Book Review: On The Pickle Trail by Monish Gujral

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 9th October 2022 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/book-review-on-the-pickle-trail100-recipes-from-around-the-world/article65987628.ece

Book Review: Urban Desi Non-Vegetarian by Vicky Ratnani

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 28th September 2022 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/urban-desi-non-vegetarian/article65945342.ece

Book Review: 30 Meal Plans From Archana's Kitchen'by Archana Doshi

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 16th August 2022 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/30-meal-plans-from-archanas-kitchen/article65775149.ece

Book Review: The Big Daddy Chef Cook Book by Chef Ajay Chopra

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 3rd August 2022 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/book-review-the-big-daddy-chef-cookbook/article65720538.ece

Book Review: Rambutan by Cynthia Shanmugalingam

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 13th July 2022 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/rambutanrecipes-from-sri-lanka/article65634971.ece

Book Review: The Sweet Kitchen by Rajyasree Sen

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 6th June 2022

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/General/the-sweet-kitchentales-and-recipes-of-indias-favourite-desserts/article65500344.ece

Book Review: Up The Mountains of India by Mala Kumar

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 10th May 2022

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/General/up-the-mountains-of-indiaa-fun-fact-filled-trek-across-the-countrys-major-ranges/article65401001.ece

Book Review: Bruised Passports by Savi and Vid

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 13th April 2022

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/bruised-passports-travelling-the-world-as-digital-nomads/article65317292.ece

Book Review: A Sip In Time by Pallavi Nigam Sahay

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 4th March 2022 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/a-sip-in-time-indias-finest-teas-and-tea-time-treats/article65189948.ece

Book Review: Bourdain in Stories by Laurie Woolever

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 5th February 2022 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/General/anthony-bourdainparts-both-known-and-unknown/article64968867.ece

Book Review: Barkat by Vikas Khanna

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 15th January 2022 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/General/chef-vikas-khannas-generous-serves/article64822448.ece

Book Review: A Taste Of My Life by Chitrita Banerji

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 22nd December 2021

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/General/a-feast-of-words-memories-and-other-delectables/article38009949.ece

Book Review: Tarkari by Rohit Ghai

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 25th November 2021 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/a-heartfelt-ode-to-indias-love-affair-with-vegetarian-and-vegan-cuisine/article37677137.ece

Book Review: A Fish In Alien Streams by Herjinder

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 2nd November 2021 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/General/a-book-that-catches-ones-attentionhook-line-and-sinker/article37302600.ece

Book Review: Essential by Ollie Dabbous

 

This book review first appeared in the BLink section of The Hindu Business Line newspaper on 27th October 2021 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/books/reviews/celebrating-the-brilliance-of-simple-honest-to-goodness-cooking/article37185163.ece

Around the World in Savoury Cakes

(This article first appeared in the 7th September 2021 issue of Business Line newspaper's BLink section online https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/savoury-cake-connection/article36331869.ece)

The Secret Art of Foraging for Food

 

 (This article first appeared in the 29th May 2021 issue of Business Line newspaper's BLink section online https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/the-secret-art-of-foraging-for-food/article34674064.ece )

Armenia on a Platter

 (This article first appeared in the 27th April 2021 issue of Business Line newspaper's BLink section online https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/tasting-though-armenia/article34420782.ece)

Samarkand—Central Asia's Jewel

Imbued with that quintessential mix of exotic Central Asian grandeur and unrivalled beauty, along with being important pit stop on the ancient Silk Road, Samarkand is one of Uzbekistan’s greatest cities.

By Raul Dias 

For most travellers to Uzbekistan—that elusive, exotically uncharted, former USSR country nestled in the very core of Central Asia—the historic city of Samarkand is one of the first places they visit. But not me. Saving the grandest city in Uzbekistan on my week-long travel itinerary for last, Samarkand with its world-class monuments and unrivalled hospitality proved to be the proverbial cherry on my Uzbekistan trip’s cake! A city so alluring that I actually came back to it the same day I left it. Confused? More on that a little later...

Taking the evening Afrosiyob bullet train from another Uzbek cultural stronghold, aka. the city of Bukhara, en route to my hotel in the heart of Samarkand, I was rewarded with the sight of the greatest of all the city’s calling cards—Registan—bathed blushing pink in the soft light of the setting sun. But I’d have to wait till the next morning for a proper introduction.

Monumental Brilliance

Named just like the Hindi word for desert, the Registan Square is undoubtedly one of world’s most beautiful squares. No wonder it is called the pearl of Central Asia. The square consists of three buildings that form a part of the beautiful architectural ensemble that it is. The Ulugbek Madrasah, the Sherdor Madrasah and the Tillya-Kari Madrasah attract scores of tourists and newlywed Uzbeks who come here to take their wedding pictures with the gorgeous turquoise tiled backdrop of the madrasahs.

The day I was there, I happened to chance upon five wedding parties jostling for that perfect frame in front of the majestic monument. All caught in a blinding flurry of white tulle with the heady fumes of incense and perfume swirling around. 

A short walk away, the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum was next. As the family vault of Uzbekistan’s greatest hero, the Turco-Mongol conqueror Amir Temur and his heirs, it was built in 1404. Interestingly, I was soon met by a rather chatty security guard, who, on learning I was from India, told me that it is believed to be a prototype for two well-known Indian monuments: the Humayun Mausoleum in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra. Touché. 

Call me morbid, but I simply had to visit the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis and one of Samarkand’s most mysterious and inimitable architectural gems. This tomb complex is a unique one consisting of eleven dazzling shrines covered in the typically Central Asian turquoise porcelain tiles, each dedicated to a noble man or woman, including Kusam ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. A short walk from the complex, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque is the well-preserved cathedral mosque that according to a legend was named after Amir Temur’s beloved wife.

Flavours Exotic

All that walking about simply had to be rewarded with a meal. And so, off I was to the compact Siyob Bazaar that sits adjacent to the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. The main, covered section of the market is divided into various sections selling meat, pickles, fruits, vegetables, and dairy along with the salty sheep’s milk cheese called kurt. The perimeter of the market is lined with bakers selling round loaves of bread from tiny little prams. Called non, these breads are a Samarkand specialty that both locals and visitors love to munch on as they shop. 

As for me, I kick-started my foodie innings with a juicy lamb and onion somsa—which is similar to an Indian samosa, but with a flaky, puff pastry shell—that I bought from a small hole-in-the-wall shop lining the main market area. This section also houses several souvenir shops selling everything from beautiful ikat printed winter jackets to Russian fur hats called ushankas to beautiful ikat printed platters called a lagan, one of which I am now the proud owner of! 

For mains, I wolfed down a plate of fragrant plov or osh at a nondescript market café. Very similar to a spice-bereft biryani, where cumin-dusted pieces of lamb are stewed with sweetened carrots and rice, the plov is served with boiled chickpeas and slices of horsemeat sausage called kazi that I actually loved the taste of. This was then washed down with a salty lassi-like yogurt drink called ayran. 

Encore Worthy!

There’s a famous proverb in Uzbek that when translated into English says “leave alone one trip, even one lifetime isn’t enough to truly appreciate the beauty of Samarkand”. When I first heard of it, I brushed it aside like one often does of similar sayings with a chuckle. But little did I know that I’d be given a dose of it all too soon.

Scrambling to take the same Afrosiyob bullet train to the Uzbek capital of Tashkent where I was to board my flight back home, I bid Samarkand a hasty adieu at its spotlessly clean train station. Clutching in my arms several packed non breads to give as edible souvenirs to friends and family, I boarded the train and managed to make it to Tashkent in time to catch what was to be my direct, non-stop flight to Mumbai. 

And while Mumbai was ultimately my final destination, a medical emergency on board half an hour into the flight had us make an hour-long stop en route to... yes, guessed right—Samarkand. A city that apparently couldn’t have enough of me, and I, enough of it!

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the March 2021 issue Business Line newspaper's BLink section online https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/samarkand-shines-bright/article34004238.ece)

The Viral 'Spread'

Poised to be the 'New Nutella’ of this brand new year is a cookie butter spread that has social media all agog.

By Raul Dias

On my last attempt at a tally, there were at least a hundred accounts and millions of hashtags on Instagram solely dedicated to Biscoff. Almost every second YouTube video tutorial these days seems to be showing me myriad ways to use the product. Cashing in on the new 'plant-based' foods craze, the vegan cookie butter spread has amassed a cult-like following.

From Kenya to Melaka in Malaysia, the spread has well and truly spread far and wide in the lockdown-paused world. A time when the home baking frenzy is at its peak, with trends of all kinds jostling for table-top space.

And social media trend-savvy India is no exception. Nipping close at the heels of dalgona coffee, focaccia art and the perennial favourite aka. sourdough bread baking, the spread that many are calling the 'New Nutella' is finding a firm-footing in India and all set to be the buzzword of 2021!

Past Perfect

So, what exactly is Biscoff? Interestingly, the spread is far from being the nubile 2021 debutante it seems to be. A portmanteau of the words 'biscuit' and 'coffee', the original caramelised Lotus Biscoff cookie was first produced in 1932 by a Belgian baker named Jan Boone Sr. Also known as 'speculoos' (which is what all thin, spiced biscuits in Belgium and the neighbouring Netherlands are called), the biscuit found itself crushed up into an all new product—the spreadable cookie butter decades later. 

It would be in 2007, when inventor Els Scheppers took part in a Belgian TV inventor show, called De Bedenkers ("The Inventors"), that she would come up with a spreadable product made out of the original speculoos cookies. It was then that Lotus bought her idea and produced it under the original brand. 

Soon the US got in on the action and co-opted the idea. With several brands like Trader Joe's coming out with their own versions of what they call ‘speculoos cookie butter'. All deceptively similar in both taste and texture to the original Belgian one.

Desi does it too!

Right now, it would be hard to scroll through the social media feeds of any confectioner or home baker in India and not find a dessert that highlights cookie butter in some iteration or the other. Be they cakes, pies, brownies or anything else one can think of using the caramel-tinged spread. A few months ago, during the pujo festivities, I even encountered a Biscoff sandesh of all things.

Swheta Mutreja Aggarwal, who owns Kookie Cake Crumble, a confectionery business, first came across Biscoff-based desserts a few years ago on a family vacation to Europe. “The slightly spicy, cinnamon flavour appealed to me and that's when I decided I could incorporate it into my desserts too,” says Agarwal who came out with her version of a spiced pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving late last year using the spread.

Speaking of pies, the newly launched Pie & co in Mumbai too has a Biscoff pie on their festive menu. “We added Biscoff to our baked cheesecake and it soon became one of our top selling items for the festive season,” says Chef Aditi Goel, the brand’s founder. However, she does warn of its potential drawbacks. “When baked for too long, the spread losses its flavour, and we did have a few rounds of errors before we could come to our final Biscoff pie recipe.”

 

Cookie Vs Nut Butter

Putting it down to the ingredient's versatility, home baker Anjali Mirchandani of online baking company Brownie by the Bay feels confident in incorporating it in several of her recipes be they cheesecakes, dessert jars or her specialty—brownies. All three that would earlier have had Nutella in them. “Take a cheesecake for instance. Biscoff and cream cheese work superbly together given their similar creamy profile. It most definitely is the new Nutella and has taken everyone's taste buds by storm,” believes Mirchandani.

Despite the fact that the brand new Silver Beach Café in Mumbai has a Biscoff milkshake on their menu, its executive VP, Twinkle Keswani still believes in the unshakable popularity of Nutella in India. “While Biscoff is definitely popular, Nutella, according to me, is iconic with its bottle and taste of course. It is much ahead of Biscoff in the race of sweet spreads”.

Almost gives the phrase “war against the spread” a whole other meaning!

RECIPE

Biscofff Milkshake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cold milk

2 tsp Biscoff spread

2 scoops vanilla ice cream

2 Biscoff cookies

Method:

• Blend milk, Biscoff spread, vanilla ice cream and one cookie in a mixer. 

• Drizzle a little melted spread into a tall milkshake glass, swirling it around to coat the sides.

• Pour blended milkshake into the glass and garnish with a whole cookie.

(An edited version of this article first appeared online in The Hindu Business Line newspaper's BLink section on 2nd January 2021 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/belgian-biscoff-is-the-new-nutella/article33479939.ece)