The Slow Cook (Part 1) Last time, we talked about the concept and charm of the dying art of slow-cooked dishes, braises, stews and pot-roasts, in the context of two of my most favourite food books (check it out here). We discussed the overarching formula of all braises, and went through a glossary of some…
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The Braise and Stew Compendium
The Slow Cook (Appendix) Here is a list of dishes I’ll be mentioning in my slow cook series. While each of these could do with a separate article, here I will stick to a more restrained approach, describing each dish in a few lines. I’ve chosen a point-wise approach for this than my usual narrative…
The Power of Time
The Slow Cook (Prologue) Here we are again, on the threshold of a brand new year, full of potential and opportunities. The last year has been rough for most of us : plans ruined, expectations thwarted, a whole new array of hardships piled on us all of a sudden. Yet, these testing times have been…
Butter Basics
My blog tends to deal more with the theoretical, nerdy aspect of food, stuff that (I hope) makes for an interesting read but rarely ever translates to practical tips for the kitchen. It’s time to mix things up, and devote an entire month to something more practical. All August, we’ll be dealing with home baking….
The Tapas Tradition
Over the centuries, Spain has evolved into a melting pot of cultures, each of which has left its own impression on its cuisine. The Phoenicians brought the sauces, Greeks brought the olive oil, and the Romans, Carthaginians and Jews added their own touch to the mix. And then there were the Moors, whose spices and…
Pasta La Vista (Part 3)
From North to South Last time, we looked at four classic Italian pasta sauces, with an aside on the great Italian tomato. This week, we finish our pasta series by looking at six more. Pasta 5, the pasta al ragu involves a lot more time, creating an incredibly complex sauce. You could use mince and…
Pasta La Vista (Part 2)
Green, White and Red Last time, we explored the basics of pasta, comparing dried and fresh varieties, with a brief look at the stuffed and baked pastas. This week, we start our exploration of ten classic pasta dishes. All of these involve cooking the pasta and adding it to a sauce. We’ve already talked about…
Pasta La Vista (Part 1)
Pasta 101 Pasta has become one of those global dishes, with almost every country having their own twist on it. Indians have their red, white and pink sauces, the Egyptian koshari is a mish-mash of rice and macaroni among other things, and the Italian-American cultural intermingling during the turn of the last century has created…
A Tale of Two Peninsulas
Growing up, the only exotic cuisines I was exposed to were Chinese (Indo-Chinese to be precise) and the so-called Continental food, a blanket term referring to foods from the continent of Europe. It was only in the past few years that Kolkata has seen an increased influx of global cuisines, including “Italian food”. Even then,…
Frozen (Part 2)
Kulfis and Gelatos Last time, we looked at the water-based or non-dairy frozen desserts, from the simplest popsicles to the poshest sorbets. This week, we will tackle what most people think of when talking about frozen desserts: dairy-based desserts. Unlike the ones we saw last time, dairy rather than water forms the base for these…
The Gourmet Glutton 