Tapas

I was in Indy a couple of months ago and as usual, we went out for dinner on Friday. A couple of people, me included were in the mood for tapas and we decided upon a restaurant called Barcelona Tapas in downtown Indy. I wanted to eat everything on the menu, but we finally decided on a couple of things we liked. Luckily, when we split into tables, I was with the hungry [ read eats a lot] group, so we went straight in and ordered a LOT of food. Of course, there was a large amount of alcohol-- who doesn't like Sangria? :) But the food that day was delicious. The feta cheese was so fresh and the olive oil so delicate, you never wanted to stop eating. Ever. Being the seafood nut that I am, I insisted on having oysters-- best decision that evening. They were so good and so fresh and so flavorful, possibly the best oysters I have ever had--

 I've been trying to recreate that dish for a while now, and it's just not the same. I don't know and for the life of me, can't figure out if it was some secret spanish herb that made the dish so special or some ridiculous flavored olive oil that was just the right kind. Maybe it was the atmosphere, the fact that it was Friday, all the food, or the heady happy feeling from the Sangria, or hanging out with fun group of people, it's just not the same when I try to cook it. Although, I will say one thing-- if I do end up perfecting that recipe, I'm not telling! :)

Dinner and a Movie :)

Four words. Dinner and a movie. They're words you've heard dozens of times, but it never gets old. Dinner can be something fancy, and maybe you watch a snooty foreign language film-- with subtitles. Or something artsy and intellectual. Or maybe you're being lazy and lounging around and it's just a dvd with questionable print-- but it's and old favorite and you love watching it, and it makes you laugh all the time, even if you say the dialogues in perfect coordination with the screen. It's comforting and fun and time well spent. 

Sometimes you need to stop being critical and judgey and just enjoy the nice gesture shown to you. Dinner could be frozen pizza, or mixing up stuff from jars, [that's a skill too :) ] or just takeout and leftovers and dessert is store-bought tiramisu or mud-pie that was relegated to the back of the freezer, or just cookies... The point is, it's still good food and if somebody is taking the time and effort to do something, be nice and appreciate it... 

Afterall, would you be happier being snooty and talking at somebody while eating tiny portions of overpriced food or laughing out loud at something silly while eating finger food and ice cream straight outta the carton? Everybody can't cook, but hey, everybody doesn't take the effort either... The bottom line is take some time out to do something nice and cook somebody dinner... Maybe your roommate is too tired to cook, or you're having people over, it's great to bond over potluck and cook-outs, or friday movie nights with the girls, or you're catching up with an old friend and feel adventurous to step inside the kitchen.. it's gonna put a smile on your face too.. Dinner and a movie. It's not so bad now is it?

Coconut shrimp!

This has to go down as the easiest thing to cook.. Also, really delicious especially during the monsoon..

shrimp-- 12 medium sized
shredded coconut/ coconut powder -- 1/4 cup
cilantro -- 3 stalks
coriander powder -- 1/2 tsp
4 slit green chillies
a bay leaf
mustard seeds -- for tempering
oil
onion -- 1/2 medium sized [yellow onions are good for this] sliced fine
turmeric powder -- a pinch
salt
garlic paste -- 1 1/2 tsp [ from the tube.. or chopped garlic... can you chop garlic? I can't]

Heat oil in wok,  fry the onions, and the garlic paste till the onions are slightly browned and then add the chillies and fry the coconut till it starts to get golden brown and the oil separates.. Add the turmeric and coriander powder and salt. I use frozen cooked shrimp, but fresh shrimp only takes 2 minutes to cook anyway, so cooking time doesn't really change that much. Add the shrimp and some water maybe 1 cup - 1cup and half [ more if you want to eat this as a soup as opposed to a kinda stew that tastes good with rice] and let it simmer for a bit. Add lime juice and tempered mustard seeds. Top it off with fresh cilantro chopped fine.

Total time involved : 15 minutes tops, 10 if you're good :)

Tandoori chicken and how you should cook it!

There are two ways to do everything... And sometimes you have to take the easy way out.. Some people call it cheating- I call it being resourceful. =)
And I will also prove that you can cook tandoori chicken in less than 20 minutes. Seriously.

THE REAL WAY:
Marinade: hung curd [ or use creamy top yogurt ] -- 1 cup
tandoori chicken masala [ or tandoori chicken bbq mix, whatever you can get your hands on] 3-4 tsp
salt
ginger-garlic paste -- 2tsp
optional things: jeera powder -- 1/2 tsp
chilli powder -- 1/2 -2 tsp
coriander powder -- 3/4 tsp
amchur powder -- 1/2 tsp or use chat masala instead
turmeric -- 1/2 tsp
garam masala -- 1/2 tsp
paprika/meat tenderizer -- 1/4 tsp
oil --2tsp
chicken -- 4 chicken breasts diced into 2" pieces

Mix everything in a fairly large mixing bowl, add the chicken and marinate for 8 hours. Skewer the chicken and grill in a tandoor/ oven for about 20-30 minutes, adding oil/butter, actually butter sounds better.. while basting and turning the skewers every couple of minutes [ use the rotisserie, it's there for a reason :) ] And cook until it looks so good, you need to eat it right away! or internal temperatures say 160 degrees centigrade and the meat is soft but firm to touch. [use oven mitts and wait for chicken to cool before touching!!!]
Sprinkle chat masala before serving on a bed of red onion rings tossed with some cilantro and lime.

A good dipping chutney is mint chutney -- 1 cup of hung curd, 1/2 bunch of cilantro, 10 stalks of mint or 50 mint leaves [ I have counted, yes] salt, squirt of lime juice, 2 green chillies [more if you can handle it] and blend till smooth and creamy.

THE CHEATERS WAY:
The marinade is basically the same but you can skip the optional stuff. Cook the chicken in a microwave for around 4-6 minutes [ flip it every 2 mins] yes, frozen chicken is allowed. And then mix it with the marinade. Heat oil in a kadai [wok] and fry till the yogurt starts to condense around the chicken. Fry well and use LOTS of oil, so that the outside crisps fairly well and you get a similar effect of eating from a tandoor.
big tip: use a few drops of liquid smoke if you really want that smoky flavor
ps: SHALLOW fry only.. keep fire extinguisher close by if unsure of cooking skills! :)
This basically takes 20 minutes only.. preparation and cooking time included. I've done it in fifteen.

Also, this will NOT taste exactly the same as the original recipe. But it still tastes pretty good and close to what it should taste like, so take the easy way out.

Bon Apetit!

Eat.Pray.Love---? For now, let's just eat!

We all grow up thinking that our mothers and grandmothers were the best cooks in the world. Except that for me, it's actually true! I come from a long line of very accomplished cooks and while I can't say for sure that I have inherited the cooking genes or the ingenuity of whipping up culinary masterpieces on a daily basis, what I have inherited, are recipes to some of the most delectable food you can ever hope to eat. Some of my earliest memories are of me sitting on the kitchen counter, watching my mother or grandmother cooking and asking them to let me stir something or just smell whatever was cooking. Regardless of the common notion, that cooking is nothing more than an annoying chore that stresses people out, I find it to be calming and relaxing- the kitchen can be a happy place.

Food is something that involves all five senses. You look, you touch, you take in the aroma before you take that first bite, and after that you hear a happy voice in you head telling you how good it tastes.. And then you smile. So you never really just EAT something.. it's always so much more... Close your eyes, shut out the noise.. Take a bar of chocolate and eat it. Slowly. Like it was the only thing you had to do. Enjoy it, savor it..don't count the calories... take the time to really delve into the chocolate.. all of it... Sure, money can buy happiness.. When was the last time you bought chocolate and didn't feel happy after eating it?

I believe it's important to take things as they come. Live a little. Enjoy each day and every experience. Try new things, travel, check out a new cuisine, breathe and take in every moment, open a really good bottle of wine, have some gourmet chocolate or just some cookies and milk... A sip of happiness with some fine wine, little chocolate colored bites of heaven, having a home-cooked meal, the aroma of coffee first thing every morning or sharing a bowl of chocolate covered strawberries...

My food blog is about simple pleasures...It's a melange of recipes, food memories, experiments, experiences, the passion that comes with all of it and some random thoughts in between... So take out your aprons and cookbooks, bring out the knives and put on your chef's hats... Break an egg... Or, just kiss the chef and it'll make your day!