Skip to main content

Ruth Reichl

My friend Anu gifted me "Comfort me with Apples" by Ruth Reichl (with a note saying, "to the best cook I've known after my mom"). I loved it. I recently stubled upon this video of her lecture at Princeton, titled "Watch what you eat".

http://realserver.princeton.edu:8080/ramgen/lectures/20070306reichlVN350K.rm

Although there was a lot of focus on meat eating, to me it was very intersting how she talked about food and what that says about the society that consumes it. The talk and the question answer session brought out a lot of issues that I have been thinking about too. In fact, there are so many interesting aspects that I'll need a couple of posts to write about them!

But I must say, I'm really starting to admire her.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Guest post - Bhinda nu shaak

 This one is in memory of one of my best friends' mom....S. used to bring this in her lunchbox and I ate it all up....Today I wanted to make it for my daughter, so I called up S.'s older sister for the recipe..this one's for you, Masi!  Chop Bhinda in slices. Heat oil (slightly more, cause it's bhindi). Add mustard seeds, a few methi seeds (rai:methi=4:1), a pinch of hing and turmeric. Add bhinda, stir and cook on a medium flame without covering. Once it's almost cooked, add red chilli powder, dhana-jeeru powder, salt and a bit of sugar to taste. Finish cooking.  This recipe transports me right back to that corner house in Kharkar Ali...

Rasiya Muthia

The Kathiawadi in me is somehow wide awake this winter...and I crave a lot of that rustic style food - adad ni daal, Olo... I came across this recipe for Rasiya muthia and made it today. http://foodgardenandfun.blogspot.com/2009/09/rasiya-muthiya-rice-dumplings-in-gravy.html I pretty much followed the directions, and got good results, except I couldn't prevent the yoghurt from curdling slightly...and added some sugar to the recipe..but it was delicious..It's the gujarati, vegetarian version of Matzo Ball soup...super healthy and very very comforting... Here's my version for a quick reference : Mash leftover rice, salt, haldi, mirch and Besan into a dough. Do not use water (or use sparingly). Make small dumplings (I made tiny round ones). Heat some ghee, add musturd seeds, let crackle, add zeera, curry leaves and hing. Add the chaas with grated ginger, haldi, red chilli, chopped cilantro, salt and sugar. Let it come to a boil, add the muthia, cover and cook for 8-10 mins til...

Snow Day Chilli with Cheddar Biscuits

Perfect for those days when your heart refuses to believe that winter is here...even though you're snowed in.. I used instant pot, but any slow cooker would work. clean and soak 1 ancho chilli in warm water. blend into a smooth paste. Heat some oil, add 1 tsp whole cumin seeds, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 big white onion, diced, 1/2 big green pepper, diced, and saute for a few mins. Add 2 cans of black beans (with some of the cooking liquids), 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of hominy corn (optional), about half a cup of frozen corn, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp paprika, 2 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tsp roaster cumin powder, 1 tsp sugar, and kosher salt to taste. Add some water and put on slow cook for about four hours. Serve warm, topped with a bit of cheddar, sour cream, spring onion and cilantro. Biscuits: half cup A.P. Flour + 1/2 cup whole wheat flour + salt + pepper + 1 tbsp baking powder. Stir with a fork. Add 2-3 tbsp cold butter, diced, and work into the flour with the f...