Re: What are you cooking / having cooked / eating today? [2 of 2]

by Guest Wed Jul 17, 2013 2:20 pm

pravalika nanda wrote:Of course, you should not care too much; I don't. I was surprised more than anything.

you edited your post too. we are even now.

by bw Thu Jul 18, 2013 8:23 am

ptitim aka israeli couscous with roasted vegetables

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by Hellsangel Thu Jul 18, 2013 8:54 am

bw wrote:ptitim aka israeli couscous with roasted vegetables

Nice. Which brand?

by bw Thu Jul 18, 2013 9:56 am

Hellsangel wrote:

Nice. Which brand?

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by Bittu Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:23 am

for a moment i got excited about pancho couscous but then saw that it is not gluten free.

two problems with a gluten free diet. a) inconvenience of having to find gluten-free foods and b) these foods cost twice as the regular stuff. so like, regular bread is 2.50, gluten-free bread is 5.00

lose-lose.

by goodcitizn Thu Jul 18, 2013 12:22 pm

Bittu wrote:for a moment i got excited about pancho couscous but then saw that it is not gluten free.

two problems with a gluten free diet. a) inconvenience of having to find gluten-free foods and b) these foods cost twice as the regular stuff. so like, regular bread is 2.50, gluten-free bread is 5.00

lose-lose.

Why are you on a gluten free diet?

by Bittu Thu Jul 18, 2013 12:31 pm

goodcitizn wrote:
Why are you on a gluten free diet?

It's a long story. I'll tell you if you're a female between the ages of 27-35 who is agreeable to showing me her titties on webcam.

by goodcitizn Thu Jul 18, 2013 12:43 pm

Bittu wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
Why are you on a gluten free diet?

It's a long story. I'll tell you if you're a female between the ages of 27-35 who is agreeable to showing me her titties on webcam.

:-) Be that way.

by Guest Thu Jul 18, 2013 12:50 pm

Bittu wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
Why are you on a gluten free diet?

It's a long story. I'll tell you if you're a female between the ages of 27-35 who is agreeable to showing me her titties on webcam.

LMAOOO!

by Guest Sat Jul 20, 2013 12:22 am

*deleted last night's post -- reason: surfeit of food images*

by Guest Mon Jul 22, 2013 1:37 pm

for jebediah mbururu. garlic roasted crabs (would have preferred them just boiled) with melted butter (singapore):

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jebediah -- that lobster was au gratin or perhaps thermidor but my younger said it was the best dish he tasted (not dry at all) and second best was big macs. here's the lobster site in sentosa where they ate this: http://www.foodjunction.com/brands/restaurant/the-boxing-crab/

by Merlot Daruwala Tue Jul 23, 2013 4:35 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:*deleted last night's post -- reason: surfeit of food images*

Eh? What?? There's no such thing as a surfeit of food images - pleej to repost immediately.

by Guest Tue Jul 23, 2013 4:38 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:
Huzefa Kapasi wrote:*deleted last night's post -- reason: surfeit of food images*

Eh? What?? There's no such thing as a surfeit of food images - pleej to repost immediately.

ha ha! ok, will in the evening.

by Guest Tue Jul 23, 2013 2:11 pm

some stuff the family had in singapore:

mussels, fish and prawns with spaghetti (note the coriander garnishing):

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soup seafood (s'pore cuisine):

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steak:

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more sirloin steak with chips:

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chicken victoria for the missus (no beef please):

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by Guest Tue Jul 30, 2013 6:47 am

thanks to hellsananda, i have stopped my evening snack of 2 pieces of fried rui fish. i have also stopped the multivitamin that i used to take daily for the last 2 years. now it is a bowl of spinach bisque every evening -- made with indian spices (dbl. toned milk, onions, garlic, ginger, black peppers and cloves):

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What are you cooking / having cooked / eating today? [2 of 2] - Page 8 20130714

i know that hellsananda will make a post this evening to the effect: contrary to popular popeye-perception, spinach actually increases the risk of cancer. What a Face

by Merlot Daruwala Tue Jul 30, 2013 6:58 am

Hoozay, a bisque by definition contains the broth of some crustacean. Although veggie versions exist, the defining attribute of a bisque is the cream which your double-toned milk can't substitute.

Btw thanks to Hellsananda's advice (and Maharashtrian avoidance of fish during the monsoons), rui prices have fallen steeply so I've been bingeing on fried rui and also local basa these last few days.

by Guest Tue Jul 30, 2013 7:08 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:Hoozay, a bisque by definition contains the broth of some crustacean. Although veggie versions exist, the defining attribute of a bisque is the cream which your double-toned milk can't substitute.

yes you are correct. i double checked on wikipedia before posting and i got the impression that bisque, now a days, was being used for creamy tomatoes, mushrooms and vegetables soups too. but in the absence of heavy cream, it cannot be a bisque.

Merlot Daruwala wrote:
Btw thanks to Hellsananda's advice (and Maharashtrian avoidance of fish during the monsoons), rui prices have fallen steeply so I've been bingeing on fried rui and also local basa these last few days.

holy carp! you get rui there? what is it called? i thought it was found only in the east and punjab.

by Merlot Daruwala Tue Jul 30, 2013 7:17 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:holy carp! you get rui there? what is it called? i thought it was found only in the east and punjab.

Lol@holy carp.

Rui and katla are both available at our local fish markets. They're very inexpensive @ Rs 120-125/kg. They're called by those very names. I'm pretty sure they were popularized here by immigrant bongs and the biharis.

by Guest Tue Jul 30, 2013 7:25 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote: I'm pretty sure they were popularized here by immigrant bongs and the biharis.

bang on the money! i just checked -- rui/rohu is not found in western rivers. they are imported and have been popularized by the bongs and biharis. fresh and young rui fried in mustard oil is among my top 10 delicacies!

by Merlot Daruwala Tue Jul 30, 2013 7:42 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:
Merlot Daruwala wrote: I'm pretty sure they were popularized here by immigrant bongs and the biharis.
bang on the money! i just checked -- rui/rohu is not found in western rivers. they are imported and have been popularized by the bongs and biharis. fresh and young rui fried in mustard oil is among my top 10 delicacies!

I believe the fish we get here are locally grown. Doesn't make sense to transport an inexpensive fish from the East.

Btw the best fried Rui I've had was in Dhaka at Kasturi. It's now been at least 12 years, but I still remember the lip-smackingly delicious rui I had there. Check out the bharta section of their menu. I had their taki bharta with rice. What a combo. It's an eye-opener on how much flavor can be packed in the simplest of preparations.

I wouldn't mind flying to Dhaka for a weekend, just for food. It's a gastronomic paradise. Even their aloo parathas are different - a melt-in-the mouth flaky pastry, very different from our version.

by Guest Tue Jul 30, 2013 7:55 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:
I believe the fish we get here are locally grown. Doesn't make sense to transport an inexpensive fish from the East.

oh ya, it escaped me that rui could have been introduced to the local waters recently. if that is true, it is akin to how the trout was introduced to the mussoorie waters by the brits.

Merlot Daruwala wrote:Btw the best fried Rui I've had was in Dhaka at Kasturi. It's now been at least 12 years, but I still remember the lip-smackingly delicious rui I had there. Check out the bharta section of their menu. I had their taki bharta with rice. What a combo. It's an eye-opener on how much flavor can be packed in the simplest of preparations.

ya, i too have heard a lot of good things about bangladesh's superior fishes (of course, the ilish/hilsa comes to mind first). i haven't tried taki. it looks like the local magur but i don't think it is a catfish.

by Guest Wed Jul 31, 2013 3:45 am

'tis the season of jumbo prawns

galda prawns (those heads, cleaned, are the most succulent and tasty portion of the crustaceans):

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What are you cooking / having cooked / eating today? [2 of 2] - Page 8 20130715

bagda (from bAg or tiger 'cos of the tiger stripes on it's body -- no head to speak of) prawns:

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What are you cooking / having cooked / eating today? [2 of 2] - Page 8 20130716

malai chingri (prawns cooked in coconut milk) for dinner tonight.

edit. will try a bisque of the leftover shells tomorrow. Razz

by Merlot Daruwala Wed Jul 31, 2013 4:22 am

Haha..was about to suggest a bisque and then saw it in the last line of your post.

by Guest Wed Jul 31, 2013 4:25 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:Haha..was about to suggest a bisque and then saw it in the last line of your post.

the credit for the idea goes to you! we will name it prawn bisque a la merlot!

by Merlot Daruwala Wed Jul 31, 2013 4:39 am

Thanks Hoozay. Really beautiful photographs btw. I had no idea golda prawns looked like this - they are magnificent. Almost lobster like.

Btw I believe bagda is not prawn but actually shrimp. More on prawn vs shrimp.

by Guest Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:03 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:Thanks Hoozay. Really beautiful photographs btw. I had no idea golda prawns looked like this - they are magnificent. Almost lobster like.

Btw I believe bagda is not prawn but actually shrimp. More on prawn vs shrimp.

yes, they are lobster like in size. although bagda is preferred (by upscale restaurants) because it has more meat, hardcore bongs will prefer the golda for the large, tasty, head (though less meat).

i see your point about prawns and shrimps. a quick wikipedia search tells me there is no rigorous distinction between the two and only size distinguishes shrimps from prawns:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prawn#Shrimp_versus_prawn wrote:Shrimp and prawn are common names without the formal definition that scientific terms provide. They are terms of convenience with little circumscriptional significance, and don't represent actual taxa.[1]
According to the crustacean taxonomist Tin-Yam Chan, "The terms shrimp and prawn have no definite reference to any known taxonomic groups. Although the term shrimp is sometimes applied to smaller species, while prawn is more often used for larger forms, there is no clear distinction between both terms and their usage is often confused or even reverse in different countries or regions."[2]

and this image of a prawn on that wikipedia page is no different from my image of the bagda prawn above:

by Merlot Daruwala Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:12 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:i see your point about prawns and shrimps. a quick wikipedia search tells me there is no rigorous distinction between the two and only size distinguishes shrimps from prawns:

My own understanding is that prawn are a freshwater species while shrimp are the marine species.

by Guest Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:42 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:
Huzefa Kapasi wrote:i see your point about prawns and shrimps. a quick wikipedia search tells me there is no rigorous distinction between the two and only size distinguishes shrimps from prawns:

My own understanding is that prawn are a freshwater species while shrimp are the marine species.

damn man. damn damn damn. i thought i had you nailed this time but, as usual, you turn out to be right:

from: http://aditimukherji.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/of-prawns-and-shrimps/

Golda is a freshwater prawn, while bagda is a brackish water shrimp. Yes, prawns and shrimps, my friends at World Fish Center told me, are two different things!

so,

golda: prawn (fresh water);
bagda: jumbo shrimp (saline water).

by Merlot Daruwala Wed Jul 31, 2013 7:08 am

Thanks for the link - I didn't know there was so much ecological conflict underlying the shrimp we eat.

Here's one more blog from her on food in Delhi: http://aditimukherji.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/food-in-delhi/

Other than Park Baluchi, Oh Calcutta and Karims, all the other names are new to me. I have to visit that place more often.

by Guest Wed Jul 31, 2013 7:35 am

What would this thread be without hk and md.

by Merlot Daruwala Thu Aug 01, 2013 1:15 am

This sickular, fukular Pseudo-Islamic aspiring Minister for Iftar went on a field trip to Mohammad Ali Road last night to assess the quality of items available for the devout to break their fast with.

In keeping with the time-honored sickular tradition, I too broke my fast (since lunch) with:
2 mutton rolls
bhuna ghosht with naan
keeri kebab
mutton khichda
malpua with rabdi

After fully reviewing all material aspects, I have concluded that I need to make a second visit next week for a definitive conclusion.

by Guest Thu Aug 01, 2013 3:52 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:
After fully reviewing all material aspects, I have concluded that I need to make a second visit next week for a definitive conclusion.

wait, i will accompany you to deliver an independent opinion which you can use to approve the fare.

cc. xxxx xxxxx pls book a jetlite flight to mumbai for 5th aug. evening departure. only i will be travelling.

by Merlot Daruwala Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:38 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:
Merlot Daruwala wrote:
After fully reviewing all material aspects, I have concluded that I need to make a second visit next week for a definitive conclusion.
wait, i will accompany you to deliver an independent opinion which you can use to approve the fare.

cc. xxxx xxxxx pls book a jetlite flight to mumbai for 5th aug. evening departure. only i will be travelling.

Haha..Perfect. I totally welcome this move to have an independent probe in this highly contentious, communally-charged matter.

by Guest Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:50 am

shrimp bisque (made with shells -- used as stock, whole milk, flour, cream, onions, garlic, ginger, cloves, tomatoes, black pepper and some powdered shells):

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What are you cooking / having cooked / eating today? [2 of 2] - Page 8 2013-010

simply awesome!! bole to zany! carries full flavour of prawns and cream. will be repeated ever time we cook prawns/shrimps.

another image without the shrimp shell garnish:

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What are you cooking / having cooked / eating today? [2 of 2] - Page 8 2013-011

by Merlot Daruwala Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:53 am

Looks delicious, Hoozay. I can actually imagine how it must be smelling and tasting. You made my afternoon.

by Guest Thu Aug 01, 2013 6:06 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:Looks delicious, Hoozay. I can actually imagine how it must be smelling and tasting. You made my afternoon.

by Impedimenta Thu Aug 01, 2013 7:58 am

Oh man, i am hanging out with the wrong people. HK and MD are my new best friends from now:-) ahem, i am no longer a vegetarian. just saying. maybe that will give me admission into your club:-)

by Guest Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:08 am

Impedimenta wrote: HK and MD are my new best friends from now:-)

we are pleased (taking the liberty of speaking on MD's behalf) to have you in our circle. :-)

ahem, i am no longer a vegetarian. just saying. maybe that will give me admission into your club:-)

super!!! access immediately granted. what was the last non-veg item you had besides chicken sandwich? you have to graduate to goat fast or else.... or else you'll still be a member of our club.

by Impedimenta Fri Aug 02, 2013 10:33 am

LOL @ access immediately granted. working on getting there. i tried fish.

by Bittu Fri Aug 02, 2013 10:47 am

weird observation:

I look at the food pix posted here and rarely feel any desire to eat those things. For breakfast today, I ate egg whites on toast and that's something I can happily eat 365 days a year. If my MIL makes poha or cheelas or something, I have to eat those things for breakfast but I'd rather just eat my egg whites on toast.

A human being's primal desire is food. It makes logical sense to want to eat a varied cuisine, try new stuff etc. Why don't I have it? On the flip side, I feel lucky that culinarily speaking my life is very simple.

by Guest Fri Aug 02, 2013 11:05 am

My BF is batani (peas) sprouts salad today. I also had a toast with peanut butter. Luckily, I don't have many food cravings except for milk chocolates and chocobar ice cream sticks. I guess that helps me to stay on my 'crappy healthy stuff' diet, as sonny puts it.

I am big on eating healthy (always have been and ridiculed for that by my family). Yeah, calories in-calories out balance is important, but eating healthy is even more important, imo.

by Guest Fri Aug 02, 2013 11:19 am

....and then there are some of us who can sleep with the same guy/gal for our entire life w/o feeling odd about it.

My breakfast today, peanut butter smeared on a roti. I am turning into Upps.

Regarding variety, can eat same food for days/weeks/years, as long as it is interjected with some occasional variations.

by Guest Fri Aug 02, 2013 3:06 pm

Impedimenta wrote:LOL @ access immediately granted. working on getting there. i tried fish.

unlimited access granted. please make use of the club privileges by posting pics which will win you frequent flyer points. you can encash them for a free non-veg meal: hosted by me or daruwala when you are in chennai.

by Guest Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:37 am

so the older went out and personally bought snakes for himself for consumption in college. i was surprised to see him bring back bags of fafra. i ate some today (after, what, a decade i reckon). they are best eaten fresh of the kadhai: warm; for that's when they are the softest.

fafra (besan flour) with papaya shavings and green chillies.

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by Merlot Daruwala Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:53 am

No jalebi, Hoozaybhai??

by Guest Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:08 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:No jalebi, Hoozaybhai??

no, these were snakes older's packing for college (chanachur, fafra, mathri). so no jalebis.

by Guest Mon Aug 12, 2013 12:48 pm

so the older had fond memories of the peking duck he had recently tried in golden dragon, taj mahal palace, mumbai. he thought he'd try it again tonight, i.e. before he leaves for college soon. ab kolkata mein kahan milega? we dialled chinoiserie, taj bengal, and, yes, they carried it. he went and picked it up for two (him and younger) with some kung pao chicken thrown in.

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the platter.

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his observation was that golden dragon's peking duck was better for it was crisper. i tasted it too (never eaten peking duck but was curious after reading MD's posts; add to that the fact that it is in that top 20 foods list somewhere on the net). it tasted as good as it looked.

by Merlot Daruwala Tue Aug 13, 2013 7:07 am

Yumm...This has reignited my roast duck cravings. Can't wait for my traveling season to begin...

by Propagandhi711 Tue Aug 13, 2013 10:10 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:so the older had fond memories of the peking duck he had recently tried in golden dragon, taj mahal palace, mumbai. he thought he'd try it again tonight, i.e. before he leaves for college soon. ab kolkata mein kahan milega? we dialled chinoiserie, taj bengal, and, yes, they carried it. he went and picked it up for two (him and younger) with some kung pao chicken thrown in.

the platter.

his observation was that golden dragon's peking duck was better for it was crisper. i tasted it too (never eaten peking duck but was curious after reading MD's posts; add to that the fact that it is in that top 20 foods list somewhere on the net). it tasted as good as it looked.

sorry to say but that skin doesnt look crispy but rotisserie like, hope it tasted ok and the meat was still juicy. also where's that black sauce (hoisin+something else?) - they dont serve it in desh? it offsets the bite of those spring onions perfectly. they serve a bread almost like a soft springy pancake that is extremely neutral and serves as perfect vehicle for peking duck, mooshoo pork..mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

by Guest Tue Aug 13, 2013 10:36 am

Propagandhi711 wrote:
sorry to say but that skin doesnt look crispy but rotisserie like, hope it tasted ok and the meat was still juicy. also where's that black sauce (hoisin+something else?) - they dont serve it in desh? it offsets the bite of those spring onions perfectly. they serve a bread almost like a soft springy pancake that is extremely neutral and serves as perfect vehicle for peking duck, mooshoo pork..mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

no it wasn't crispy. the meat was juicy though. i'm sure one of the 2 sauces in the pic is hoisin though it might not look like the hoisin you are used to -- it's an integral part of peking duck (and moo shu pork). unfortunately moo shoo pork is what we don't get here (or i haven't looked in the right places) -- that is one dish i really miss. they will give you moo shoo chicken and what not... pass.

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