fingers" 😂

4 slices of crusty bread 8 tomato slices

4 slices of provolone or other "mild melting cheese (e.g. cheddar or Monterrey Jack)"

Substituted/Guesstimated/Added:
2 cans (395 g) of tuna
2 small onions (probably only slightly more than 1/4 c - I eyeballed it)
2 small spoonfuls of jalapeños (~8-10 tiny slices) for capers
Juice from 1 small Indian lemon (smaller than American variety)
Black rock salt for "coarse salt"
Dried oregano from a bottle, no crumbling required
Aged cheddar rather than provolone
+ Dash of paprika on top with a tiny bit of cilantro/coriander

I initially planned to use 3 cans (580 g) of tuna so it was closer to the amount in the recipe, but once I got the first two cans mixed up with the ingredients, it didn't need another 5 oz and the taste was not overwhelming, despite the lesser amount of tuna. Plus, we now have salad for an army - or at least leftovers aplenty for the cat.

Emeril said to bake it, but since we are incompetent at using the microwave as a convection oven, despite its claims it converts, we went the lazy microwave route. I did think about sticking them on a pizza/dosa flat pan on the stovetop, but that seemed like a lot more effort than 45 seconds in the microwave. The cheese melted and the baguette didn't get too hard, like it's wont to do.

Curry Delight liked the tuna salad, so he said. I don't even think it was a pity like; he claimed he'd eat it again if I made it. Next time I will use smaller bread for the open face sandwiches - maybe pao or dinner rolls - the baguette was a bit bulky to try to eat without making a mess.

Verdict: The salad was just the right mix of flavor and not too dry. Sometimes recipes call for way too much mayo, which drowns out the flavor, and other times there's not enough and it's way too dry. It was quick and easy to make and I loved the taste.

Perfection accomplished!

The Month of Tuna Fish: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 10:47:00 +0000

Carmie loves tuna fish month

As Americans we always like to re-state the obvious in our vocabulary. For example, instead of bin, we have "wastepaper baskets or trashcans" and so forth. Which is why the following attempts are "tuna fish" recipes and not "tuna". Tuna = the whole fish or a fillet. Tuna fish = canned tuna.

For me to attempt to perfect a tuna recipe would be very ambitious, thus is why February was deemed tuna fish month (and because the first week of the month we had barely anything in the kitchen pre- and post- travels) except miscellaneous canned/dry foods.

Week 1: Tuna fish salad

I searched online for some options and settled on one I found on All Recipes.

1 210g can of tuna (drained, obvi)

6 tbsp of mayo

1 tbsp of Parmesan

3 tbsp sweet pickle relish

1/8 tsp dried chopped onion flakes

1/4 tsp curry powder

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried dill weed

1 pinch of garlic powder

Substituted: Omitted: Added: Served with:

Chopped jalapeños for sweet pickle relish Garlic Chopped tomatoes Rotis and white wine

Cheddar for Parmesan (it was what was in the fridge)

So, pretty much you just mix these - quick and easy is always my style. I don't think that my substitutions of jalapeños or cheddar radically affected the taste. I started with less mayo (6 tbsp just seemed excessive), but ended up including it all just to get rid of the taste of dill. Don't get me wrong, I like dill, but alongside the curry powder, it was not the best flavor combination. Despite my obsession for garlic, I ended up not using any at all (a. I didn't have any garlic powder - just fresh - and b. the flavor of the curry powder was so strong, I didn't think it needed garlic on top of that).

Dinner is served.

Verdict: Meh, but edible - definitely needs improvement!

The first go-round was an act of desperation, but, I love tuna, so I'm determined to find a simple go-to recipe to whip up. I informed Curry Delight that tuna was on the menu tonight, so stay tuned to see what he thinks!

Hungry Expat's "Tomato-Cream Pasta Sauce"

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 10:41:00 +0000

One of my New Years resolutions this year (since I actually achieved the few I made over the last couple of years, I got cocky and set a "monthly" goal), is to perfect a dish each month that I can make for any occasion.

January's attempt was a creamy marinara sauce (I've clearly been a bit slow in writing/posting). I have, of course, cooked this many times since moving abroad since the bottled marinara sauces in Kenya and India leave much to be desired, in my opinion. They are either too sweet or too ketchup-like for my taste.

My go-to recipe site is All Recipes. I usually find a couple recipes on there that look good (with less ingredients) and then mix/match/adjust for my taste. The following made four healthy sized servings:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 red onions diced

1 small head of garlic (I really like my garlic)

2 tetrapaks of tomato paste (there were zero fresh tomatoes in the fridge)

~1 tbsp Italian seasoning (or just do ~1/2 tbsp each of basil and oregano, or to taste)

1 tsp granulated white sugar

a splash of red wine vinegar (in my case it's a yellow tail Shiraz that I didn't drink fast enough but don't want to waste)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper (I like a large pinch)

1 200g tetrapak of "fresh" cream

1 tbsp cold butter

So, I do know that you should cook the garlic and onion first, which I did, but apparently not long enough. Curry Delight's only complaint was that the onions weren't soft enough. I didn't notice, but then again, that's why he's usually the one cooking.

Then I added my tomato paste (normally I would do half the amount of paste, just for thickness, and then use fresh, chopped tomatoes for taste, but we had absolutely no fresh veggies in the house since we'd been travelling). Next, I mixed in the red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and herbs. I brought it to a boil, stirring regularly, and let the liquid cook down over a few minutes.

Once it had thickened up, I took it off the heat and added the cream and butter. Butter was a first for me, but it did add a nice flavor. However, I would probably skip it in the future as it just seems unnecessary. Finally, I reduced the heat and let it simmer for a few minutes before tossing it on some pasta and

Finished product - it doesn't look beautiful, but I thought it tasted good

It didn't take me very long to throw this together with what little I had around the house, but I will keep experimenting with the measurements and such until I can do it more quickly and sans outside recipes. Guinea pigs welcome!

Prankster

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 20:35:00 +0000

A friend of mine invited me to lunch with her at Prankster one weekend (the day before I moved states, right before the holidays, and followed by my return to the US, which hopefully explains my very belated post). Once we met, she explained that we were going to be hosted by the ever-gracious Pawan Soni and try a little bit of everything on the menu. I had a such a great time eating and chatting with so many great, new people - I can summarize the experience with these few word: soooo.much.good.food!

I actually had visited Prankster once before, a few weeks earlier for a weekday lunch with some friends. I had the same pleasurable service and great food that I was served at this event. At that time, my teenage step-daughter made sure to mention that this place was in fact for young people and that we were far too old to enjoy it properly (despite the obviously retro playlist). So I took joy in the fact that I am indeed part of the target age audience when Pawan explained the concept behind the restaurant. When you walk in downstairs, there is upside down decor representing time flowing backwards to your younger years. As you ascend the stairs you are taken through a backdoor into an (Indian) college campus. It is intended to be reminiscent of one's college years, fun times, a time of independence, new relationships, and where you are just starting out in your adult life. The restaurant/cafe/pub has many different seating areas divided up by area of the college. To the left is the library, the right a dance floor and dj booth (don't remember my college having one of those back in my day...), and past that is a chemistry lab where you can mix your own drinks. Walking onto the patio you find a paan wala (apparently a staple at Indian unis) and hostel (dorm) room, complete with clothes hanging from the ceiling for drying. Back inside you find the longest bar top in Gurgaon at 35 feet long designed to remind you of a locker room. Opposite is the brightly colored canteen and a look into the kitchen. Every detail is thought out down to the painted lampshades with ads for 2 minute maggi, a Punjabi dhaba, and Iphantom smoke (apparently a candy cigarette). Other areas included classrooms, lecture hall, and a food truck in the student parking lot.

prankster punk

While waiting for our fellow diners I ordered myself a specialty cocktail, the Prankster Punk (vodka with orange and lime chunks, peach puree, and lime and apple juices). It went down far too quickly. As it was mid-day on a Saturday and I was supposed to return home to pack post-lunch, I switched to beer (brewed in-house). Definitely ask for a taster when you go and try them all, it's hard to choose just one as they're all excellent aged beers and only cost INR140 for 500ml. I loved the wheat beer.

Intended to be pocketbook friendly and reminiscent of the type of food your mom or north Indian college cafeteria would make, it hits the spot! The dishes are all uniquely designed by the chef to fit the "nostalgic progressive" food theme.

the masterful chef

lotus root fritters

As he explained, all of the dishes aim to bring the taste of your north Indian mom's kitchen into traditional dishes from all over India, but with a twist. We started with lotus root fritters (a steal at only 99 rupees!). I had no idea that lotus was edible, but while it was crispy and flavorful with its masala topping, it was so light (I'm told it's because of the air-frying).

This was followed by the nitro dahi bhalla, an ice cream with crispy romali roti and pomegranate quick frozen with liquid nitrogen flavored like chaat.

dahi bhalla

We then tried the sambhar cappucino (INR 149) - another air fried treat with a frothy sambar (it has a surprising flavor - as it's intended to be your north Indian's mother's less stewy-version of the south Indian favorite). It was light and full of north Indian flavors.

sambhar cappucino with dosai crispy

Next up was the pao bhaji (always a favorite) with 3 for INR250. This one was served in a fun creative way intended to remind the diner of the tiffins your mom packed and the truth-or-dare cube game that was a popular kids game here. Apparently in this game, you pick a box and if it is empty underneath then you have to choose truth-or-dare. Fortunately in this version, you are rewarded with a pao slider (unless you're the unlucky one to pick the empty box). I loved the pao bhaji zinker with Marathi garlic crumbs; it had a nice kick to it and the cheese slice was a nice touch. The patty was firm and not soggy and the bun was light. I could have eaten all three of these!

honey chili potato pepper slaw

Following the game theme, the twist of the honey chili potatoes was that they were stacked like Jenga blocks. To make these, they start with garlic mash then fry. Fabulous presentation, plus they were soft and creamy in the middle.

Already stuffed, I soldiered on as the keema boti and chicken tikka pizzas arrived (all pizzas cost INR325-475, such a great deal). Unlike most pizzas you find here in India, these are modeled after the Middle Eastern fattir pizza with a flaky pastry-like base. The chicken was delightfully cheesy and the keema pizza was absolutely divine and I've found the perfect new delivery system of keema into my belly. Yum!

Fading fast, I tried to keep up with the others and had the Indianized tamarind glazed kung pao chicken served to look like a tamarind candy dish. This was followed by the TT (tender tandoori) lamb chops coated in a delicious bbq sauce of traditional Indian flavors. It was so perfectly cooked that the bone slipped cleanly away from the soft tenderloin. Absolutely sublime!

imly glazed kung pao chicken

Still more delectable dishes kept arriving (mains range from INR325-600), the rampuri ghost - the mutton was served on the bone in a juicy, medium-bodied gravy. It was soft like the lamb chops and very flavorful. The hanged and pulled butter chicken was nicely flavored and not too sweet like many versions. The paneer tubes in Thai makhni curry was excellent, you can definitely taste the lemongrass, but it still a more Indianized version of the traditional Thai red curry. I then tried the ghutwa palak with vaddi. While I was not a fan of the vaddi - I was told that the strong flavor was asoefatida - the creamed palak was nice.

rampuri ghost, reshampatti shine, lacha coins

hanged and pulled - the real butter chicken white makhan mousse

compressed paneer tubes in Thai makhni curry

ghutwa palak with cumin vaddi

On to desserts: the litchi tikka kebab dipped in pistachio dust was surprising. They look like they would be savoury, but they are definitely sweet. While I have had litchi juice in the past, I wasn't expecting the slick, soft, and fleshy nature of the fruit.

The rose kheer pudding was topped with pistachio and frozen rose petals (INR 295 for this huge bowl of pudding!). I have avoided kheer up until now because of my aversion for overly sweet dishes, but it was not as sweet as I expected and I enjoyed the flavor that the roses added.

Pranked rose kheer

I had tried the deconstructed jingle pudding plate with frozen cinnamon cream "snow" and topped with fruit on my previous visit - the presentation is a spectacle in itself with the server creating the dish at your table. One fellow blogger exclaimed that it was very good - "just like Christmas day". I don't know what Christmases they've been having, perhaps it's like a British Christmas, but it's definitely nothing we serve in Texas on Christmas. That aside, it was nice and I liked that the deconstructed pudding is just fancy speak for an edible plate made of chocolate. You can't go wrong with chocolate!

deconstructed jingle pudding

Even though my friend had to practically roll me home after I gorged myself on all the food (I have no self-control, clearly), it was a great time and I was glad to try some different dishes from my previous visit while hearing about the deep thought process that went into designing each and every dish and aspect of the restaurant itself. I wish Prankster all the success and hope you get a chance to try them out some time. They're kid-free after 4pm and they pick up the beat with a dj starting around 9pm.

Fantome Bar Exchange

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 05:58:00 +0000

Conveniently located at South Point Mall, just behind my home base in DLF's Phase 5, I noticed Fantome Bar Exchange a few weeks back while detouring past the mall due to the never-ending metro line construction. Just opened 1 1/2 month back, I finally dropped in a few weeks ago for some drinks with a girlfriend before heading out to an event. Once settled however, we didn't leave. The ambience was inviting and the music selection was good, but not so loud as to be off-putting where we couldn't sit and conversate. (Note to bars in Gurgaon: Knock it off; you don't all have to try to be a dance club. If you are a pub or a family restaurant your music should never be so loud that I have to shout to the person sitting across from me.)

Wanting to catch up with another friend in the vicinity, I suggested we meet at Fantome to see if it would be as charming as the first visit. I also wanted to try some of their handcrafted beers this time around. Verdict = nice ambience, good service, and pretty good pub grub.

I was surprised to find that there were only three fresh beer options (Hefeweizen, Blonde Ale, and Dark Lager), but enjoyed them all. I did laugh a little when the waiter asked if I needed one glass or two for the pitcher of Hefeweizen I requested. Even though I mentioned someone was joining me, obviously I look as though I could finish one all by my lonesome. Added bonus, since it's a bar exchange, you pretty much never have to pay full price for drinks. I love the concept of ordering at a certain rate that goes up and down based on its popularity (especially since I normally drink G&Ts which is not a popular liquor here - Indians love their vodka and whiskey).

We started with a cheese platter that was weirdly served with only thinly sliced apples or teeny apple chunks to eat with the several kinds of hard, jiggly, and soft cheeses. They looked confused when we asked for bread or crackers. Clearly not that many cheese-lovers order this option. However, they did bring us some pita bread with which we could mix and match the cheese so we were happy.

We then dined on a dinner of appetizers much to the amusement of our servers. The tandoori broccoli was delicious, the hummus pita chicken skewers were quite good, only the cheese fries were a bit bland. Indians do not appreciate salt enough in my opinion; fries and salt are a match made in heaven, people! It's like peanut butter to jelly! We were also given a complimentary plate of bruschetta (oddly delivered post-dessert). It looked inviting with its baby tomatoes, but after our feast of appetizers it was difficult to continue. I managed to rally and really liked it. It was a little juicy from biting into full tomatoes rather than chopped, but it was on a bed of some sort of cheese or sauce and there was just enough balsamic vinaigrette to give it a kick but not make it soggy.

As many of you know, I'm not big on sweets. However, my friend decided the brownie was a necessity. It was soft and chewy and the ice cream was nice. However, what the blue concoction was mixed with the chocolate sauce was weird. I thought it might be gelatin only to learn the true origin of gelatin and can safely say that in this country of vegetarians, it was definitely not gelatin.

Confused by the dry ice and blue sauce....

That said, drop in for a visit the next time you're on Golf Course Road. It's worth the try!

Hungry Expat's "Indianized" Stovetop Scrambled Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 10:36:00 +0000

Inspiration for my next "Indianized" dish came quickly today. I am a huge fan of breakfast for dinner which is why I took my leftover "salsa" concoction from my baked potato and Indianized myself some dinner out of it. Scrambled eggs are another favorite of mine and super quick and easy.

Source

3-4 eggs 1/4 c milk 2 tsp butter

For some pizzaaz one may also add some cheese and cilantro and definitely salt and pepper, but they're pretty bland the traditional way, even with a side of bacon and toast.

There are a ton of delicious Indian egg dishes: Egg masala, Egg fried rice, Tomato egg curry, just to name a few, but Egg bhurji is one of my favorites and most similar to scrambled eggs. It includes:

cooking oil mustard seeds yellow onion
ginger chili tomato
ground turmeric eggs cilantro
salt pepper

Rather than sticking with the known, I Indianized another Tex-Mex/American recipe with scrambled eggs as its hero: Breakfast burritos!

(2) roma tomatoes (1) red onion (5) garlic cloves
cilantro salt ground black pepper
red chili powder cumin seeds yogurt
ghee 1/4 c milk cheddar cheese
roti

Normally you would have refried/black beans, some guacamole, maybe some bell peppers and bacon to beef it up a bit, but as long as the flavors are good, you don't always need a ton of filling (plus my rotis are small). Fortunately I had some fresh rotis lying around already so I didn't need to make those from scratch before eating (I'm not the best at dough-like creations). I beat the eggs in milk and scrambled them in some ghee. Once nice and fluffy I lined the roti with eggs and topped it off with my aforementioned Indian-ish salsa, salt, pepper, and yogurt. If I hadn't already had the fixins prepared, I might have swapped the cumin seeds and red chili powder in the tomato seasoning for some hot green peppers, blended the salt and black pepper with roasted cumin into the yogurt, topped with more cilantro, and definitely added some shredded cheese. However, it wasn't bad for throwing together some leftovers!

Pretty good

Hungry Expat's "Indianized" Best Baked Potato

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 05:13:00 +0000

Growing up, baked potatoes were my go-to meal because they were quick and easy and required pretty much zero level of skill to make. An American baked potato, while filling, comprises of very little and is easily cooked:

Source

potato butter sour cream cheddar cheese salt ground black pepper

It was also common to spice it up a bit with the ever popular Bac-os (for those of you uninitiated in American imitation food - that is bacon flavored "bits" made out of soy or some such) or chives. If you were really ambitious, you could also cover lightly in olive oil and dust with sea salt for a better baking result, but I rarely exerted that little bit of extra effort and opted for the quick and dirty microwave.

Source

Indian potatoes are frequently boiled and mixed with other dry vegetables in tumeric, cumin, curry leaves, etc. Dum aloo is a popular "wet" curry with nice flavors that could be adaptable for the American palate. It includes:

potatoes yogurt cloves
red onion bay leaf cashew nuts
asaf red chili powder fenugreek leaves
turmeric powder ginger garlic paste coriander leaves (cilantro)
coriander seeds cumin seeds sugar
green cardamom cinnamon salt

I am much more adventurous in the kitchen compared to my teenaged self (even compared to my 20-something self), but that is so many ingredients! Since many of them are also popular in Mexican/Tex-Mex cooking as well, I decided to stick to what I know and make something of a cross-cultural creation using American, Indian, and Mexican flavors for my "Indianized" baked potato.

(2) roma tomatoes (1) red onion (5) garlic cloves
cilantro salt ground black pepper
red chili powder cumin seeds yogurt
butter cheddar cheese

Salsa-y!

I started by creating a concotion of chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, and cilantro (stems and all) mixed with a dash of red chili powder and cumin seeds to make a quasi pico de gallo type sauce. For me, the cumin seeds really brought in the Indian-y flavor (maybe because we put varying types of cumin in everything here...).

I topped the microwaved potato (I don't have a proper oven to bake here) with melted butter, a dollop of yogurt, salt & pepper, and my "salsa". Sadly, I am out of cheese (and too lazy to venture out to the store, so it seems). So, while I highly recommend topping with a (heavy) sprinkling of cheddar, mine went without. I thought it was delightful and a nice way to spice up my recent craving for a regular, boring baked potato. However, my authentic Indian taste tester, Curry Delight, is traveling to the exotic reaches of Finland at the moment, so we'll have to wait until next time for his opinion. The final product:


Voila!

What makes a dish taste "Indian" to you? What are your suggestions for my next "Indianized" dish?

Mixing Indian flavors with American tastes

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 09:02:00 +0000

I've had a parade of visitors since we moved to India almost 2 1/2 years ago. Most of my guests are expats who have/are living abroad or friends of friends who are frequent travelers, but recently my parents ventured over as well as one of my besties from the US. This is when I realized that not everyone loves Indian food as much as I do (I do miss my weekly sushi and the variety of different cuisines in my diet, but I also happily eat Indian for the majority of my meals daily). While many expats and frequent travelers love to immerse themselves in the food and culture of a new place, many Americans can't handle all of the richness and flavors. (I have a test case of a Polish-American expat (aka Buffet Queen for long-time readers!) coming to visit this week to compare - she grew up on barely any black pepper and can't handle spicy, but she has lived abroad for many years - we'll see how much Indian cooking she can endure.)

Source

I think the reason that I love Indian food so much is because it's made from so many familiar flavors. I grew up in Texas eating a healthy amount of Tex-Mex and Mexican food for as long as I can remember, and those flavors of cayenne, onion, chili peppers, cumin, bell peppers, garlic, and coriander/cilantro, amongst others made Indian cuisine feel a little bit more like home. That said, there was an article on WaPo last year discussing the science behind what makes Indian delicious, and it was mostly because they combine flavors completely differently than we do in American food. Another aspect of it is the fact that Indian food isn't just a few dishes, it's literally thousands of different meals (not that our cook realizes this ... I need Curry Delight back in the kitchen).

So all of this led me to think more about how India "Indianizes" American foods and how the US "Americanizes" Indian foods to meet individual taste expectations. Sometimes this is done successfully resulting in deliciousness (visit The California Boulevard in Gurgaon to experience a delightful fusion of flavors) and sometimes it ends poorly with an over-masala-ed mishmash of seasonings or a weird, wannabe bbq sauce/Ranch dressing. So my plan is to take my favorite American dishes and "Indianize" them. While I'm no expert on flavors, I'm hoping I can't screw up this experiment too badly since Indian food is supposedly all about combining things with nothing in common. First up is baked potato. Check back for how I changed the traditional bland American version into a more flavorful dish using Indian spices!

Giruz Bakery and Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 10:18:00 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to visit Giruz Bakery at Baani Square (Sector 50) for lunch and bread tasting during their soft opening. I have been eagerly awaiting their opening as there is a dearth of unique bread shops here in Gurgaon. I can easily find white or whole grain sliced breads, but few groceries offer speciality breads more than just a baguette or croissants, choosing to focus more on pastries than the wide array of tasty bread options. I previously tried L'Opera (at Galleria Market in DLF Phase 4 of Gurgaon and Hauz Khas Village in South Delhi) and the DLF Phase 5 Club bakery (on the ground floor of the main building near the central sitting area). L'Opera was hailed by my French friend (living in Bangalore with even less options than here) as fantastic and a much needed reminder of home. They have an excellent selection of pastries, specialty jams, and an array of teas, if you're into that kind of thing. The baguette and croissants are both quite good - their website boasts of several additional options that I have never seen fresh in the shops, but that could just because I don't make it over early enough to indulge. My parents loved their chocolate pastry.

Post-sightseeing snack at L'Opera Hauz Khas

I've only bought baguettes from the Phase 5 Club, and they were fine. However, their website also lists a number of bread options, most of which are gone by the time I stop in. I clearly need to prioritize my bread shopping! My problem is that I don't eat baguettes nearly fast enough and by nature they go stale and hard almost immediately. However, I learned from Giruz that in order to avoid wastage you should immediately freeze whatever you won't eat within the day. You can then later defrost piece by piece and they're just as fresh.

What I didn't realize when I dropped into Giruz's bakery was that they also have a small cafe. I visited during their taste testing phase so they did not yet have a set menu and I was treated to a wide array of dishes they were testing on customers. Full disclosure: I did not pay for this meal (I did purchase my breads and cakes though); the owner is a friend who invited me for taste testing. I did not receive any compensation for this review and she did not ask me to write this - she just knows I love fresh bread and hopes I'll become a loyal customer.

Baani Square, while most consider it "out of the way" since it's not on Golf Course Road and is closer to Sohna Road, it's actually quite conveniently located next to the Hilton Garden hotel on Vikas Marg near Hibiscus and Nirvana Country. I live in Phase 5 and it's a short 10 minute drive most times of the day. There is a vast array of restaurants in this small shopping arcade. Other than Giruz, I've visited their fast food version of Lebanese food, Lub Lub (also quite good). I've also heard good things about The Spice Lab and Big Wong, but can't personally vouch for them. Giruz is located on the ground floor central section opposite Big Wong. They are a small and cozy cafe, with smart French country decor. If you still find it daunting to venture over yonder, Giruz also offers delivery options.

I started with vada pav, the pav, of course, was made fresh in house. It differs slightly from the traditional version in that the pakora, while still made from fried mashed potato batter, seasoning, and curry leaves, was not drenched in oil like most fried foods here. The sauces add another twist, with a topping of red chili sauce and a green coriander, ginger, garlic, and onion masala chutney.

Fresh vada pao

Bruschetta on a French garlic bread baguette

Next up was some bruschetta on a toasted French garlic bread baguette. As this was their time to experiment with tastes and recipes, the chef added a twist of some chopped up olives to the traditional tomato and basil drizzled with olive oil which didn't strike my fancy since I despise olives (weird since I adore olive oil), but was good overall. Both crunchy and savoury with not too much oil or topping that the bread becomes soggy. My friend was not thrilled with the addition either, so I imagine if you order this dish today you'll get a more traditional version.

Garlic cheese toast on a toasted French baguette

Garlic cheese toast are three words that I love to hear together. It is super popular in India and they have their own take on it, which usually involves chilies. I personally prefer a more traditional garlic cheese bread (not everything has to be hot spicy) and was happy to find that Giruz's head chef had drizzled roasted garlic pieces on top of the melted cheese, ensuring garlicky goodness in every bite.

For something a bit more filling, the chef prepared his own special recipe of butter chicken with coleslaw on foccacia bread. It was served with thin crispy fries, salted to perfection. It was by far my favorite dish. The foccacia bread was to die for. The bread was crisped on the outside and soft on the inside and topped with herbs and homemade sundried tomatoes. I'm not usually a fan of butter chicken as it is usually sweetish rather than savoury, but without the sugar laden gravy and the addition of the chef's specialty coleslaw, it was delicious! The coleslaw was not your traditional cabbage and vinaigrette mix, but instead had a kick to it. I'm assuming that was from the gherkin (dill pickle) and pineapple, but it also included a mix of capsicum (bell peppers) and homemade egg-free mayo. If you are pure veg, you could easily order this is a side dish.

Butter chicken coleslaw sandwich

Already getting full, but eager to continue tasting, I forced myself to try the next two dishes. The chicken penne pasta was topped with fresh parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley. It was fine, but the plum tomato sauce was slightly sweet for my taste (I find that I can tolerate sugars less and less, so don't take my weird tastebuds to be the end all be all) and could have used some more crushed black pepper and parmesan. Fortunately my friend is British and shares my love of black pepper (I don't think most Indians appreciate freshly ground black pepper nearly enough since it's not on the spicy end of the pepper spectrum) and cheese so this was oversight was quickly rectified. I also loved the thin crust chicken and capsicum pizza. You could really taste the fresh ingredients and it was the perfect combination of spicy and crunchy. (I did clarify to the chef that, despite my pasty skin tone, I do appreciate spicy food just as much as an Indian. So if you are a pale face like me who loves the spice, make sure to let them know because most will assume you can't handle the heat and bring you the bland boring version.)

Thin crust chicken and capsicum pizza

Chicken penne pasta

To finish it off I even tried their "famous" brownie topped in powdered sugar seated on chocolate sauce with my cappuccino. I'm no expert on sweets, but it was nice and not too thick or dense. It was purposefully crispy on top and gooey in the middle - I'm told that's how brownies should be, but they typically get dried out in the process of trying to get the top crispy. It also wasn't overly sweet like so many desserts in this country. I could definitely have a bite of this again...

Brownie

Before heading home I bought the mixed herb bread and a French baguette - while I was sitting there a customer cleaned them out of a large amount of bread so make sure to go early to find a larger selection - as well lots of cake (it was my friend's birthday and I didn't know which kind of cake she liked so I just bought one of each). The herb bread was gone almost immediately after Curry Delight got his hands on it. I had a couple of pieces and went back for more only to discover he'd already devoured the loaf. The cakes were reportedly amazing. The red velvet cake especially was a big hit.

Cake and pastries

Fresh baked bread

The staff was knowledgeable and friendly, providing excellent service to all who entered. This is a great addition to the Gurgaon food scene and I will definitely be back as a paying lunch customer to try more of their cafe selections as they grow and change their menu seasonally. I'm hoping that they will also expand their offerings to include some fresh cheeses to complement their bread selection. I encourage all Gurgaon bread lovers to drop in and pick up as much fresh baked bread as you can carry!

The California Boulevard

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Mon, 02 May 2016 07:22:00 +0000

As Gurgaon's InterNation's ambassador I get to plan fun events and culinary adventures for our members each month. I like to keep it fresh and try to find a new spot to host my monthly events so I usually identify a new place or take suggestions from members then approach the manager/owner about our organization and mission. Now that I've been doing it for almost a year I sometimes get invitations from some restaurants that want to work with us. Yesterday was one such day. A friend who is a new activity group consul for InterNations and has a background working with restaurants in the area wanted to meet with The California Boulevard and combine forces to host a duel activity group dinner. I am fully aware that because of the special treatment I received when dining with the PR head and having the chef prepare us some of his favorites I had a very different dining experience than most. Full disclosure, I did not pay for my meal, and I am hosting a future event at their location, but they also did not ask me to write this. I miss writing and this just happens to be the most recent place I've visited and had a sit-down meal rather than just an array of appetizers. Also, I have attended a previous event at this location and paid at that time.

I visited The California Boulevard's Gurgaon location in Sector 29. It is known for its fine dining and Hollywood-inspired theme ambiance. It prides itself on the California "experience" and making fine dining available for all. And it appears that is something they are achieving, for a Sunday afternoon, there were a surprising number of guests in the restaurant.

The servers were well-trained in being available, but not hovering. The meal commenced with a waiter putting a silver bowl with a small white square in front of me. He then poured water over it and voila! I had a small wet wipe for my hands. It was a much nicer presentation than a finger bowl with nothing to dry your hands on. Not a novel concept, but something different from most restaurants I have eaten at in India. While our hostess ordered a variety of bitings for us, I did get a chance to look at the menu and was quite impressed by the selection which is apparently going to grow in the next few weeks with a new menu being launched. One thing I didn't get to try, but will definitely order next time is their cheese fondue. I love fondue (who doesn't love a pot of molten cheese?!) and didn't even know that there was a restaurant offering that option in Gurgaon.

We started with their version of a Dilli ki Chaat nibbler. I'm used to it looking like this:

Photo credit

But theirs was a light and airy appetizer that you could eat several and still feel like you have room for your main course. It was a great start to the meal and fun twist on a traditional Indian snack.

Crunchy spinach leaves with yogurt, tamarind, and mint chutney

Next came their inventive "Indian sushi". Apparently many vegetarian Indians don't try traditional sushi (they also have several traditional vegetarian and seafood sushi rolls) so sushi paneer was TCB's way to introduce them to the concept using familiar flavors. It was seriously my favorite thing that I tried. Their in-house specialty jellies were divine. I particularly like the garlicky one, the third one to the right in the photo. It gave the roll just that extra punch.

Cottage cheese roll stuffed with cheesy mushrooms, cilantro, ginger, and mint

Ganderi kebab was a close second to the sushi paneer. Grilling the chicken on the sugarcane stick gave the chicken a hint of the sugarcane flavor and I love the combination of these three dips together and the presentation.

Punjabi-inspired minced chicken kebab on a sugarcane stick with yogurt, tamarind, and mint chutney dipping sauces

By the time the chef sent these babies out I was almost too stuffed to try them although I'm glad I did though. While many spring rolls end up being thick with too much pastry or overcooked, these were thin and crispy.

Thai-inspired prawn spring roll stuffed with prawns, glass noodles, shitake mushrooms, peppers, and carrots

I didn't get photos of everything, but we also had Caribbean jerk chicken and beer battered fish. The beer battered fish was a river sole with a light crispy batter with a hint of the beer and a beautiful light brown finish. I'm obsessed with dips and really liked their homemade tartar sauce. After all this came dessert. I had to roll myself out of here by the end of the meal I was so stuffed, but could not stop eating all the deliciousness that just kept appearing in front of me. I am actually not a big dessert person, but I was blown away by the options. I requested crème brûlée as that is typically my go to dessert as it's not too sweet, but our hostess also had them bring out the chef's special, TCB kulfi gazzak, and a chocolate bomb. The menu modestly calls the chocolate bomb a warm brownie served with vanilla ice cream, which does not begin to explain the experience behind the dish. I had only seen this prepared on MasterChef and was excited to try it. It was definitely a strong sweet dish, but if you love sweets this is definitely the dish for you. The kulfi gazzak was also nice with a milder flavor and for once I actually appreciated the kulfi flavor with the chocolate. I was also pleasantly surprised by the coffee crème brûlée. While I love coffee, I don't typically like coffee-flavored things.

By drizzling caramel over the chocolate sphere it shatters outward to reveal more chocolatey goodness

The waiter used the blow torch to melt the outer chocolate layer to reveal the kulfi ice cream within

A trio of (L-R vanilla, blueberry, and coffee flavored custards) crème brûlées caramelized with a blow torch at the table

The lunch was amazing and I would 100% recommend this place for a nice lunch or dinner. Prices aren't exorbitant considering the quality of food, and everything I had was truly delicious. I can't wait to host our fine dining fusion dinner with specialty cocktail pairings here later this month!

Experiments in Paleo: Cauliflower Curry Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 04:29:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I was the sickest I've been with stomach issues since moving to India, and I've found that I feel better when I cut out certain foods. For the last few months I was a little lax sticking to paleo (read: too lazy to cook something separate for myself); however, I still managed to follow the gist of it, mostly. I was never on the hardcore paleo bandwagon, I just can't bring myself to cut out dairy, and I really don't understand why I should as long as the products I'm eating are not overly processed. Did our ancestors not have cows to milk? I'm pretty sure Indians have had yogurt since the beginning of time. Also, cheese. The main takeaway on dairy for me is that I'm choosing fresh cheeses rather than mass produced, processed cheeses that seem to stay "fresh" regardless of how long they sit in the fridge. I continue to steer clear of sugars (pretty easy for me considering how sickly sweet I find most Indian desserts), but I did allow some of the grains I so love back in my life. I even ate pasta one day and it was glorious. However, instead of slipping back into old habits, I maintained a healthier relationship with them, and instead of having the ever-present Basmati rice on a daily basis, I chose gluten-free parathas or rotis instead. I did allow myself some toast or crackers with tea or a sandwich on occasion, but bread is no longer part of my daily diet. In an effort to get back on the paleo wagon properly, I am kicking February off with another cauliflower creation.

I found this recipe for "Easy Curried Cauliflower Soup" on the All Recipes app last month when my friend was in town visiting. We gave it a shot with a few modifications and it turned out delicious. As winter is ending, but there's still a bit of chill in the air, I thought I'd make this for dinner tonight before it gets too hot to properly enjoy.

Cauliflower Curry Soup

1 tbsp ghee
1 red or yellow capsicum/bell pepper
1 red onion
3 carrots
garlic cloves (to taste)
1 head of cauliflower
32 fl. oz. vegetable broth or chicken stock
~2 tbsp yellow curry powder (or to taste)
~1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
Salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
Cream/sour cream/yogurt (to taste)
Parsley/cilantro (to garnish)

The original recipe calls for olive oil and for a long time, extra-virgin olive oil was the only oil that I used for cooking as it is high in antioxidants and monounsaturated fats that lower "bad" cholesterol and raise "good". Then I read in the paleo diet that you should just use olive oil as a salad dressing or drizzled over steamed veggies, but not for cooking. A friend also told me that heating olive oil supposedly releases toxins that are dangerous. I did a little research and found that because olive oil has a lower smoke point than other oils, when you cook over high heat the beneficial compounds begin to degrade and potentially harmful compounds form. Other websites suggested canola oil as a substitute, but as it is highly processed and often made from genetically modified seeds, it didn't strike me as the best choice. Many of the paleo sites list ghee, coconut, and avocado oils, amongst others, as "healthy" fats to use in cooking, so I regularly substitute ghee or coconut oil for other processed oils.

I start by heating some ghee in a kadai where I saute my onion and garlic (I use way more than the 3 cloves called for in the original recipe) until the onions are clear and garlic are fragrant and a light brown. I then add a bit of the curry powder and cayenne pepper to let them soak in the flavors and cook for a few more minutes.

In a separate pan I cook the carrots, capsicum, and cauliflower over ghee until softened. I then combine my onions and garlic with the veggies in the large pan, pour in the stock/broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes, letting the liquid reduce. Since I don't have a hand blender, the next part is a bit messy and usually ends with me covered in soup as I attempt to pour it into our mixie to blend until smooth. Then I dump it back into the pot, the rest of the curry powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and simmer for a few more minutes. If you don't have cayenne pepper handy, you can also a few shakes of Tabasco® to spice things up.

I like my soup a little creamy so I add whatever I have in the house, usually Nestlé A+ Dahi yogurt, but sour cream, whipping cream, or coconut milk also work. I typically garnish with parsley or cilantro.

Experiments in Paleo meets Tex Mex

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Sun, 16 Aug 2015 10:54:00 +0000

It has a long way to go but at least it finally sprouted!

If you know me, you know that I heart Tex Mex. Fortunately a lot of the ingredients found here in India lend themselves to the Tex Mex cuisine. Confusingly though, avocados are not as popular here and are insanely expensive. They went from being about 25 cents apiece in Kenya to 5 dollars a pop here. It's a travesty; I'm attempting to grow my own avocado tree in rebellion.

Despite the ridiculous prices, I occasionally splurge and indulge on my favorite fruit. This was one of those days. Since I'm off bread, my favorite avocado toast was out so I decided to make a chicken avocado tortilla soup sans the tortillas. I adapted a few recipes to suit my tastes and pantry; original recipes found here, here, and here.

1 1/2 tbsp ghee
1 red onion
8 cloves of garlic
1 kg chicken mince
6 c chicken broth
1 tsp Tabasco® sauce
4 jalapeño peppers
1 tomato, seeded
1/4 c fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 avocado
1 large lemon/lime
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and black pepper (to taste)

In a large saucepan, I poured 6 cups of water with 4 Maggi® chicken broth packets (totally not paleo, I'm sure) with a dash of Tabasco®, since I didn't have any sriracha lying around. I then threw in the diced tomato and American Garden® (American in name only) jalapeño slices instead of using their smaller, hotter, green cousin commonly found here.

In a separate pan (I use a kadai, it's like a small wok-like frying pan) I sauteed the onion and garlic in the ghee for a few minutes (until the garlic is lightly browned and the onions are clear) before adding the chicken mince. Once browned, I stirred it into the simmering broth. I then mixed in the lemon juice, cumin, salt, and ground pepper. I added avocado slices and cilantro to each bowl just before serving. If you're not off dairy, I would also suggest topping it off with a dollop of sour cream or thick yoghurt (my favorite is Nestlé A+ Dahi®).

What's your favorite way to eat avocados? I am always looking for more creative ways to incorporate avocados into my dishes.

Experiments in Paleo: Cauliflower Omelet

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 05:51:00 +0000

This is another recipe I found in the cookbook I mentioned in my last post. You can find the original recipe online here. Whole Foods also has a cheesy alternative here.

Photo credit (Mine did not look this perfect)

Ijjit Qarnabit

4-5 eggs
1 tbsp ghee
3/4 c coconut milk
1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 cups raw cauliflower, grated
1/3 c onion, chopped
1/2 c parsley, chopped
salt and black pepper (to taste)

I followed the recipe, mostly, but I would cut back on the fat next time (I'm still getting used to the whole eating lots of healthy fat thing) and add some more cinnamon. It also calls for 2 green onions which I didn't have, so I just used one large red onion. Since I'm lazy and was hungry while making this dish, I didn't grate the cauliflower or chop the onions because I'm the slowest chopper ever. Seriously, I would still be chopping now instead of typing this. I need a professional to show me how to slice and dice quickly without cutting a finger off. To circumvent a bloody mishap, I tossed the cauliflower and onion into the mixie and ran it on low for less than a minute before wisking the mixture into my bowl of milk and eggs. The coconut milk was a nice alternative to normal milk and gave the omelet a light, fluffy, and distinctively coconut taste. I might also substitute coriander (cilantro) for the parsley next time for a bit more flavor.

As I've previously mentioned, I don't have a proper oven so I did not bake this as suggested. Instead, I heated up the skillet, covered it with a glass lid, and set it on the stovetop on low heat until it turned a light brown. It fell apart into uneven chunks when I went to take it out of the pan; however, despite the lack of an artfully arranged dish, it was a decent meal. I will definitely try it again with a few tweaks.

What's your favorite paleo brunch recipe?

Experiments in Paleo: Zucchini Hummus

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 07:17:00 +0000

In my ongoing experiment with the fad of eating like our ancestors (only healthier) I found a great online resource with Chris Kresser. Now, I'm not granola-y and am more than a bit wary about health claims that link every disease or mental illness solely to nutrition, but eating healthier can't hurt and if you sign up on his site you can download his recipe e-book for free. This is where I discovered paleo hummus. I LOVE hummus so I had to try this recipe sans my beloved chickpeas. It's tweaked a bit to suit my tastes (e.g. extra garlic & lemon).

Before you can make "hummus" you need tahini. Here's how I make my fresh tahini.

Tahini

I can never find tahini at the shop so I make my own since all you really need are some sesame seeds and olive oil. Some recipes suggest toasting the raw seeds to give it a nuttier flavor, which is worth it and only takes about 5 minutes on the stovetop. Make sure they end up light colored and not brown.

Put 1 c of the seeds in the "mixie" and grind until a crumbly paste. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and continue mixing until a thick and smooth paste. If you want a thinner tahini you can add more oil (1 tbsp at a time) until you reach your desired consistency. I find that 3 1/2 - 4 tbsp is usually the perfect amount to take it from crumbly to silky. If you are using the tahini as a sauce on its own I suggest adding salt to taste.

Zucchini "Hummus"

2 large zucchini

3/4 c tahini

1/4 c olive oil

4 lemons

10-12 garlic cloves

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp rock salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

Fresh parsley/coriander (cilantro) (for garnish)

I don't like bland hummus; I like to taste garlic in every bite. I also think that lots of lemon makes for a better dip, we get these teeny tiny lemons here so I use 4 of those. Also, if you made your tahini from scratch, you may want to cut back from the 1/4 c. I only added 1 extra tbsp for taste. Another thing I do is mix the paprika into the dip so it's more evenly spread throughout rather than sprinkle it on top like you see it normally. If you're serving to guests you could always mix half and sprinkle the rest as garnish. I used parsley on top because we had a fresh bunch, but I've seen recipes that call for cilantro in case you want something with a bit more taste.

Combine everything in the mixie. I added the zucchini on top of the tahini I already blended and then added the spices and taste tested as I went. Unfortunately I managed to add too much salt to begin with so I tried an Indian wives tale to get out the excess. I boiled a small potato, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and put them in the dip to soak up the salt. Supposedly you can tell a difference after 10 minutes, but I left them overnight and it did help somewhat. It's still a bit salty, but I'll combat that by adding lemon juice to each serving.

I also read that you can use a wheat dough ball to attract excess salt, but we didn't have any on hand. What do you do to counteract too much salt or spice in a recipe?

Experiments in Paleo

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 04:41:00 +0000

As part of my foodie adventure, I am always up for trying something new (and weight loss friendly!). When a friend mentioned to me that she recently switched to a paleo-inspired diet and was able to re-adjust to life without carbs fairly quickly I figured why not give it a try for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. After quite a bit of googling and reading, it sounds like a pretty simple diet for us since we already don't eat packaged food and have access to inexpensive farm fresh vegetables and meat. From what I can tell, we need to switch to more healthy fats and up our protein and vegetable intake. Fortunately, we live in the land of ghee so cooking with clarified butter is not a problem and olive oil isn't blacklisted. Reducing fruits might be more of challenge, but substituting antioxidant-rich berries and low-fat nuts should help with the transition. The main challenge, I think, will be cutting out the grains and legumes. Since we eat a lot of bread, pasta, rotis, rice, and daals, the first order of business was to find some satisfactory alternatives. Fortunately, I found quite a few rice and flour substitutes.

Tonight I'm trying out a recipe for cauliflower rice and pairing it with grilled chicken.

Cauliflower Rice

1 large head of cauliflower
2 tbsp ghee
1 onion
2-3 garlic cloves
tumeric powder, cumin seeds, salt, and ground pepper (to taste)

Cut cauliflower into chunks and pulse in "mixie" until broken into rice-sized pieces. Brown onion and garlic in ghee before adding cauliflower and spices. Cook cauliflower about 3-5 minutes. After roasting I add a small amount of water to keep it from becoming too dry and cook it a bit longer. I wouldn't say that it tastes like rice, but it does make a good side dish on its own and is a nice alternative to the carbs.

Balsamic Chicken

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
3-4 garlic cloves
salt and ground pepper (to taste)
1/2 lemon (optional)

Mix vinegar, olive oil, mustard, garlic, and salt & pepper. I love garlic, but you can reduce down to 1 clove, if you don't love it in excess as I do. Marinate chicken breasts in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (overnight is best).

You can roast the chicken in a preheated oven of 200°C (400°F) for about 20-25 minutes; however, since I do not have a proper oven and have yet to figure out how to convert my microwave to convection, I grill my chicken on the stovetop. After cooking the chicken until the juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink in the center, sprinkle lemon zest and juice over the chicken to add a bit of tangy to the sweet.

Southern Delights: Hungry Expat's Yellow Potato Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 05:49:00 +0000

Photo credit

I love Indian food (probably because I don't have to cook it), but I was craving something different for dinner and decided to make some potato salad. This is a conglomeration (like most of my recipes) of several different versions of this dish. Hard boiled eggs are a staple in most southern recipes, but if you aren't feelin' them they are definitely not required. I'm used to my mom's recipe which uses more mustard than most so you can also cut back on that, depending on your tastes.

6-8 potatoes
4 eggs
1/4 - 1/2 c yellow prepared mustard
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/2 c celery diced (substitute 1/8 tsp celery seed if you don't have any celery on hand)
1/2 c chopped pickles (i.e. burger chips) or relish
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 c prepared Italian dressing
1/8 tsp paprika
salt and black pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and simmer on medium until tender (15-20 minutes) but not mushy. Drain and rinse in cold water. Let potatoes cool before skinning then cube and put in large bowl.

Cover the eggs with about 1 ½ - 2 inches of water in a saucepan and heat until the water comes to a rolling boil. Then cover and continue heating on low (about 1 minute) before removing the saucepan from heat and letting sit for 10-15 minutes. Cool the eggs under running water before peeling. Chop and add to the potatoes.

Add pickle, celery, onion, Italian dressing, paprika, salt, and pepper. Put mayo in the bowl and stir. Put in mustard a little at a time until desired color of yellow is reached. Add more Italian dressing (or pickle juice for a little extra tangy) if the salad seems dry.

I always tend to make large portions and am stuck with several days worth of leftovers. After the first day where we had it as a side salad with chicken burgers, I turned it into its own sandwich with leftover burger buns, a little bit of butter (for toasting in the frying pan), and some tomatoes. It's already moist so no extra condiments necessary!

Savoury Samplers: Hungry Expat's Egg Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 14:12:00 +0000

My favorite egg salad is a spin on the traditional and combines ingredients from a few different recipes.

Egg salad sandwich

Ingredients:

8 eggs

2 medium red onion

1/4 c prepared mustard or 1 1/2 tbsp whole-grain mustard

1/2 c mayonnaise*

1 1/2 tbsp dill

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 stalk of celery (optional)

Salt and black pepper, to taste

*If using dried mustard, add a bit extra mayo for a creamier texture.

Start by covering the eggs in saucepan with about 1 ½ - 2 inches of water and heat until the water comes to a rolling boil. Then cover and continue heating on low (about 1 minute) before removing the saucepan from heat and letting sit for 10-15 minutes.

Hand chopping in half the time

While waiting for the eggs to cook and cool, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and spices in a mixing bowl. Chop the onions and celery and blend into the mixture. I use the Prestige™ vegetable cutter for quick and easy chopping. The more times you pull the handle, the finer the chop becomes. Drain the eggs then run cool water over the eggs before cracking and peeling. Chop the eggs to whatever consistency you prefer and fold in to mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill in refrigerator before serving.

Serve in small sandwiches as an appetizer or with greens as a salad. I prefer mine on any kind of sturdy bread or burger buns. Lettuce and celery aren't readily available at our local vegetable shop so I top off my sandwiches with cilantro, a few slices of tomatoes, and dill pickles for some crunch.

What are your favorite summer salads to feast on in the heat?

Izu Authentic Japanese Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Sat, 27 Jun 2015 09:34:00 +0000

After a morning of pampering at a coffee spa day morning at Levo spalon, the girls and I headed next door to run a few errands at South Point. While there we decided to grab a bite from somewhere different and headed over to a little Japanese place we'd seen hiding in plain sight on the 2^nd floor. It’s definitely an unassuming hole in the wall, but, like its name claims, it’s authentic from the seating to the food. There’s not much in the way of ambiance, it actually reminded me of quite a few hidden Ethiopian gems from Nairobi with its mounted flat screen showing terrible soap operas.

Photo credit

Trying to keep ordering to a minimum when there is sushi available is a feat which I regularly fail and this time was no different. I ended up with two sushi rolls

Red Dragon salmon and tuna roll

Philly roll with green roe topping

I was a bit surprised to see the non-traditional Philadelphia roll with cream cheese and salmon on the menu as it is to authentic Japanese food as fortune cookies are to traditional Chinese cuisine. The green roe topping was also unexpected, but a pleasant addition. The Red Dragon roll was a different than I have had in the past, with an unanticipated layer of cream cheese and alternating salmon and tuna toppings. In this case, change was good and, despite the plans to pack some for takeaway, I quickly scarfed down both rolls.

Happy diner!

The girls ordered a salmon butter fry bento box, vegetable croquettes, and a spinach sesame salad, all to rave reviews and expressive finger kisses. The bento box came with a salmon cutlet, salad, and miso soup and is highly recommended by our hungry Russian. She loved the sweet sauce and suggests mixing the rice and other veggies with its remnants post ravaging of the salmon cutlet.

Veggie croquettes

Our only complaint would be that there is not a lot of options in the way of drinks, they don’t serve fresh juices or alcohol but you can get fresh lime soda, tea, and canned drinks. Regardless, we will most definitely be back; signs throughout the restaurant boosted a 10% discount on sushi and sushi bento boxes on Sundays, giving us a good excuse to return and try something different. See you there!

Beat the Heat: Hungry Expat's G&T

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 10:45:00 +0000

It is a curious fact, and one to which no one knows quite how much importance to attach, that something like 85% of all known worlds in the Galaxy, be they primitive or highly advanced, have invented a drink called jynnan tonyx, or gee-N'N-T'N-ix, or jinond-o-nicks, or any one of a thousand or more variations on the same phonetic theme. The drinks themselves are not the same, and vary between the Sivolvian ‘chinanto/mnigs’ which is ordinary water served at slightly above room temperature, and the Gagrakackan 'tzjin-anthony-ks’ which kills cows at a hundred paces; and in fact the one common factor between all of them, beyond the fact that their names sound the same, is that they were all invented and named before the worlds concerned made contact with any other worlds. –Douglas Adams, Restaurant at the End of the Universe

In this world, gin and tonics are a summer favorite made popular in the Commonwealth during colonial times for its antimalarial properties. The cocktail was originally concocted by the British army in the early 19^th century as an additive to the bitter quinine potion used to treat and prevent the mosquito-borne disease. Gin was chosen as a mixer since it was already distributed as a ration to soldiers in India. Initially the drink consisted of a mixture of water, sugar, lime, gin, and quinine. With today's tonic waters you would need to use a significant amount more in order to reach the original antimalarial treatment proportion.

Ingredients:

1-2 oz gin of your choice

Tonic water (Schweppes is always a safe bet)

Soda water

1 Lime (or lemon, orange, or cucumber)

Ice

Pour the gin over 3-4 ice cubes in a glass (chilled, if you wish). Add 2 parts tonic to the gin and 1 part soda water. Which fruit to garnish the cocktail is a topic of debate, but I typically top off the drink with a squeeze of lime juice and garnish with a slice of lime. According to gin "connoisseurs", you should use lime with Bombay Sapphire, Gordon's, or Tanqueray original; lemon or orange with Beefeater; and cucumber with Hendricks.

A note for those of you ordering this classic at a bar Stateside, make sure to clarify that you want a bottle of tonic and not just soda out of a gun. Having your gin topped off with flat soda water is one quick way to ruin a good G&T.

Fat Lulu's Cafe and Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 12:56:00 +0000

Ending up at Fat Lulu’s for lunch was a fluke; we fully intended to gorge ourselves at the well-known boulangerie, Di Ghent, only to be reminded it was closed on Tuesdays. Swallowing our disappointment, we dutifully checked Zomato to see what other options happened to be in the vicinity and decided to meet at Fat Lulu’s Crosspoint Mall location instead.

Ladies who lunch

With five locations throughout Gurgaon and Delhi NCR, Lulu’s is well-placed and conveniently located no matter where you stay. Having seen their delivery vehicles traversing Gurgaon and hearing tales of their amazing pizza takeaway I was excited to try them out for the first time.

The ambiance was quaint with thought put into the decor from the Beyonce chicken at the hostess counter down to the typewriter postcards and painted cutlery. The only thing that was a bit random was their background music that occasionally threw in a Christmas tune here and there. Maybe they were trying to take our mind off the heat and dust storms with a little Jingle Bell Rock and prepare us for Christmas in July?

The menu was extensive and creative and, if you're a pig lover, there was quite the variety of options of pork scattered throughout the menu, contrary to most restaurant offerings in this country. Furthermore, the food presentation was impeccable. It was all neatly plated and the Detox Salad came with a whole presentation involving a salad formation in an inverse glass.

Detox Salad

Watermelon and Feta Salad

The Detox Salad was expertly layered with quinoa, tabouleh, papaya, veggies, dried cranberries, and avocado and topped off with a strawberry emulsion. The presentation wasn't the only thing to die for here.

The rocket salad, littered with watermelon, feta, and walnuts with a light balsamic dressing, is the perfect salad for the hot India summer.

Two of us ordered Caesar salad starters and while we enjoyed them, we agreed that they were both a little heavy on the dressing making the end effect a bit soggy and less healthy than what we were hoping.

Classic Caesar Salad with chicken

Fusilli Zafferano

The fusilli dish was delightful and made for a filling meal of shrimp, vegetable, and pasta and included a heavy tomato sauce with a hint of heat.

Quiche with a side of Parmesan encrusted corn on the cob

One of the "ladies who lunch" regulars, had a flaky quiche with a sweet topping of caramelized onions and raisins that went over quite well.

I expected the caprese panini to be a bit more interesting but it was surprisingly bland despite the balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Caprese panini with homemade roast potato wedges

Not pictured, was an order of one of the New York style thin crust pizzas for which the chain is renowned. As it was covered in pork and I was already stuffed from my meal, I did not taste it. However, from the oohs and ahhs coming from the other end of the table, I am going to venture a guess and say that it made quite the impression. I am already looking forward to ordering one of their many pizza options for delivery one of these weekends.

Overall, the service was good, if a bit slow at times. It took about 30 minutes to receive our drink order, with most arriving after the food. When we asked about it, they claimed they were coming, but there wasn’t anyone to be seen at the bar making the juices or pouring drinks. Nonetheless the waiters were friendly and helpful, definitely adding to a pleasurable experience.

All in all, Fat Lulu's was a great substitute for our original plans and I am glad to have been introduced to yet another nearby and delicious lunch and delivery option. I would highly recommend people to venture to one of the restaurant locations in order to check out the expansive menu, not all of which is available for home delivery.

Savoury Samplers: Hungry Expat's Deviled Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 06:52:00 +0000

Smoky Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are like manna from heaven (or a Lays™ potato chip); you can’t eat just one. Any good southerner will vouch that these are the best summer appetizer for any holiday garden party, backyard BBQ, or picnic, but I maintain that these can and should be made year-round. Thanksgiving dinner appetizer? Deviled eggs. Need a snack for the office Christmas party? Deviled eggs to the rescue. Random cricket match viewing party? Deviled eggs for the win. Birthday parties, funerals, bar mitzvahs, they are eternal.

There are many recipes to choose from, but my go-to is a classic version:

Presentation is everything!

Ingredients:

6 eggs
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp vinegar or pickle juice
12 sliced jalapeños (optional topping)

Deviled eggs are one of the simplest bitings to prepare. If you can boil an egg and mix ingredients in a bowl, then you're golden. Start by covering the eggs in saucepan with about 1 ½ - 2 inches of water and heat until the water comes to a rolling boil. Then cover and continue heating on low (about 1 minute) before removing the saucepan from heat and letting sit for 10-15 minutes.

Drain then run cool water over the eggs before cracking and peeling. Slice peeled eggs in half lengthwise, slip out yolk, and mash with a fork. Mix mashed yolk with other ingredients (you can also substitute 1 tsp prepared mustard – Dijon or yellow – for the dried mustard). Scoop a heaping helping of the yolk mixture into the egg whites and dust with paprika. Garnish with sliced jalapeño.

I also highly recommend the Homesick Texan’s smoky deviled eggs (p.98 in the Homesick Texan Cookbook), a spin on the traditional with some added lime juice, cilantro, cumin, garlic, and chipotle powder. Ranch eggs are also a delicious alternative.

What are your favorite quick and easy appetizers to show off at get-togethers?

Sutra Gastropub

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 08:06:00 +0000

According to Delhiites, DLF Cyberhub is the only reason to venture over to Gurgaon and I am tempted to agree. Although Gurgaon has its fair share of decent restaurants it cannot compete with the many options scattered throughout Delhi's trendy neighborhoods. However, Cyberhub does offer Gurgaonians a place to eat out, take in some music, and barhop all in one location. While it doesn't have the feel of say a Khan Market or Hauz Khas, it's not far off from Connaught Place. Cyberhub embraces their suburbian-ness by marketing its nearly 50 restaurants, fast food, and lounge options to young professionals, middle-aged businessmen, as well as families. Furthermore, the open-air amphitheater regularly shows cricket matches on the big screen, hosts concerts, and offers the opportunity for wide-scale embarrassment for those gutsy enough to karaoke in front of the masses.

Photo credit


#SufiSutra with Indian Ocean 5 Nov 2014

First up for review is Sutra, a spacious indoor/outdoor bar on the Cyberhub’s 2^nd level pub hub. With unlimited ₹1 drinks every Monday, free drinks for ladies on Tuesdays, Wednesday Sufi nights, and live bands on Sundays, there is something going on at Sutra practically every night of the week. Most recently we visited on a Friday night and were pleasantly surprised with buy one get one happy hour specials until 8:30pm. Drink choices were limited, but still offered a wide enough selection to make everyone in our group happy.


So much to drink, so little time.

They boast themselves as a gastropub, but most of what we’ve seen and/or ordered for ourselves has been basic pub fare. The servings are small, but the variety somewhat makes up for it. We’ve tried everything from the “Mexican” vegetarian quesadillas (inauthentic, but had a nice salsa accompaniment), hummus (so-so), potato skins (nice and juicy), calamari (perfectly crisped with a light lemongrass flavor), pizza (fresh and crunchy thin crust with pepperoni).

Because who doesn't love sparkling?

As a *ahem* smoker, Curry Delight likes that there is a lot of open outdoor space where he can partake in his habit without shame and away from those of us who value our lungs. In the current high temperatures, I prefer the air-conditioned comfort of the indoors unless we luck out and get seated directly in front of a power fan outside. Usually, while seated inside most bars here, I feel a bad case of tinnitus come on and end up stuck listening to whatever the DJ deems to be “good music”. I will never understand why Indian establishments feel the need to blast the eardrums of their patrons even during less busy hours. Thursday through Saturday nights, I getcha, but Sunday at 4? Turn it down, please. I am one who enjoys being able to converse with my companions and I appreciate that Sutra, while spinning a good playlist (a great 90s jam this most recent Friday night) or hosting a live band, has found a happy medium where I can still talk to my companions without leaving with a sore throat after screaming over the music.

Beat the Heat: Hungry Expat's Texas Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 09:07:00 +0000

This is the first summer that has felt like summer to me since I moved abroad five years ago. Being from Texas I am used to ridiculously hot temperatures and moving about from one air-conditioned place to another. However, Kenya was extremely temperate and Nairobi never reached over 30°C (that’s 86°F for you North Americans) despite the common misconception that its proximity to the equator means the temperatures are sweltering and desert-like. In short, I got spoiled. This being my first summer in India, I quickly realized how much I did not miss the soaring temperatures and highs of 45°C (113°F) and have thus become hermit-like, holing up in my air-conditioned abode only to leave for basic necessities or after nightfall when temperatures drop to a mere 29°C (82°F).

In order to beat the heat, I’ve reverted to ice baths and summery drinks to stay cool. A summertime staple growing up at my house was iced tea. I could drink gallons of the stuff. However, I discovered early on that my mom’s version of iced tea was *very* different from your typical Southern-style iced tea. It was sugarless. I can hear the screams now. No sugar!?! That’s sacrilege! My mom was a bit of a health nut in the ‘80s, before it was the thing to be; our Kool-Aid™ had about ¼ of the recommended sugar.

Pyrex: A kitchen necessity.

I personally like to make myself a vast amounts of tea at a time and then store it in the refrigerator in the Pyrex™ until it’s time to make a new batch. Now, Curry Delight does not understand why I *had to have* a glass Pyrex™ measuring cup in order to prepare the tea properly. Technically you can place the teabags in a large heatproof glass pitcher of any kind, I just prefer my trusty Pyrex™ measuring cup. You can easily measure the amount of water to tea ratio and it doubles as a pitcher. It’s also purchasable on Amazon India so I didn’t have to lug one back in my suitcase from my annual pilgrimage Stateside.

Ingredients:

4 teabags of any good quality black tea (I use Taj Mahal)

1 medium lemon or 2-3 small limes

4 cups of simmering water

Ice, lots and lots of ice

Rather than boil water in the kettle to pour over the teabags, I add room temperature filtered water to my teabags, microwave for 6-7 minutes, and let it steep for another few minutes. You should then refrigerate until cool, but I’m far too impatient so I immediately add ice. If you don’t want to dilute your tea too much, I suggest investing in either A) plastic ice cubes or B) large ice ball trays.

Also good for wine!

A whiskey drinker's dream

Instead of squeezing the lemon/lime into the pitcher I prefer to add the juice to each individual glass of tea. And, if you’re feeling fancy, you can use a vegetable peeler to strip the peel from the lemon (avoid the white pith as much as possible) and add the peel to the pitcher.

For those of you who want a little more sweetness in your life, I suggest making a simple syrup concoction (2 parts granulated sugar to 1 part water). Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan and stir to combine. Reduce heat and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup thickens slightly (about 3 minutes). Let cool before using.

And there you have it; the hungry expat’s quick and easy guide to making her official hot-weather drink of choice. Perfect for sipping in the garden or as a substitute for your hot morning chai.

What are your favorite drinks to cool down on hot summer days and nights?

From Africa to India: Diary of a Hungry Expat

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 10:46:00 +0000

This is the story of my hungry journey, an expat diary of dining and all things foodie. After five years and nearly 80 restaurants reviewed throughout Africa, it's been quite the hungry adventure! But now, after a year in limbo and a lull in posts, African Nights is rebooting itself as a global food and dining blog for the expat set embracing local living. Be it eating out, cooking in, or a night on the town, Diary of a Hungry Expat is here to share our experiences with fellow foodies.

Now based in Gurgaon, a suburb of Delhi, your hungry expat guide will explore a new continent full of new cuisine. Join the adventure as a contributor or leave us a note suggesting somewhere or something new you'd like us to share with our readers.

Lord Delamere's Terrace

noreply@blogger.com (Hungry Expat) — Thu, 15 May 2014 14:15:00 +0000

#NRW2014 posts continue, this time in CBD. Located opposite University of Nairobi, Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel is home to several restaurants including the open air cafe for which they are best known, Lord Delamere's Terrace, named for one of Kenya's original settlers. While the interior of the hotel and terrace were lovely, overlooking an active construction site did not lend itself to the ambiance one would expect from such a historical establishment. Fortunately, this is transitional and should hopefully be remedied at some point in the near future.... That, I suppose, is what happens when Nairobi literally grows up around the luxury hotel.

It's dark, but you can't miss the lights of the campus and lovely metal construction boards

The menu gave three selections for the starters and main courses. Since I was accompanied by a couple of friends we tried to choose different dishes in order to experience the full array of offerings.

#NRW2014 menu

The selection of starters was right up our alley with not one but two very cheesy options. We agreed that the fresh tasting oven-dried tomatoes and goat cheese mousse had just the right combination of crispness and flavors; however, while palatable, we missed the strength of the goat cheese. Other than that minor flaw, the appetizer was judged the favorite. The broccoli and blue cheese soup was deemed the perfect comfort food with a creamy base and large broccoli florets, but was a bit bland. Not to worry, it was nothing that couldn't be remedied with a little salt and pepper and perhaps some more blue cheese.

If there's one thing that the restaurant excelled at, other than attentive customer service, it was their presentation. Every dish was a work of art!

Roasted chicken

Salmon

Shepherd's pie

For the pescatarian/vegetarian of the group, the salmon was the obvious choice, but with a well-spiced salmon there were no complaints. The novelty wood plank upon which the fish was cooked made not only an attractive dish, but also really enhanced the flavor. Advertised as "creamy", the mash was more natural than blended, but the sweet and savory fig gravy was delightful. The second option of a lemon and thyme roasted chicken ended up being a little dry, but the earthy wild mushroom ragout more than compensated for it. I loved the shepherd's pie. It was not as heavy or bland as many tend to be with a creamy potato top layer and au gratin cheese crust.

As I have pointed out in earlier posts, I don't do dessert so you will have to take the word of my dining companions on the "Chef's Selection" platter. They both thought the cheese cake was amazing and not dry like so many cakes tend to be. However, they did comment that the cherries tasted fake. I take that to mean they came from a can rather than fresh off the bush. They also liked the tiramisu but commented that the coffee strength varied between our selections.

Dessert platter

I would totally head back to the terrace for a nice brunch or lunch meeting. I thought the overall experience was lovely and recommend everyone check out one of Kenya's colonial gems.