What's Best in the World of Food

JW Marriott Mumbai’s weeklong Thai Street Food Festival I wrote about earlier was a riot of Thai flavours put together by Chef Suriya Phusirimongkhonchai at Spices. Of the extensive menu at the fest, I chose two dishes and a dessert that must be tried, and Chef Suriya has graciously shared these time-tested recipes with our readers. 

Vinegar does different things to different foods. Broadly, it balances flavors by adding a slightly sweet and mostly sour tang, reduces bitterness in a recipe, and enhances the flavor of ingredients in sauces or dishes. It also has specific sweet little uses I bet you'd like to know about. 

I’d wanted to make my best risotto for a dear friend who was visiting Mumbai and said would come by. But she had one request -- could I make it without white wine because she was off alcohol in any form?

Nothing beats Monday blues surer than light, comforting food slipped between two slices of bread. This week, I’ve put together a beautiful veg Mediterranean sandwich you don’t need to pull out the works for. Just olives, sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese over a layer of pesto. Watch the recipe video here. 

YumCha Vie from the house of Vie (owners of Vie Lounge) is located right at the entrance of Phoenix Market City, Kurla. Glance over the bamboo fence separating the foyer from the restaurant, and you see a big al fresco seating area that makes up only half of this huge (by Mumbai mall standards) 100-seater standalone.

Pomegranate sauce is a staple in Mediterranean cooking, but kicks ass even outside its traditional domain. You’d find it in supermarkets labelled as pomegranate molasses, and is easily made at home. Whenever you're looking for a beautiful balance of sweetness and mild sourness, you should give this sauce a try. 

I've been using this egg separator manufactured by the Swiss brand Kuhn Rikon for over a year now. My husband bought it in Hong Kong for $32 (roughly Rs. 2000). I feel the thoughtful design makes it a must-have and complete value for money for prolific bakers or anyone fond of egg white omelets.

We met Chef Nilesh Limaye at a restaurant where he is currently the consultant chef. Among all the Pan Asian fare that arrived from his kitchen, what we particularly loved was the fried eggplant platter. We remarked how close the flavours of the dish were to the Indian palate, and indeed, it was because the appetizer was inspired by the Mumbai Bhel. This one was an eggplant and peanut snack made the Pan-Asian way.

Years ago, I stocked only one kind of vinegar – the cheap variety that’s better suited for cleaning than cooking! Besides, I hardly ever cooked with vinegar. But when I got into sophisticated cooking, creating recipes from all parts of the world, I learnt there are many varieties of vinegar that act differently on different foods. Today, you’ll find at least 5 kinds in my kitchen.

Here's a one-dish meal that combines the look and taste of everything children love - think pizza and cheese - with all the things mothers obsess over stuffing their kids with - think broccoli, spinach, peas, green beans... you get the idea!

Here in India, we are so accustomed to the regular squeeze-between-the-stainless steel pods variety of lemon juicers that we automatically reach out for them at the store. But there really are many other kinds that are more efficient to use. I found one recently during my visit to Home Stop, Shoppers Stop’s home and kitchen accessories store. It's called the GRIP-EZ Citrus Reamer from the brand Norpro.

I picked it up because, honestly, I just liked the way it looked – the head made of white porcelain with a black silicon handle. When I got home, I set out to make green tea with lemon to quickly put my new find to use.

After watching MasterChef Australia judge Gary Meighan effortlessly make Hollandaise sauce in a recent Master Class, I thought to myself - 'Wow, that looks simple!' I was so excited that the minute the show finished, I went into the kitchen to try out Gary's recipe for Hollandaise, a rich tangy sauce often paired with steamed vegetables, which has pride of place as one of the five 'mother sauces' in classical French cuisine.

Dear men, expecting the woman in your life to shoulder the responsibility for every single meal you consume is not very attractive. Today's Times of India article quotes the results of an online poll by a matrimonial website that has found an overwhelming percentage of Indian women want men who know their way around the kitchen. Of course, we've been telling you that forever now.

Published by DK India and promoted by Penguin India, the illustration-heavy book, said Khanna, is specifically designed so that children can learn to get inventive with ingredients they find at home.

It's amazing what just a little bit of patience and technique can do in the kitchen.

No English breakfast is complete without eggs and scrambled is a pretty popular choice. In India, we tend to cook everything over direct flame and that's one of the main reasons our scrambled eggs turn out dry.

SKKY is Ramada, Powai’s new open-air rooftop lounge bar, removed from the city buzz, if that’s the sort of thing you like.

Since it only opens post 5 pm, you have no choice but to wade through evening rush hours to get there. Leaving the homebound traffic behind, we take a narrow road through the Mhada-Aarey Milk Colony area to get to SKKY.

When I say kebabs, you will probably think of your favourite restaurant or neighbourhood street joint that you believe serves the best kebabs in the city. We all have a place like that and tend to land up there every time a strong meat craving strikes. But what if I told you the best kebabs you'll ever taste are the ones you can very easily make at home?

Unless you're a veritable kitchen savant who could whip up a gourmet meal while stranded on a desert island, unannounced guests whom you have to feed is probably your worst nightmare – especially when they show up just a day before your trip to the grocery store and you have an empty pantry staring at you blankly!