Pizza

Instead of ordering a pizza in, I thought of making one myself, from scratch.

Spicy Roasted Chicken

A delicious chicken marinated with a dry spice rub. The spice rub I made had any spices that you have at home, like, chili powder, garam masala, pepper, ground coriander and ground cumin.

I lay the chicken on a bed of spinach, rice, broccoli and cabbage.

A must try at home and specially for those nights when you don't feel like cooking something elaborative.

Curry

During the British rule in India, the British used to eat large quantities of curry and rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, curry is a very European concept. No one in India refers to his or her own food as a curry. It was a notion that the British imposed on Indian culture and food. Indians refer to dishes by their specific names. Each dish has its own unique name. When Indian servants brought the British this food, they would use these given names. The British lumped all these dishes together under the broad heading of curry. It was too difficult for them to remember all these names so they came up with curry. But the British did not think of the word curry themselves, it was the Portuguese who actually discovered it.
The British discovered the term curry from the Portuguese. The Portuguese had a settlement in South India and they came across a word karil, which was used by the South Indians. The word karil was used to describe spices and also sometimes sautéed vegetables and meat. According to the Portuguese, the word karil meant Indian food that had been cooked with butter, with the pulp of Indian nuts and all other spices and condiments. The British took the word karil and made it in to curry, which they attributed to any spicy dish with thick gravy from any part of India.
Although the British were aware of some regional differences in food, they missed the subtle differences that made that region’s cuisine so important. They separated the curry into three broad categories, namely, Bengal curry, Madras curry and Bombay curry. Sometimes they would also include Ceylon (Sri Lanka) curry and Melay (Malayan) curry. The British would be rather oblivious to understated variations. They would zero in on those rather distinguishing characteristics and apply them to every curry that could fall under that classification. These very broad categories would leave out other important factors and lump everything together. Therefore, small dissimilarities that may seem trivial to outsiders are very important to Indians. The British were also blind to the abundant variations of flavors. The Indians can be partially blamed for this as they started adjusting their own recipes to suit British tastes. An example of this would be the Hindustani Korma. The original korma is a very spicy and one of the richest Indian dishes. The resulting British korma that had been altered contained half the amount of yogurt and ghee (clarified butter), spices like clove, cardamom and the cream had been completely removed from the recipe. Thus producing a nonspecific korma with ginger, coriander and peppercorns, this suited the British taste perfectly.
The term curry was not just used to describe Indian stews or sauces but it became known as a dish that was created exclusively for the British in India. Some British described curry as a mixture of cardamoms, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, Cayenne pepper, onions, garlic and turmeric, all ground together. Thus Thus was invented the recipe for all future curries for the British.
Curry powder has probably been one of the greatest British inventions. They brought this idea to Britain and it quickly spread all over. Once the British officials would come back to England they would miss the spicy Indian cuisine. There are many recipe books dating back to the 1900’s. British chefs who had included many recipes about Indian cuisine write these books. The factor that must be noted is that the Indian dishes were always altered to suit a foreign tongue. The British could not handle the spicy food as it upset their stomach. They were used to bland roast meat with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Thus a new flavor profile appealed to them and they wanted to keep eating that way even in England.

I made this fish this weekend. I was in that mood to cook fish, for a strange reason. I rushed to Whole Foods and bought a beautiful and juicy flounder filet.

I encrusted it with panko bread crumbs with dijon mustard and herbs de province. I baked it on a bed of spinach and broccoli slaw. The slaw retained its crunch texture, which I loved.

All in all, a fabulous meal!

I learned something amazing this week. I am taking a LifeSpan Nutrition class and we are covering Lactation right now. I learned that a child's eagerness to try different foods if influenced from that early age of 1-6 months. Isn't that amazing? If the mother eats different kinds of food, through her breast milk the flavors are transmitted to the child. So sometimes women are encouraged to try different kinds of food.

What astonishes me is that, something like our wish to be more versatile in our food choices is also influenced, all be it a little bit, by something we have no control over.

Our affinity for garlic, ginger, spice, sweet or even sour is something that we have learned at a very young age.

This just puts so much into perspective.

Restaurant Review: Rasoi

A few days ago a friend of mine wanted to go eat Indian food. Of course, assuming that I am an expert, he dragged me along with him. Little did he know that I am an expert of Indian food made in India. Unbelievably, the Indian food in U.S.A is a stark variation from the original. But I went along with him anyway, if not for anything just to eat something spicy for a change. We decided to try out Rasoi. It is famed to be owned by the Sanjiv Dhar, the chef who started the popular Kabob and Curry on Thayer Street, Providence.
The restaurant itself is not particularly easy to find. It is on a corner street and quite easily missed without the aid of a GPS navigator. There is nothing impressive about the outdoor décor but the availability of ample parking space is a welcome. Upon walking inside, the familiar smells of coriander, turmeric and chili washed over me beckoning me to go inside. I surrendered, completely. Earthy hues of browns and reds stain the walls offering a rustic appeal. The bar is at the center of the room with sea blue tiles offering diners the option of enjoying their meal at the island bar. The plain white tables and the simple arrangement were easily forgettable.
The menu was large with a great deal of variety. The appetizers started out with the regular chicken tikka, samosas and idli sambar but I was very surprised to see chili duck wings and tomato soup. I was immediately wondering which part of India served soup. India is a very hot country all year round. Indians are not prone to enjoying soup during any time of the day. Chili duck wings were unpredicted as duck is not something that is consumed in India. In South India, they serve something called Bombay Dak (pronounced duck), which people thought was the bird but it is actually a lizard fish, usually served battered and fried owing to its over powering stench. There is much speculation as to where the name Dak came from but it is belived by most that it originated during the British rule and Dak is a Bengali word that means mail. People think that since the fish used to be transported they word Dak was used. This story is of course up for debate.
The rest of the menu is very typically North Indian. Looking at their menu, I could tell that the food would taste nothing like Indian food but a watered-down deviation from where it originally comes from. Entrees are classified into meat categories like chicken, seafood or lamb. They do have a large selection of stuffed naans like cilantro, cheese, garlic, onion or even pesto.
The non-vegetarian thali is a perfect option for a college student who would like to try a big selection without paying too much. The saag paneer is creamy with a hint of chili powder tickling the back of the throat. The chicken tikka was unusually sweet and tasted too much of tomatoes unlike the original, which is spicy and tangy. The brownish dull lamb curry was not exciting at all. It did not have any distinct flavor but the latent memory of ground coriander attempting to peep through the sauce. The garlic shrimp was perfectly cooked and the pungent garlic complemented the baby shrimp.
My friend tried the lamb pasanda with basmati rice. The menu beautifully described it as being cooked in mint, cilantro and chili and finished with cream and cashew. The resulting lamb was velvety and smooth with a subtle sweet taste. The mint, cilantro and chili had however, gone astray.
The meal in totality was disappointing. It was not completely authentic but the service was very good. Our server was paying particular attention to us as well as all those around us. All in all, Rasoi is a good restaurant, which serves good food but not good Indian food.

Rasoi
727 East Avenue Pawtucket, RI 02860
Phone: 401-728-5500
10 minutes by car from Harbor side campus of Johnson & Wales University
Public Transport: Bus Number 99 and 3
Average Price for 2 people: $ 35

Powerful Food

Food. This ever encompassing word is used to describe an apple, a tomato, spaghetti, a slice of pizza and even something exotic like foie gras and truffles. What does it mean to people? For some it can mean a source of nourishment, others look at it as a bag of chemical compounds waiting to be broken down in your body. Yet again we have those who see food as something much more than that. They see it as a conversation starter, an act of love, a selfless gesture and a way to someone's heart.

Food is more than just the taste, texture, flavor, smell and all those other verbs we think of when we talk about food. It is more than the act of putting an edible item in your mouth to release gastric juices that will ultimately digest it and it is definitely more than getting your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of your carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals. Studying nutrition myself, we sometimes forget that food is not just about those chemicals that have been so perfectly arranged in an intricate pattern. Michael Pollan rightly said that society has become so much about counting calories and fretting over the adequate intake of certain food groups. We are so used to using so many scientific terms when we think about food that we forget what it actually means.

For me, food is about relationships, emotions, family and love. Food is what connects us to other human beings. It brings people together around the table or even in the kitchen-though some don't like being disturbed in the kitchen. It is an unselfish act to show someone that you love and care about them. Food sparks memories. We remember our childhood and those foods that your mother, father or grandmother used to make for you and that no matter who else tried they could never get it just perfect like them. No matter who we are, where we are from or what we look like, we can always bond over something to eat. Food is a universal experience, it is what gives all of us a common ground to stand on.

World Cuisine

"I'll bet what motivated the British to colonize so much of the world is that they were just looking for a decent meal." ~Martha Harrison

Ofcourse with no offense to anyone who is British, but they did come to India to look for spices. There are jokes made in India that they loved it so much and the food was excellent that they decided to stay on and on and on and on.

There are often many such jokes about foods from different parts of the world. For example, it is said that British food is meat and potatoes, that are absolutely tasteless. American food is considred to be hamburgers, hot dogs and soda. When we think of Italian food, we think of pizza and pasta. Similarly, Indian food is always thought to be spicy and something that may cause flatulence. There is nothing wrong with stereotyping foods from all these places. There are always exceptions ofcourse, but they are also unique.

I feel that in the world today, we are losing this uniqueness. Why do we find a Wendy's or a Mac Donalds in places like India and China? It is not supposed to be there. Why do chain restaurants and food corporations have to take over the world? Now if you travel you can get the same food all over. In India, there are always lines of people to get into these chain restaurants. It has become like a status symbol. These irreplaceable food characteristics are fading away into the memories of these magnificent places. The cultural practices are making way for globalization.

This epidemic should be stopped! We need to protect our indigenous foods and make sure that they do not get lost in time. We are what we eat and we are all different, then how can we all eat the samething?

Finger Lickin' Good

According to me the best way to enjoy food is to eat with your hands. I have grown up enjoying my rice with dal with my hands. There are a lot of reasons why people like or do not like eating with her hands, these are mine:

Temperature: This is such an important reason! You can test the temperature of the food if you gently poke or touch the food before stuffing it in your mouth and burning your tongue as a result. When we eat rice, we put the rice in a small mound on our plate and take the rice from the sides to check the temperature. Rice cools from the sides and this I know because I have been eating with my hands.

Texture: Don't we all love to have a meal that has a variety of textures? We want a bit of crisp, a dash of crunch, a pinch of softness and a dollop of smoothness. We look for that on a plate when doing a presentation. When eating with your hands you can feel the texture of the food. The graininess or the lightness of that food. Specially with foods like rice, when eating with your hands you can feel the separate grains of rice with your fingers. The delicate grain sticks to your finger as it leaves the rest of the rice behind on your plate.

Taste: May be this part is controversial but I believe that a meal tastes much better when enjoyed with your hands. Obviously I don't expect one to eat spaghetti with your hands but I am talking about all rice based dishes. The moment when you touch the rice with your hands you have made a connection. It is like a bond with that rice on your plate, your fingers and your taste buds. They are all connected together the minute you lay your hands on the fluffy white pearly grains. After the meal, we lick the remnants of our finger, pondering the food we just devoured. It's like you want to eat again. That simple act of licking the last drops of food off your finger calms you. It is pure satisfaction and bliss. This orgasmic feeling could not have been enjoyed with a fork or a spoon.

Blazing Hot Chicken Jhol

This recipe is probably one of my favorites. It reminds me not only of home but also comes out very close to the original recipe. I make this chicken jhol when I am hungry and when I am homesick. It is Blazing hot because I add a lot of chilli powder to the recipe, but it can be adjusted to suit individual tastes.

The word jhol, is a Bengali word, meaning a water based sauce flavored with onions, ginger, garlic and a wide variety of spices. It is this perfect harmony of the spices that appeals to not only the tastebuds but to your other senses as well. It seems to be that spices have what we call " a perfect marriage". None are over powering and even if you add a lot of chilli powder, you can still taste the hint of ginger or onion and that smithering of garlic. You can also distinguish the cumin and coriander and all this contributes to this wonderful amalgamation of flavors. It is definitely a treat best enjoyed with hot white rice. A kind of rice that absorbs the jhol perfectly and plumps up the grain. Just writing this is making my mouth water and I feel like cooking this again soon.

Spaghetti with Meatballs

What is it about a food memory? Sometimes when I am reminded of a certain food-- be it anything-- I just can't seem to get it out of mind. It is embarrassing to admit, because I think I am the only one who probably sometimes watches Full House, ever since I saw an episode where Michelle was eating Spaghetti with Meatballs, it has been stuck in my mind. I just couldn't get rid of the image of that little girl spooning the noodles into her mouth with most of it landing on her lap. Since that episode I have been craving spaghetti with meatballs.

Herein lies a problem. My image of the spaghetti is what my mother would rarely make back home in Kolkata. The meat sauce she would make would be a spicy sauce without using too many tomatoes. This was the dilemma in my mind. I was craving spaghetti with meatballs but I didn't realize until later on that it was my mother's version that I was dying for.

This weekend I had the opportunity to finally satisfy my deep desire. I went for lunch to a restaurant called DownCity on Pine Street and lo and behold, there was Spaghetti with meatballs! I know I am going on and on about this simple yet perplexing situation. I felt that I had to write this and share it with others. I ordered the spaghetti and as usual the sauce was a heavily tomatoed sauce, which I am not particularly fond of. But eating it made me realize something. How powerful food is. It is one of those elements of your life that sometimes feels seemingly unimportant but is actually one of my sole reasons for living.

Food has so much control over our moods, personality and sometimes even relationships. This petty experience really did open my eyes up.

This is the Gota Sheddho that I made. Was super easy but I had to hunt around for some of the ingredients over here.

Let me warn you, this takes quite a long time to make so I suggest just letting it sit on the stove top on low heat and you can definitely do a whole list of things!

This recipe makes enough for 1 person. So adjust the proportions accordingly

Ingredients:

Whole Moong Dal, 1 cup

Mustard Oil, 4 tbsp.

Sweet Potato, 1

Red bliss potato, 1 small

Yukon Gold potato, 1 small

Eggplant, 1 small

Dried red chillies, I like it spicy so I put around 6

The following ingredients you are not supposed to add but I did because I had no other vegetables to include:

Onions, 1, quartered

Celery, large dice, 1 stalk

Carrots, 1, large dice

Snow peas, 1 cup, left whole.

Method of Preparation:

• Dry roast the Daal in a deep pan. Stir for about 5-10 minutes until fragrant.
• Add 2 tbsp. mustard oil and about 1 cup water.
• Add the rest of the vegetables and do not add the chillies.
• Add 1 cup water.
• Cover and let it sit on low heat. Will take about 1-2 hours.
• Once the Daal is cooked add 2 tbsp. mustard oil and the dry red chillies.
• Cover and let it cook for about 10-15 minutes.
• Take off heat and you are supposed to cool it and have it cold the next day, but I was too greedy to do that and ate it with some rice.

This is a very very easy recipe with a lot of flavour and has lots of vegetables. A complete meal!