Monica Bhide Provides a Great Blog and Books on Indian Spices

 Monica Bhide writes the blog, A Life of Spice, and has written the cookbooks, Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen - Simon & Schuster, 2009, The Everything Indian Cookbook: 300 Tantalizing Recipes--From Sizzling Tandoori Chicken to Fiery Lamb Vindaloo - Adams Media, 2004 and The Spice is Right: Easy Indian Cooking for Today - Callawind Publications, 2001.  

My friend Don Lesser recently did a guest post on her blog commenting on Modern Spice.  He wrote that it refreshed his cooking. Don started with the simple fennel-chili dry rub, a great topping for grilled steak or chicken pieces which I think is an excellent suggestion. I was especially excited by the Eggplant and Tomatoes with Cilantro, Indian Style Chili and the Tomato and Coconut Fish Curry with a side of Zucchini and Yellow Squash with Cumin. I will attempt to convince Don to make these the next time I visit.

The illustrations on Don’s post and the rest of the blog are excellent. This blog and her books make a useful introduction to Indian cooking. 

Don also has a great food blog of his own, Russelnod, “From the way we ate then to the way we eat now.”  Don does restaurant reviews for his local paper and I liked his recent post, Reviewing Restaurants without Really Reviewing.” He says he does not write reviews– “I don’t give stars and I don’t trash places, both commonplaces of the reviewing biz. I write stories about the restaurant, interview the chefs or owners after I’ve eaten there, and tell you what to expect.” I have been with him on one of these trips. He does not accept getting “comped” for the meal and takes an very objective stance. Here is my report on our Dinner at the Gypsy Apple in Shelburne Falls MA and Don’s - Gypsy Apple Bistro. 

Comments

[Don Lesser]

Thanks as always. We can certainly put Indian food on the menu for the next get together. The other dinner we shared was at Venus, a fine new restaurant in Easthampton. The link to that article is: http://blog.russelnod.com/2009/10/27/venus-the-cellar-bar-in-easthampton/