A Life of Spice

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

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

Guest Post - Laurie V. Soileau

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

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

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

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

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

 

Alimentum reviews Modern Spice. November 2009

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

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

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

Read more here.

Andrea King Collier made me cry

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

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

Andrea made me cry.

 

Guest Post - From Essay teacher and author Andrea King Collier

 

Andrea King Collier

There’s No Place Like Home

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

 

*****

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WOOOOHOOO!!

Click here to buy!

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

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

Curry Leaf Bread from Modern Spice

 Curry Leaf Bread from Modern Spice (Simon & Schuster, 2009)

 

 

I studied engineering in Bangalore well over fifteen years ago now. I loved the city with its gardens and cool temperatures and open walking areas. I visited a few years ago and was sadly disappointed. The city I loved had become overrun with crowds and the light open feeling was gone.  But I did find that the food was still as fantastic as ever and I made a new discovery. Local bakeries were baking up rolls flavoured with Indian spices and herbs. Here is my rendition of curry leaf bread.

NOTE:  Since flours vary in their protein content from brand to brand and region to region you might need to adjust the amount of liquid in this recipe. 

 

Makes 1 1 lb Loaf

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar 
1 envelope RapidRise Yeast (or 2 ¼ teaspoons)
1 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, pounded

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh curry leaves

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup water (more if needed)

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1.   Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. 

2.   Heat the butter, water and milk just until the butter melts.  Allow to cool until warm to the touch (110 to 120F). 

3.   Gradually add the warm liquid to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until a soft but not sticky dough forms. You may not need all of the liquid but if the dough is too dry, add warm water, a tablespoon at a time, until you get a soft dough.

4.   Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead for about 5 minutes or until you have a soft, smooth and elastic dough. 

5.   Remove the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 45 to 60 minutes.

6.   Place the dough on a clean work surface and knead for a minute or two. 

7.   Shape and place in a greased 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan, cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise until dough is about 1 inch above top of pan (45 to 60 minutes).

8.   Preheat the oven to 375F with a rack in the middle position.

9.   Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

10.  Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.

 

 

Dorie Greenspan and my Saffron Coconut Macaroons

I have always been a fan of Dorie Greenspan's work. A few years ago, when I had just started out writing about food, I remember calling her for some advice. I was nervous, I was scared and I was very anxious. I did not know Dorie personall but friends had put us in touch. If I say she was kind, i would be doing her a dis-service - she was inspiring and yet so gentle with me. She urged me to continue to write, offered so much advice on how to handle the freelance world and gave me a shoulder when I really needed one. ANd then earlier this year, she was one of the people who participated in a cook-a-thon for my new book, Modern Spice. I felt like I had come a full circle. I would like to publicly thank her for her encouragement and support. Dorie - you are the best. THANK YOU.

Dorie prepared the Saffron Coconut Macaroons from Modern Spice. Here are some thoughts from her (taken from her website) and a photo of the finished dish that she sent to me -

"Monica's macaroons are soft, sweet and surprising - at least they were to me, since I'd never used saffron and cardamom together in a dessert.  In fact, I don't think I'd ever used saffron for a sweet.  The recipe is exceedingly simple and, as I found out, forgiving. "

 

You can read her entire post here.

Gastronomer's Guide To Modern Spice, October 2009

I had been waiting to see if one of my fav blogs would review the book and now, here it is!

An excerpt -

"This book has everything to offer to anyone who appreciates Indian cuisine and desires to learn new ways of thinking about spices and ingredients. Utilizing Bhide's tips and techniques is just the beginning of a path toward multicultural discovery. Recipes like pomegranate shrimp, green chutney chicken, guava bellinis, and paneer and fig pizza push the boundaries of traditional Indian cooking all in a good way."

Read more here...

Curried Egg Salad with Caramelized Onions, Modern Spice, July 2009

One of my personal favorite recipes from Modern Spice with a gorgeous photo courtsey of Tina Rupp -

Curried Egg Salad with Caramelized Onion

- serves 4 to 6 -

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1/4 medium red onion, finely diced
1/2 medium red or orange organic bell pepper, seeded and finely diced (see Note)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
1 small green serrano chile, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons hot Madras curry powder
1 tablespoon prepared mustard powder
2 cups spinach leaves, loosely packed

Procedure

1. Caramelize the onions: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and fry for about 5 minutes until it becomes transparent. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt, the sugar, and the pepper and saute for another minute. As soon as it changes color, remove from the heat and set aside until the rest of the salad is ready.

2. In a large bowl, mash the boiled eggs with a fork or finely chop them. Add the diced onion and bell pepper and mix well.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, cilantro, chile, curry powder, and salt to taste. Mix well. Add the mustard and mix until well combined. Add the eggs and mix.

4. Divide the spinach leaves onto four serving plates. Heap the egg salad evenly onto each plate. Top with the caramelized onions and serve.