2011

Yes, I have gone off the blog, but I havent gone off cooking. I love it even more than I ever did.The year 2010 was interesting in terms of my culinary pursuits.I started the year with roasting and I ended it with loads of other stuff.

I have always found writing to be my idiom, I keep telling people that I am an accidental HR person, I stumbled into it. I could be sitting and writing, writing till I grey and grow old. In between, I love to cook meals, feed people, have them over, a passion I have developed over time. With a mom who was working, and despite her self induced pressure of cooking 3 meals everyday, we never really entertained too many people.
But I love to see my table laden, with people around, it has a very old world charm to it. I dont have culinary ambitions, its not that I do this because I want to start my own restuarant or teach cooking, or win the master chef or something.

I cook because I love to, it is my way of feeling reassured.

These are some of my experiences on cooking in 2010.

I can do anything with cinnamon. It can be in my tea, fold it in my cake, dunk it with my lamb, both Cinnamon and I come out triumphant.

I hate sideys in my kitchen, maids, friends, Vinci, anyone however noble there intentions.

Strawberry is my food of experiment in 2010. I love the berry, and what it does for me, my best dish and it came out right after several failed attempts,( one to the ridicule of friends) is strawberry tandoori. It takes nothing and tastes good.

I learnt making Dum Biryani. A new year wish is to sit with either Kareem's or Arsalan Bawarchi and do the dum biryani. The way dreams come true , this wont be far off.

Made a sub from scratch, sounds simple but getting a US sub is the most tiring job, the chicken has to be done right, the salami has to be cold,the mustard, the mayo, while its simple to get it, getting the layers seems more like a logistics job than cooking, i have never been a fan of sandwiches, but a sub is a sub, you cant say you want to cook a great meal and cant put together a sandwich. ( Nigella Lawson cant poach an egg !!! thats a good counter argument)

Befriended the Banyan Tree Chef at Taj Vivanta Goa !!! He gave me his secret green curry and red curry paste, and I made thai green chicken curry. Loved the aroma, loved it. Thanks Chef !!! you were truly awesome. ef

Made the classic rosemary lamb.

Made so many variations of roast and grill & steamed chicken this year that cant count on my fingers and toes, but mustard chicken wrapped in banana leaf, steamed to coercion stood out. also grilled chicken in oregano flavor.

Resolution

Bake , this year. had to go for a course because had no clue how to bake. Kneading as well. Nigella cant poach, I cant knead, this will be a year of genuinses getting over their basic fears, what say Nigella ?

This year will be the year of cheese.

Mediterranean is what I love and need to learn that.