Monica Bhide

Who is Monica Bhide?

I have: discussed morels with the grand-old Chef extraordinaire Imtiaz Querishi in Mumbai; sampled hamur on dhows in Dubai; sipped camel’s milk in Bahrain; followed a superstar food critic around Mumbai and an anonymous one in DC; presented Spices and Rices at the French Embassy in DC and gotten lost on the backstreets of Delhi searching for the perfect paratha; tapaoed in DC with Chef Jose Andres and sampled the amazing cuisine of Chef Ananda Solomon; taught cooking on-line (yes it can be done) and in my cooking school; have sampled flights of honey and hosted colorful henna parties each spring.

I love tradition but embody change.

I respect technique but am playful.

I eat locally but cook globally.

My writing reflects food and culture and its affect on our lives.

My publishing credits:

Newspapers: The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Post Express, DC Examiner, International Herald Tribune, The Economic Times (Indian newspaper), India New England News, India Abroad, and Daily News and Analysis.

Magazines: National Geographic Traveler, Bon Appetit, Town And Country, Town and Country Travel, AARP, The Magazine, Food and Wine, Cooking Light, Washingtonian, Wine Enthusiast, Coastal Living, Virginia Living magazine, Health magazine, Better Nutrition, DC Style Magazine, Departures, Coastal Living, Mantram, Low Carb Energy Magazine, Modern Luxury, Cooking Smart, IACP Food Forum Quarterly, Femina and Khabar.

Online: AARP.com, Salon.com, MSNBCi, eGullet.org's "The Daily Gullet," SauteWednesday, DeliciousIndia.com, Sally's Place, The Food Section. Launched- eGullet Culinary Institute and has taught several on-line courses there.

Monthly Columns:

1. Weekly, online column for the Washington Post called iSpice.

2. DC - CityGuide for ARRIVE magazine (for Amtrak’s Acela train).

3. Weekly food blogger for AARP- THe magazine online.

TV/Radio: Food Network with Christine Cushing Live, and Good Morning Toronto. Talk America Radio with Jennifer English, which is nationally syndicated. And NPR's Kojo Nmamdi show

In addition, her article “A Question of Taste” (which originally ran in The Washington Post) is being republished in a text book titled A Taste for Writing: Composition for Culinarians for culinary students at The Culinary Institute of America and was selected for Best Food Writing, 2005.

Her essay "What is Real Cooking" from her new book Modern Spice, was just picked for Best Food Writing 2009

Formal Bio--

Born in India, Monica moved to the United States in 1991. She has an engineering degree from Bangalore University and two masters: one in information systems technology from George Washington University and the other in Industrial Systems management from Lynchburg College. She currently resides in the Washington, DC metro area, with her husband and young sons.

Her highly praised first cookbook, The Spice Is Right: Easy Indian Cooking for Today (Callawind Publications, 2001) is a collection of mouth-watering menus tempered with her up-to-date touches on classic Indian recipes. Monica's newest cookbook, The Everything Indian Cookbook: 300 Tantalizing Recipes--From Sizzling Tandoori Chicken to Fiery Lamb Vindaloo (Everything Series) was released in May 2004. And, Monica was the recipient of the Susan B. Langhorne Scholarship for Food Writers at the Symposium for Professional Food Writers in 2004 and the runner up for the 2005 award.

In addition to her writing, Monica owns and operates her own cooking school, which has been featured in Bon Appetit. While the cooking school now only offers private, small-sized classes, Monica enjoys teaching cooking nearly as much as she does writing about it. Monica also sponsors dinners at various Indian restaurants--in 2005 she did a dinner on street foods; in 2006 on regional Indian food.

In addition, Monica has done recipe development for the AARP and Health magazine.

She has just released her third book- Modern Spice (Simon & Schuster, 2009 with a foreword by Mark Bittman).