Bombay Foodie

I just got back from a jaunt down to London's Oxford Circus and happy to report that everything's just as it should be. Flowers and heart shaped balloons everywhere, stores decked out in pink and red and almost all guys on the bus carrying elaborately wrapped gifts. Pretty much your typical Valentine's Day. Selfridges (one of my favorite stores) had long queues in front of chocolate and macaron counters. It's gotten slightly warmer here so I treated myself to Pinkberry frozen yogurt instead. And here's another treat. A chocolate exploding cake , courtesy none other than legendary Heston Bluementhal. Heston does a weekly show on BBC here. He picks an ingredient and shows simple yet quirky dishes on the theme. The week he picked chocolate, he made this cake. It's very quick to put together and is way too simple on first glance. But nothing's simple in Heston's world. The bottom layer is store bought shortbread cookies, baked again until they ar...

February 3, 2008: I baked my first cookie. I also wrote my first blogpost. I didn't know this blog will change so many things in my life. I didn't know Mumbai food blogger community will grow to 40-odd people. And we'd have so much fun when we meet. I had no idea I will make so many blogging friends in so many parts of the world. I also didn't think I will stop buying flowers or wine or other gifts when I go visit a friend and will bake them cookies instead. And they'd all love them so much. I couldn't imagine the way people's eyes light up when you talk about food, and the way everyone's interested no matter what they do or who they are. But most of all, I didn't know I'd have so much fun on the way. To everyone who stopped by Bombay Foodie to read my posts, or leave a comment: A HUGE THANK YOU!

Photo Credit: Nikhil Merchant You never know what the next flavor is going to be. And you will never find out until you take a risk and take that first bite. Life's just handed me a box of macarons. Next week, I will give up my job and move to London as a full time student. You will see a little less of me at Bombay Foodie in the coming months, but you can follow my adventures all of next year, as A Student in London . Come join me as I explore a new lifestyle in my favorite city!

Panacotta - for isn't that just another name for cooked cream - as the new friend for first strawberries of this season. David Lebovitz said that you are doing something wrong if you need more than 5 minutes to make panacotta . It actually took me less than the allotted five minutes to get the panacotta ready, pour it into shot glasses and put it in the fridge to set. Topping the panacotta is a balsamic strawberry coulis. Start with one cup of sliced strawberries. This goes into a blender with a tbsp of balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp basil leaves and a tbsp of caster sugar (more if you like your strawberries sweeter). Blend into a puree. Once the panacotta has set 2-4 hours later, carefully pour the coulis into the glass. Chill some more, then enjoy the newfangled strawberries and cream.

The setting is Edgecombe St. Mary, a sleepy little village in the English countryside. The unlikely hero is Major Pettigrew - old retired Major who sticks to tradition and honor above all else. When he decides to turn tradition on its head and falls in love with a Pakistani widow running the only store in the village, chaos ensues. Helen Simonson's first book - our book club's pick for the month - is thoroughly enjoyable for its quirky characters and funny, almost absurd situations. I ended up being charmed by the Major. To celebrate one of the best books I've read in a while, I thought up a rather elaborate dessert. It had to be British, and what's more English than a trifle. The bottom layer is an apple jelly. I knew my other layers will be super sweet so I kept this one fresh and simple. I soaked one gelatin sheet in cold water. Next, I heated 50 ml apple juice. Squeezed out water from the gelatin and added it to the now warm juice. Stirred it around until t...

This is one of those perfect appetizers for lazy afternoons or weekend evenings. Start with a packet of button mushrooms. Mine had 15-16 mushrooms. Wash the mushrooms thoroughly, then take off the stems to leave some space in the caps for you to stuff. You can use the stems in a stock if you like (don't be like me and throw them away - they make a great stock). In a bowl big enough to fit all mushrooms, mix 2 tbsp olive oil, a tbsp of balsamic vinegar and plenty of salt and fresh ground pepper. Whisk until you have an emulsion. Add mushrooms and toss to coat well. Leave these in the fridge until you are ready to cook them, but at least for half an hour. In the meantime, make the stuffing. Start with 50 grams of paneer (or ricotta if that's what you have). Mash well. Add 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese and 8-10 basil leaves that you have chopped finely. I find that cutting the herbs with scissors is usually much quicker and neater than using any knives. Also add salt to ta...

This is the ultimate quandary. I like pizzas from Pizza Hut but can't stand their garlic bread. And it's just the reverse for Domino's - LOVE their garlic bread but would rather pass on their pizzas. If only it was that simple. Domino's steadfastly refuses to deliver anything unless you order a pizza first. And tired of ordering a pizza which I give away the next morning, I decided to make my own garlic bread. It's a basic focaccia recipe, altered to fit the bill. First off, heat 1/2 cup water until it's warm but not hot. 20 seconds in the microwave usually does it. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of active dry yeast and let proof for 5 minutes. To the now bubbling yeast, add 1 tbsp olive oil and a cup of plain flour. Mix until the flour is all blended in, then cover and let rise until doubled. Took about half an hour in Mumbai weather. Now that you have a sponge, add another 1/2 cup flour, salt to taste and (this is most critical) 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Knead for ...

I don't know about you, but I usually start thinking about making a salad by the time sunday evening rolls in. Sort of a compensation for pizza and chocolate excesses of the past two days. Usually made with whatever I can find in the fridge, this sunday night salad can be a hit or miss affair. Today's was a hit. The salad is a mix of steamed corn, alfalfa sprouts, feta cheese and basil. Dressed simply with salt, pepper and lime juice. Then surrounded by my latest find this season - black cherry tomatoes.

Sometimes we get the best gifts and don't even realize how big they are. In the Beach Cafe, the book our club read this month, this happens to Evie, our heroine. Evie is one of those people who muddle alongside a highly successful family. They know Evie's not in their league and never fail to remind her. Everyone except for her aunt, who dies in a car crash and leaves her cafe set by a Cornwall beach to Evie. Even then, Evie doesn't realize the gift she's been given. After a series of mishaps involving her trying to remotely run the cafe, dealing with some sticky staff situations, Evie comes over to this little Cornish town to live. And to enjoy her legacy. The book is all about this ugly duckling turning into a swan. There is also some romance thrown in and while the story is utterly predictable, this is a great sunday afternoon read. What else is great on sunday afternoons? Cakes, specially since cakes were what made Evie's aunt so popular. And cakes were wh...

Brownies are one of those recipes bakers are supposed to whip up in a jiffy. Grandmas make brownies. Why, even 5 year olds bake brownies. And yet, I've been disappointed with recipe after recipe. Finally, I turned to the most trusted baking gurus of all. And finally, in Dorie Greenspan's classic brownies, I have a winner. I halved the recipe and got six of these gorgeous creations. And let me tell you that this is the stuff brownie legends are made of. Fudgy but not overly so, gooey but not excessively, and not even too sweet. There's also a hint of coffee in there that somehow makes it more chocolate-y. I've finally found a keeper! Update: Since so many of you asked, here's the recipe. Line a 7 X 4 inch dish with foil or parchment paper. Or use an 8 inch square dish and double the recipe to give you Dorie's original measures. Preheat the oven to 160 C or 325 F. Measure out 35 grams butter and 85 grams chocolate (I used 70% dark, but even something lighter ...