Why do YOU cook, Monica Bhide?

I'm not sure there is a harder working food writer than Monica Bhide. She teaches, writes magazine articles, has a syndicated newspaper column called Seasonings, and has written several cookbooks including her most recent, Modern Spice. What I like about her writing is the personal stories and her enthusiasm for using different ingredients. She's also about as big a twitteraholic as I am. Not only do I learn something new when I read her stories, articles and tweets, but I enjoy the journey.

As a child, I always felt that I had trouble relating with the world. I always felt that I did not fit in the crowd and that I could not really 'connect' with people. Then one day, I discovered what I did relate to: the kitchen. I would spend hours watching my parents and my grandparents and uncles and aunts cooking but never attempted to try it myself. I think I was about 8 or 9 when I began to cook. It was an experience unlike any other. I never felt awkward or out of place in the kitchen. I never thought of cooking as hard (unlike school work!). The kitchen made me feel at peace with myself. It was around the same time that I started writing... but all the writing was private. I never shared it with anyone.

But back to cooking: As a child, there were so many things I could not do. I did not know how to swim or ride a bike or be one with the in crowd. But I knew how to bring out the best in eggplant, i knew how to sizzle cumin just right to release it's flavor and aroma, i knew how to stuff an okra with a pungent spice mix, I knew how to simmer a deep and intensely flavored lamb curry. I would go to the farmers market and pick fruits and vegetables with my dad and learned how to tell good fish from bad. And then the magic happened: when I served the food to people, they liked it. It became the source of connection with friends and family and those who came to my table. I felt like I finally had made a connection. Years later, as I cook to care and nurture my family, my writing grew up. I heard from more and more people that they connected with my words and that made them want to cook my food.

I cook because it is who I am. Cooking, for me, is a away of nurturing those around me and sharing a part of me with them. My world of writing and food makes me feel like I belong in this world and that I have a purpose and that I matter and can make a difference.



Monica Bhide is the twentieth person profiled in this series. Read more profiles.

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION! ©2011 Cooking with Amy. All rights reserved. This material may NOT be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you are reading this post somewhere other than Cooking with Amy, the Oyster Local blog or Gather.com, then the site where you found this post is illegally publishing copyrighted material.

All about Scones - Part 1 Brown's Hotel Scones

I am so lucky to have been invited to spend my birthday in London with my dear friend, Ann and her family.  One of the things she wanted to do there was to have me make scones with a few friends of hers.  Never having made them before, I knew I would have to do some homework ahead of time.  When I first thought about blogging about scones, I thought there would be a clear distinction between American scones and British ones, but I soon found that there really isn't a standard recipe, regardless of country of origin. Scones are buttery, baking powder biscuits.  After that basic fact, anything seemed to go - amounts of flour, butter, sugar, liquid and leavening varied greatly.  Even the pronunciation  isn't universal.  Americans tend to say 'sc-oh-ns, while Brits are just as likely to say 'sc-oh-ns'  as 'sc-ah-ns.

 I was certainly thrilled that prior to our class, Ann wanted to take me to Brown's Hotel for their world-famous High Tea.   High Tea at Brown's consists of  a beautiful array of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and fresh strawberry jam, an assortment of finger pastries and two cakes served from a trolley - and of course, your choice of tea!

All of the food was wonderful, but I was especially impressed by the scones and pastries. I rarely eat pastry out because it so often doesn't live up to my expectations.  But these were all wonderful.  We asked for the recipe for the scones, and were a little surprised when the communications person delivered it to our table.  We were even more pleased and surprised when the pastry chef, Fabien Ecuvillon, also came out to talk with us about his pastries.

Me with pastry chef  Fabien Ecuvillon at Brown's Hotel

Among other things, he told us that Brown's only uses fruits in season (except for the strawberry jam, which is a must-have for High Tea scone service).  One of those rare fruits, in season when I was there, was sea buckthorn berry, and these he used in a delightful macaroon that was on the pastry plate, as well as in jelly, which he brought to us in a small glass. Both items were very different and interesting.

It is fine food like this that has kept visitors coming to Brown's for more than a century.  If you plan on going to Brown's for High Tea, be sure to make  a reservation, which you can do directly from their website: http://www.brownshotel.com/, or 020 7518 4155 ( in case you're wondering, this is a completely unsolicited rave review!)

Brown's scones are a little different from the average scone, whether British or American.  They are tiny, round scones and have a more tender, cakey texture than the scones you find in the supermarket or bakeries in London (this is most likely because Chef Ecuvillon mixes in the butter until no longer visible, rather than the others who mix it in more chunkily).  The round shape is definitely traditional - chef Ecuvillon told us that he'd probably be out of a job if he made them wedge-shaped!  Wedge-shaped ones are easier to make, and you don't have any scraps to re-roll the way that you do with round ones.  Scones made from scraps are a little denser, and Chef Ecuvillon always discards the scraps so that each scone is always perfect.

For our class the next day, we decided to try and replicate Brown's scones.  We made them in the traditional round shape (we did re-use the scraps), and in the easier wedge-shape.  Our British scones came out great.  They weren't quite as pretty as Chef Ecuvillon's, but they were delicious.  When I made them at home in North Carolina, however, they really didn't come out well.  The reasons for this, along with American measurements and details will follow in part 2.

Brown's Hotel Scones
500 grams plain flour
17 grams baking powder
2 grams salt
100 grams cold, diced unsalted butter
100 grams sugar
250 ml cold milk
60 grams sultanas

For egg wash
2 large egg yolks
10 ml milk
pinch sugar

Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.  Add the diced butter, and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it is no longer visible.  Stir in the sugar.

Toss the sultanas into the above mixture.  Make a well in the mixture and pour in all of the milk. Stir with a spoon until the mixture starts to come together. 

Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface, and knead gently, 5 or 6 times, until it forms a smooth, soft dough.  Form the dough into a round and wrap in cling wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. or Gas Mark 6.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Roll the dough gently on a floured surface to about 2.5 cm. thick.  Dip a 5cm cookie cutter into flour, and then cut out the rounds, dipping the cutter as needed.  Press together scraps and re-cut.  Place the rounds on the parchment paper.

Alternatively, you can shape the dough into two 8-inch rounds and cut the rounds of dough into 8 wedges.

Make the egg wash, by mixing the ingredients together in a small bowl.  Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the scones are golden brown and look and feel cooked on the sides.  Let the scones cool until just barely warm, and serve with Devonshire Clotted Cream (recipe follows in Part 3, and fresh strawberry jam.

  

From left: Rhonda, me, Ann-my friend and our hostess, and Gail

 

Meaty Cookbooks Part 2 -- Cooking Techniques

Yesterday I shared some new cookbooks that focus on a particular meat such as pork, brisket or goat, in today's installment I'm recommending four more books that are much more general.

One of the most anticipated cookbooks of the year was the Molly Stevens book All About Roasting. The book is amazingly comprehensive covering mostly meat--beef, lamb, pork, chicken and poultry but also fish and shellfish, vegetables and fruits. Learn how to choose the best cuts of meat, the basic roasting methods and temperatures, how to carve and more. I love that her recipes also include convection as well as conventional oven temperatures!

Recipes you'll want to try include: Quick deviled rib bones, oven roasted porchetta, one-hour rosemary rib roast, roasted buffalo wings, crispy butterflied roast chicken

Another roast focused cookbook is sure a surefire winner for Francophiles. Rotis, roasts for every day of the week. This charming book follows a certain format, Monday is roast beef, Tuesday is roast veal, Wednesday is roast chicken and game, etc. Each chapter features French and Mediterranean style recipes that generally feel very classic, though some recipes like roast pork with Earl Grey tea feel decidedly modern. While a book about meat, the vegetable sides are equally delectable.

Recipes you'll want to try include: Roast chicken with anchovies and rosemary, roast pork belly with coriander, roast pork loin with endive and orange, lamb shanks with cannellini beans, 4 ideas for stuffing chicken (Boursin cheese? hello!)

Contrary to popular opinion, farm-to-table does not just refer to zucchini. Our own local butcher extraordinaire Ryan Farr has written Whole Beast Butchery which is a visual guide to 'breaking down' beef, lamb and pork with recipes as well. If you've ever wanted to take a butchery course, this is the book for you! The tone and style of the book is much like Ryan is in person, friendly, helpful and approachable.

Recipes you'll want to try include: Beef tongue pastrami, pork belly and garbanzo soup, braised lamb shanks with curry (keep in mind, recipes are limited; this is a butchery book, not a cookbook)

If your budget is a little more quesadilla then crown roast, From the Ground Up by award-winning author James Villas is for you. The most versatile of all meat, ground meat, is featured in hundreds of recipes that use beef, chicken, pork, seafood and more. From the humble and economical meat come recipes from around the world ranging from home style sloppy joes to elegant beef tartare sandwiches. Interestingly some of the recipes use raw meat and some leftover cooked meat that is then shredded, chopped or ground.

Recipes you'll want to try include: Mexican duck quesadillas, Tex Mex sloppy joes, Greek minted meatballs, Spanish eggplant stuffed with lamb, Shanghai lion's head

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION! ©2011 Cooking with Amy. All rights reserved. This material may NOT be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you are reading this post somewhere other than Cooking with Amy, the Oyster Local blog or Gather.com, then the site where you found this post is illegally publishing copyrighted material.

New Italian Cookbooks 2011

I'm not sure any other cuisine can top Italian, when it comes to comfort food. While Italian cookbooks are a dime a dozen, three really stood out for me this year and are nice enough variations to warrant adding to your collection if you're an Italian food fiend like me or give them as gifts.


Cucina Povera
was sure to strike a chord with me, because I lived in Florence for 6 months. It is written by ex-pat Pamela Sheldon Johns and it shares a way of life, of not wasting anything and eating frugally. In the book you'll meet all kinds of people from Italy who cook and garden and make things from scratch. The recipes are for some things you may already know about like Ribollita and Pappa al Pomodoro (and if you don't, then by all means you need this book) but also more obscure recipes that you are unlikely to encounter in a restaurant.

Recipes you'll want to try include Tuscan Cornmeal, Kale and Bean Soup, Stewed Peppery Beef Cheeks, Farmyard Crostini (finally a use for giblets!) Plum Jam Tart and Ricotta Cake.







The family I lived with in Italy ate very formal meals, I don't remember a single one course meal. But they do exist and that is what Piatto Unico
is all about. The book shares hearty, comforting dishes many that are particularly perfect as we head into Winter. Recipes are divided into chapters like Prime-Time Pastas, Minestrone and Other Big, Bountiful Soups and Braises and Stews.

Recipes you'll want to try include: Asparagus Spinach Crepes with Taleggio, Thick Chickpea and Porcini Soup, Escarole, Anchovy and Cheese Salad.












Another noteworthy book is Rustic Italian Food. This is satisfying and lusty food, not fussy food although many of the recipes do take effort and are not just weeknight jobs. It's filled with homemade breads, pastas, salumi, pickles and preserves. They all demand the use of top quality ingredients. It's written by a restaurant chef, but designed for home cooks.

Recipes you'll want to try include: Spaghetti in Parchment with Clams and Scallions, Eggplant Lasagnette Alla Parmigiana, Veal Breast 'al Latte' with Fried Sage, Cold Farro Salad with Crunchy Vegetables

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION! ©2011 Cooking with Amy. All rights reserved. This material may NOT be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you are reading this post somewhere other than Cooking with Amy, the Oyster Local blog or Gather.com, then the site where you found this post is illegally publishing copyrighted material.

jellyfish part 2

Vancouver Aquarium. 2010.

MASALA CHAPATHI | KHARA CHAPATHI

Apart from chapathi , I usually make Wheat flour adai for dinner.But my husband is not a big fan of it. So i was looking for some other alternative . I got this recipe from Mrs.Mallika badrinath's cookbook. Its a simple , easy to make chapathi which is ideal for lunch box and dinner. Onion raita or pickle would be the best combination...Bachelors can give this a try..

INGREDIENTS

Atta / Wheat flour – 1 tsp Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Red chilly powder or sambhar powder –3/4 - 1 tsp Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp Dry mango powder/Amchoor powder – 1/2 tsp (optional, i dint add) Salt – As needed. Curd & Milk – Equal quantity as needed Oil – As needed.

METHOD

Take a wide bowl and mix all the ingredients given above to make a soft , pliable dough.Dont add water. Just use milk & curd in equal ratio.. Cover & leave it for 30 mins Make flat , thin , round chapathis .Brush with ghee or oil.. Enjoy with onion raita or pickle !!

 

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Puff pastry basics

As with the real thing, we found that the following precautions are necessary to avoid lopsided puff pastry and ensure a successful rise. 

• To prepare: thaw frozen pastry on the counter until pliable but still chilled(20 to 30 minutes). Unfold and place with creases opening onto a floured surface like a book set face down. Gently press the creases to make a smooth, even sheet. 
• When using a cookie cutter: dip the cutter periodically in flour so that it does not stick to the dough. Do not twist the cutter to cut. If the layers are pressed together, the dough will not rise evenly. 
• When using a knife: make sure it is sharp, and do not drag it through the dough to cut. A pastry wheel or pizza cutter may also be used. 
• Avoid dripping egg wash down the pastry's sides. This can seal the dough to the pan and prevent the layers from rising. 
• Avoid rolling over the dough edges with your rolling pin. It can press down the sides. 
• Position your oven rack in the upper third of the oven to bake.

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