New mailing list for food lovers

November 26, 2004

Lavannya has started a new mailing list for food lovers. I'm copying and pasting her announcement:

Just started a new Yahoo group for all food lovers in India...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chilliesandchutney/

I finally thought we need a proper discussion platform for our palate. Lets bring together our common love for food.

Come join this group and lets discuss recipes, tips, eating places, in Bangalore and beyond.

Let us all get together.... and vent out all our food thoughts and ideas. Lets share our experiences with food, our likings and dislikes.

All are welcome - the excellent chefs and the beginners, the new wives and the bachelors who are tired of eating Maggi and puffs everyday... those who want to cook a quick and healthy meal and those who want to make an elaborate menu as a treat.. those who hate to eat out and those who just love restaurant hopping..

Lets all pour out our ideas and knowledge... and we can have some experts and absolute novices all exchanging thoughts.

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So if you're interested in food, please do join.

Click to join chilliesandchutney

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How to get a good steak in Bangalore

July 14, 2004

Getting a decent steak in this country isn't easy. In the north, the taboo against beef restricts serving of beef to only the five-star hotels. Thankfully, in the south, we're not so conservative and in Bangalore especially, there are plenty of restaurants serving beef. 

But while there are plenty of restaurants serving steak, there aren't too many that serve good steak. In India, you don't get a choice between different cuts of meat like you do in the West. If you want a porterhouse or a t-bone, good luck. The beef you get in India comes in two basic forms: a) the stuff that takes 2 hours to cook and b) the stuff that cooks in 3 minutes. There's nothing in between.

Moreover, most of the mid-range restaurants in town don't know the first thing about cooking the steak right. Some typical abuses are:

a) Not cooking at a high enough temperature because of which the meat "leaks" and gets very dry

b) Overcooking it to death - giving you extra well done and turning it into leather in the process

c) Liberally slathering it with some gooey sauce so you can't taste any of the meat flavour

d) Totally disregarding your instructions on the doneness of the meat - giving you well done when you ask for medium

 

So, dear reader, given that you cannot go into a restaurant kitchen and make the steak yourself (or call me to do it), here are some tips for you to get the best out of your steak dining experience in Bangalore:

1. Do not get it on a damn sizzler. It splatters shit all over your clothes and makes a mockery of cooking time. Anything you get on a sizzler is always extra well-done. You want the steak, not the sizzle!
2. Ask for a medium or medium-well steak and tell the waiter you want it cooked for exactly 3 minutes on each side.
3. If the steak is flavoured, ask for the sauce on the side and not spread like mayonnaise all over your steak or else there goes the meat flavour. :(
4. When it arrives all hot, don't cut it open immediately. Let it sit for about a minute. This gives it the "resting" period that the kitchen hasn't given it. You'll have a better steak after that because it allows the juices to be distributed properly.
5. Don't let it go cold.

Bon appetit!

PS: If you want to try something different from steak, try Shiok Far-eastern Cuisine, my restaurant on CMH Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore. We serve food from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.

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Jeff Smith: May The Force be with you

July 13, 2004

Jeff Smith, 1939-2004: The 'Frugal Gourmet' was TV's original celebrity chef

Jeff was a major influence in my life. In my early teens, when I was just learning to cook, I would watch Jeff Smith's Frugal Gourmet religiously. It was the first cookery show I learnt from, even before learning to mince garlic from Martin Yan. His obvious love for cooking was infectious. It inspired me to take up cooking seriously and have fun doing it. His show also taught me some important basic principles of cooking including one that I continue to preach to all my friends and family: "Hot wok, cold oil; food won't stick." It is these principles that mark the difference between a good cook and a great one. Jeff's smooth-talking style made cooking look not like a chore but an extremely rewarding experience. Wannabes like Sanjeev Kapoor can't come anywhere near him.

Today, I'm the chef and owner of a fine dining South-east Asian restaurant in Bangalore. Jeff, you played a big part in shaping my future. For that, I will always be grateful.

May The Force be with you.

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