One of the trailers of The Hundred-Foot Journey shows Helen Mirren (Madam Mallory) posing the following question to Manish Dayal (Hassan Kadam) in a very smug tone: “but a curry is a curry, is it not?”. As a notacurry activist I was naturally fascinated by the trailer. I thought that finally a mainstream Hollywood movie was…
Reading the Future in Coffee Grounds Written by Eralda Lameborshi–friend and colleague Butter and Cardamom Coffee Cookies recipe Level: easy Preparation time: 15 mins Cooking time: 15 mins Yield: 25-30 cookies Ingredients: 14 tablespoons of butter at room temperature (200 g, or 1 stick + 6 tablespoons) 1 cup…
Reading the Future in Coffee Grounds Written by Eralda Lameborshi–best friend and colleague My infatuation with coffee started as a very young child in a small town at the foot of Tomorr mountain in Albania. Poliçan was a very small town, bitterly cold in winters, cool and bright in summers, with people from different areas…
Okay, this is the last (long) weekend before the Spring semester starts (or whatever other sordid business you are engaged in), so we all know that you totally need this. This triple berry vodka martini is a perfectly balanced drink. Not too sweet, not too strong, and with lots of citrusy flavors going on in the background…
How to make Masala Chai It is winter in my home town now. Or at least it is supposed to be. Thank you, global warming! These days the city wakes up to veils of fog and grass heavy with dew, and to the sounds of crackling and fluttering leaves that are dark brown from neglect. The…
What Christmas/winter holiday(s) means to you depends on where you come from. I am a Calcuttan, therefore, to me the winter holidays mean local club picnics (with their typical hard boiled eggs, bananas and bread in brown-paper-bags-breakfast), crowding outside of Nahoum’s or Flurys to buy fruitakes, the ritualistic stroll around New Market area, pushing through the madding…
Easy chicken malai kebab recipe You hear chicken malai kebab and your mouth lights up in anticipation. Charred and succulent pieces of meat with their bold and sharp layers of spices accompanying drinks, raitas, relishes, and mounds of fluffy rice–kebabs are absolute bliss. But, to an Indian, the word kebab incites much more than its deliciousness. Kebabs evoke stories…
I was first introduced to hummus some five years ago by my friend Laura. Laura makes this simple yet rich and flavorful hummus with paprika and garlic that is just out of the world! I have since been completely in love with the concept of hummus, and have tried all kinds of hummus everywhere. But…
This Pujo, 3 things are inevitable: I will receive at least one questionable piece of clothing from relatives, I will cry a lot for having missed Kolkata Pujo a seventh time in a row, and will therefore crave a ton of desserts (and likely put on at least 3 pounds too), because the hedonist in me believes…
Easy baked brie recipe So you have planned the perfect Christmas dinner. You are slow roasting a beautiful chicken, the ham looks appetizing with cranberry sauce, the creamed spinach and mashed potatoes are absolutely delicious, the green beans casserole is standing by, the hearty pickled root vegetables salad looks colorful and vibrant, the apple pie…