Basil For The Soul

Did you ever learn something about a colleague or a friend, something new about someone you've known forever, and suddenly realize that they actually have a whole life that you didn't know about, that you just never cared to think about? That is what happened with me just now. With peanuts! When I learned that peanuts grow underground! I always knew they had brown skins. Then I learnt that they come in shells. Now, I find that they grow on the roots! Should I have taken the hint when some called them groundnuts? Maybe. But then, are groundnuts and peanuts the same? Or like cookies and biscuits, are peanuts just the American way of saying groundnuts? If you grew up in Kerala, at some point of time, you learnt that 'kappalandi', the inexpensive treat on your visit to the park or beach, was called 'groundnuts' in English. Just the word 'kappalandi' brings to mind either the image of it getting roasting in the heat of the sand in the push-ca...

                                   I think fancy fine-dine restaurants should have pictures of their food on their menu cards. If you walk into a Shanti Sagar or an Udupi hotel, you know what the items in the menu are, what they look and taste like. But in fine dining, the chefs are introducing you to dishes whose names you barely know to pronounce. I think it's only fair that they give you some idea about what to expect when you ask for a 'farfalle con formaggio' or a 'bruschetta al pomodoro'.  This is where I come in- your friendly neighbourhood guide through the confusing maze of Italian food terminology!  Of course, this post is not for everyone. Take this quick test- can you tell the difference between mozzarella and parmesan? Do you know your pasta shapes? If it's a yes to both, skip the line, go over to the recipe below or the next post! Others, read on! When you'...

                                              I think I know why desserts were invented. I imagine some foodie like you or me drew a long face on finishing a yummy meal ('cz empty plates make us so sad) and someone decided to cheer them up with a sugary treat! And that was exactly what my friend Tanvi did on the last day of my trip to Delhi! But we begin, of course, with breakfast. She checked with me if I ate mushrooms while I played with her little one. And just like she once showed me how restaurant-style pasta can be made at home, she made mushroom-stuffed savoury crepes that begged to be on MasterChef! For the uninitiated, stuffed crepes (rhymes with grapes) are like a French version of the masala dosa. Except you can have sweet versions of crepes too. Bangalore-ians, head to Lot Like Crepes in Koramangala. I had this sweet crepe with strawberry and po...

                                        Bali- a tiny but one of the most popular among the thousand islands that make up Indonesia.  With a rental bike, you can actually travel across the island from end to end in about 4-5 hours. And that will take you from cliffside temples near pristine beaches, through terraced rice fields, all the way to the volcanoes and coffee plantations. Take a ferry to the diving spots and you'll never forget swimming above corals that are tens of thousands of years old. Just like the wide range of landscapes, Bali has a variety of food for every kind of tourist. Forget vegetarian, you get delicious vegan food every two kilometres. On the other hand, one of the most famous Balinese dishes (this may sound a bit horrifying to the vegetarians) is the babi guling/suckling pig. Vegan Cafes in Canggu:           ...

Being vegetarian in South-East Asia can appear daunting. I recall my family trip to Singapore where  bread and fruits kept us going on most days. A few days before my trip to Indonesia, I met this "South East Asian street-food enthusiast" who had traveled widely in the area. So, I asked him, "As a vegetarian, what foods can I look out for in Indonesia?" He apologetically told me that it was all about seafood in SE Asia and he had no recommendations for me.  Now that I've been there, I can tell you that that's not true at all! If you eat egg, that certainly helps you quite a bit, but even if you don't, this food walk is going to be quite the treat. First stop: Jogjakarta aka Jogja Jogja is a city in the island of Java, brimming with cultural heritage. A Muslim-dominated region, the biggest attractions at Jogja are its humungous Buddhist and Hindu temples from as early as 9th century AD! Sunrise at the Borobudur Buddhist temple: ...