Spice Bytes

To the Mountains and Back

2006-09-22T01:17:00.000-07:00

Just came back from a trip to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and I wish I could describe its breathtaking beauty and the whole experience in words. Don't worry I wont torture you with my limited vocabulary, instead I will let my camera do all the talking. It was four fun filled days of lodging, trekking, mountain biking and of course barbecue (tandoori chicken and spicy italian sausages). Unfortunately we didn't get to do whitewater rafting since it was the end of the season and the water levels were quite low. If you ever plan to visit the Rocky Mountain National Park, I would definitely recommend that you stay at the Solitude Cabin Rental Lodges.

So as you can see I have one helluva excuse for not writing for over 2 months. Well if it isn't enough, here are more excuses. While I am at it, I think I might as well mention my excuse for the next month:

On Sunday, October 15th, I will be one of 5,000 cyclists participating in the 21st Annual MS Bike Tour in NYC. I will be cycling 30 miles to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Read this inspiring story of a Dad who never gave up and a son who knew he can.

If you feel like pledging for the cause and help us reach our goal of raising more than $2.1 million, you can do so here. If I am “motivated" (motivation is directly proportional to your donation) enough, I may actually attempt the 60 mile stretch and you will have the pleasure and the exclusive right of making fun of my sore ass.

PS: For those(assuming there are people out there reading this stuff) expecting a food related blog entry, don't be too disappointed cause I have been religiously restaurant hopping the last couple of weeks and will be writing about my gastronomical adventures in the blog entries to follow. So keep tuned!

Restaurant Week NYC: Summer - 2006

2006-07-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

Café Centro (map it) situated near the Grand Central terminal serves French food with hints of Mediterranean cuisine. The raving reviews compelled us to try this "midtown brasserie with a stylish look that echoes the glamor of Paris in the 1930s". The first thing that strikes you as you enter, is the spacious dinning area which has a banquette hall feel to it. We were seated at a table for 6 near the open rotisserie. They have a open kitchen facing the dinning hall and separated by a glass partition. I strategically occupied the chair facing the kitchen as it is always a pleasure to watch professional chefs busy with their craft. We were glad to know about the wine promotion discount of 20% on white wines. The white wine went very well with the rich and creamy spicy goat cheese over freshly baked baguettes. We just couldn't get enough of it (I guess it had to do with the baguettes being complimentary).

The restaurant week menu included a choice of three appetizers, three main course dishes and two deserts. For the appetizer I ordered the King Crab Salad with baby romaine, avocado and horseradish sauce. The crab was tossed in a creamy dressing that did not overwhelm the crab and the horseradish sauce gave a nice kick to the romaine. The seared yellow fin tuna appetizer was bright red and tasted very fresh but the flavor seemed a bit too delicate for my taste buds to appreciate. For the main course I got the duck with sweet corn and rhubarb blini and roasted strawberries. The duck had a crispy skin, as it should but lacked succulence and flavor. But I must admit this was the leanest duck legs I have ever had. I guess they sacrificed the taste to keep it lean since all the taste usually comes from the fat on the legs. Also the duck would have tasted much better if it was marinated before it was cooked. All this duck talk reminded me of this little French-Carribean café called Ivo & lullu (map it) in downtown soho area which makes delicious duck confit for $12. Anyways Ivo and Lullu deserves it own posting which I will be doing in the near future but for now lets get back to the Café Centro review.
The blini that came with the duck was quite bland too and I gave up on it after my first bite but my friends did seem to like it for some reason. I also did taste the Monkfish Tangine cooked in saffron broth with couscous and clams and would have definitely preferred the fish over the duck. The fish tasted more Mediterranean than French, this may have to do with the generous amounts of chick peas served over it. For the dessert I ordered the Blueberry Crisp with mascarpone cream and candied lemon. Well by this time I was a bit tipsy after drinking all that wine(we also had a few beers before we went to the restaurant) and was quite stuffed so I wasn't really able to appreciate the dessert. But I do remember that I liked the crispy bread like topping more than the generous serving of the over sweet and a little sour blueberry sauce. So if you do end up going there during the restaurant week I would recommend the chocolate pudding over the blueberry crisps. The prie fix dinner cost us $35 a head and $55 with two bottles of white wine.

Fateless Chorizo Sausages

2006-07-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

Last week I bought some chorizo sausages not knowing exactly how I wanted to cook them. Well it was one of those thing you buy when you go grocery shopping on an empty stomach(you know what I mean right). So last night, after a week of feeling sorry for the fateless chorizos I decided to go online to check out what the future holds for these wieners. Boy, was I "inspired", I woke up this morning put on my running shoes ran to the grocery store down the street, with just one goal in mind; to cook some mouthwatering Paella and give the chorizos their well -deserved spot in the limelight(Not exactly how it happened but close).

Ingredients:

2 chorizo sausages chopped
2 cups parboiled medium grain rice
4 tbsp olive oil
1 packet Goya Sazón with Azafrán (seasoning)
1 cube chicken bouillon
4 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
5 cups water
½ green bell pepper chopped length wise
1 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
black pepper & crushed red chilies to taste

Directions:

Fry the chicken and chorizo sausages in olive oil in a deep cook pot and set aside. Add the onion, garlic, black pepper, red chilies and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro to the oil and fry until the onion gets translucent. Add the green peppers and sauté for a minute. Boil the water in a separate sauce pan and dissolve the bouillon in it. Since the bouillon has quite a bit of salt in it make sure you dont add extra salt while cooking. Stir in the rice and Goya Sazón with the onion mixture at medium heat. Add the boiling broth to the rice, reduce flame and cover the pot. Make sure you stir occasionally so that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. The rice could take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to cook. Garnish the Paella with the remaining cilantro just before you serve.

Pork Chops with Creamed Spinach

2006-06-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

I opened the freezer and stared at it with a growling stomach. All I had in there was a piece of pork chop and some frozen spinach. I had to think fast before I gave in and reached for the danish cookies. And then it struck me! Voila a genuine rothpie creation.

Ingredients:

1 pork chop

1 Tblsp Butter

2 Tbsp Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

3 Tbsp Corn Starch

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 Tbsp Steak Sauce

1 cup chopped spinach

1 cup milk

1/4 tsp red chili flakes

1/4 tsp garlic powder

pepper & salt to taste

Directions:

Rub some salt, pepper, garlic powder, balsamic vinaigrette and a tbsp of corn starch on the pork chop and keep aside. Heat 1/2 tblsp butter in a pan and fry the pork chops until done. Remove the pork chops on to the serving plate and add the remaining butter to the pan. Add the chopped garlic and chili flakes and fry until golden brown. Stir in the remaining corn starch to the pan. Add the milk and mix until the sauce start getting thick. Add the chopped spinach, steak sauce, some water and salt & pepper to taste. Cook until the spinach get soft and the sauce thickens. Pour the creamed spinach over the pork chop and dive in.

Food Network made me do it

2006-06-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you feel like you wasted an entire day watching Food Networks Cake Challenge (and Sci-Fi channel and L'Auberge Espagnole and The Thin Man)? Well you bake a cake. Believe it not not it does give you that slight sense of accomplishment :)
So here is my extremely simple recipe which was obviously inspired by the countless Banana Nut Bread recipes found online. Btw the picture was taken in automatic macro mode using Casio Exilim 850.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 stick butter or margarine

2 ½ cups flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 soft, ripe bananas, mashed

Directions:

You will need two mixing bowls, a small one for the wet ingredients and a large one for mixing everything in. Cream the butter and sugar in the small bowl, add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk it using an egg beater until the sugar has dissolved completely. Add the mashed bananas and milk and whisk again. In the large bowl seave the flour, salt and baking soda. Add the wet ingredients and the chopped walnuts to the flour and mix it well. Bake the mixture in a greased baking pan in a preheated 325 degree oven for 25 mins. Poke a fork in the center and if it comes out clean your bread is done else bake it a little longer. Best when served with a cup of cold milk, a sofa and a remote. Aha a rerun of 4400.

Yuca Bar: Spanish, Latin American - East Side

2006-06-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

Last night I went for dinner and drinks with a couple of colleagues at the Yuca Bar (map it) (menu)on the east side. The ambience is quite casual and bustling so its perfect for a big group. We ordered a lot of food but the service was really quick. The staff was very courteous and on their toes. We started off with a couple of drinks and some tapas. Tried the Ceviches for the first time and I loved it, may have to do with my love for sushi. As you might have guessed Cheviches are made from raw fish with a dash of lemon/lime juice and a cilantro marinade(hmm so refreshing). The crepes with lobster filling(cant find the dish on the online menu) and cream sauce was very tasty. Also tried the caiprinha, a brazilian drink made with crushed lime, sugar(very little) and Cachaça. In spite of the sugar, the strong Cachaça(sugarcane based liquor, tastes a bit like rum) can really overwhelm the drink, so if you are into fruity cocktails then this one is not for you. For the main course I had the Churrasco, skirt steak with wild mushroom chimichurri and garlic mashed potatoes. The meat was soft and delicious but I was already full with the tapas and drinks ;). My colleagues had the Carnitas which reminded me of my trip to the Brazilian Churrascaria. Although the menu says the dish is for two I think it could serve three unless you are a hard-core meat lover. Some were a little disappointed with the quantity of the dinner special seafood spanish risotto. For the desserts I would recommend the bread pudding(they make it with fig compote) and tres leches (a sweet concoction made of cake soaked in a combination of cream, milk, and condensed milk and topped with meringue). Stay away from the cheese cake cause we found it a little sour. And then came the check. The drinks were $5-$9, tapas around $8, entrees around $18 and the desserts were $6 and it came to around 45 a head. We then headed off to the Orchid Lounge just round the corner.

Gotham New York

2006-06-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

Picture taken with Casio Exilim 850 using 1/100 @ f/4, no photo enhancement was done. This camera takes very good pictures in the auto mode and also has a lot of manual setting that you can experiment with. The only drawback is that the video quality sucks. You can read the reviews at my favourite camera review website. Also if you are interested in some camera basics like aperture size and shutter speed you can read about it here and here.

The Ultimate Sambar

2006-06-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

Sambar has been synonymous with South India for ages. Sambar is a soup like dish served with rice or idlies. Every South Indian culture has their own version of sambar and they swear by them. So here is my version (don't know if it is good enough to swear by, so why don't you try it out and let me know)

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 cups toor dal (lentils)
2 cup of cauliflower florets
2 medium sized onions chopped
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
¼ tsp asafoetida
¼ turmeric
¼ Tbsp tamarind paste
¼ Tbsp sugar
2 medium sized tomatoes chopped into 1 inch thick pieces
2 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp sambar powder
2 dried red chilies broken into half
salt to taste

For tempering(tarka)
3 curry leaves
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ghee (or 2 Tbsp vegetable oil)

Directions:

Pressure cook the dal (or boil in a sauce pan) with four cups (twice the amount of dal) and turmeric. Since sambar is a kind of soup the lentils should be completely mushy. You can use an egg beater to mash the lentils once its been cooked.

In a separate sauce pan heat 2 Tbsp oil and fry the onions until they turn translucent. Add the lentils, tomatoes, tamarind, cauliflower(you could eggplant or mixed vegetables), salt and sugar. Add some water if you prefer a thinner consistency. Add the sambar powder (since every brand off the shelf makes these slightly different than the next one, you can add a little at a time and vary it according to taste).

For the tempering heat ghee in a sauce pan add the mustard seeds, asafoetida and chilies. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add the curry leaves. Add the mixture to the sambar and bring to a boil. Add the chopped cilantro leaves and its done.

Konkani Kodel

2006-06-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

Okay here comes my first recipe posting to add some bits of spice to the bytes.

I love Konkani food (well I grew up eating it). Not only is it tasty and healthy (at least I believe it is) but once you get the hang of the basic curry (masolu) it is rather easy to make. You could be creative (at your own risk of course) and can add you choice of fish, meat or vegetables.

My variation is called "Spinach & Black-Eyed-Peas Kodel".

Ingredients:

1 can black eyed peas (drained)

1 pack chopped spinach

1/2 cup frozen coconut

5 cloves garlic chopped into chunky pieces

3-4 roasted whole red chilies

1/4 tsp tamarind

3 Tbsp oil (any vegetable oil will do)

salt to taste

Directions:

Add 1/2 cup of warm water to the frozen coconut and allow it to thaw. You could use canned coconut milk instead of the frozen coconut but you wont get the same taste or consistency(I am quite a stickler aint I). In a sauce pan add one tablespoon oil and sauté the spinach with a pinch of salt. In a blender combine the coconut(with the water), tamarind and chilies and blend to a very smooth paste. Add the paste to the spinach in the pan. Rinse the bender with a cup of water and add it in. Then add the black eyed peas to the curry and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste. Now we will temper the curry, this process is also called "tarka". To prepare the tarka heat two Tbsp oil in a small pan and add the garlic. When the garlic is golden brown add the tarka over the curry. Mix the curry and cover the sauce pan so that the garlic flavor gets infused in the curry. And that's it, mouth watering kodel is ready to be served! The kodel is usually served with white rice. Traditionally it would be served on a banana leaf and would be eaten with bare hands. But I guess you could use cutlery although it isn't the same experience or taste ;)

Casio Exilim Z850 - Auto Focus

2006-05-20T13:43:00.000-07:00