Terttulia

Remember when I woke up one day and decided to draw on the wall in my room?

Well, it wasn't that long ago.

If you don't remember, I have a video to prove it.

Well, that was just practice.

Now people hire me to draw on their walls.

How cool is that?

And sometimes people refer to me as a chalk artist.

Or that girl who does chalk art.

I find it funny because chalk is just a medium.

I could scribble on your wall with just about anything.

Not a problem.

Terttulia, a popular restaurant in Pune, opens in Bombay today.

But the food isn't the only thing that I'm excited about.

It's also the art on the walls of the restaurant.

Because I was responsible for it.

I've done a mix of illustration and hand lettering and it was a lot of fun.

It was a lot of work for one person so I worked on it with the wonderful Rabanne (he makes furniture too) who was just the best guy to hang out with - while working, traveling, lunching and dinnering (my English isn't bad. I just have a talent for making up words).

Here are a few photos of the restaurant:

You can see more photos on my website. And then some more.

I've eaten a bunch of things there but highly recommend the mud cake.

It makes you forget all the troubles of this world and temporarily makes you feel as happy as a new born baby.

If you plan on going there, here's the address:

Terttulia

Ground Floor, Hotel Parkway,

Near Natural Ice Cream,

Shivaji Park, Mumbai

Comfort Food

What do you consider to be good comfort food?

For me it's always been Pasta.

Spaghetti to be specific.

All I need is spaghetti, a homemade tomato sauce, grated cheese and a TV and I'm all set.

Don't worry, I don't eat the TV. I just watch it.

TV's don't really mix well with tomato sauce.

Pasta; It's what I eat when I'm sad, have just recovered from an illness or have come back from a long holiday and missed home.

Ok, so to be honest I just eat it all the time.

It makes me happy.

Everyone who knows me well enough knows about this love of mine.

And I have a beautiful pasta poster from Italy that hangs in my kitchen thanks to such friends.

The Geometry of Pasta from Pan Marketing on Vimeo.

Yesterday, while wasting my afternoon on Instagram, I came across a book called The Geometry of Pasta.

It's about Pasta.

And it doesn't take a genius to figure that out.

But it's not only about making pasta but about making the perfect pasta.

Pairing the right pasta shape with the right sauce.

And how to get it right and turn from an average cook to a great cook.

Atleast that's what it says on the website.

To me, the book looks great.

What it is, is an amazing compilation of recipes by critically acclaimed chef Jacob Kenedy and uber-cool black and white illustrations by Caz Hildebrand.

And it seems to have great reviews too.

For those of you who spill sauce over all your beautiful cookbooks, here's some good news for you  - an App is also being developed.

So you can save the book and just mess up your gadgets instead.

But till the App is available in the App store, you can cover your book with one of these beauties - the Book on Book glass cover by Tent.

via SwissMiss

Buon Appetito!

Buy the book here. And other stuff here.

It's time for a Tattoo

Don't get fooled by the title of this post.

I'm not getting a tattoo.

Well, atleast not a real one.

Why?

To put it simply, I'm a wuss who has commitment issues with permanent art.

Now I'm not much of a cook.

To put it simply, I am lazy and have no patience.

But whenever my mum is making a lasagne or cannelloni, I love assiting her in assembling everything.

So I'm guessing that means I have some interest.

And then today I read about I Tradizionali on Fast Co. Design.

via

I Tradizionali shows us a fun way to cook without a recipe book.

They make cool temporary tattoos of recipes.

All you have to do is slap on the tattoo on your wrist.

And you're set.

No need to waste time browsing through books or your iPad searching for Youtube videos.

In this way you can also have a badass look from a distance (it is a recipe after all, and not a skull).

And wash it off once you're done.

If you're a fan of well designed temporary tattoos, also check out Tattly - because they're the coolest.

Happy Birthday Aku

My sister Aku is not a big fan of cooking.
According to me, like everything else, this too isn't for everyone.

Cookbooks by Short Stack

But when I saw these mini cookbooks online which were so well designed with their little illustrations, I just had to buy them.
And Aku's birthday seemed like the perfect excuse to order them.
They're great because each one focuses on one ingredient.

Aku,
I know you love eggs and strawberries.
And I know like me you're not the biggest fan of tomato, but after watching this video I thought you may want to cut tomatoes just for kicks.
Like a ninja.

So enjoy the books.
I'm hoping you'll love it.
And use it.
And not spill sauce on it.
And maybe some day make a cookbook of your own.

Here's a video for you. Because I know how much you loved Tina Turner.

Play with your food

Did you know that the human brain is wired in such a way that it can recognize faces?

This is why we see faces in everything - clouds, a puddle, floor tiles or even the pattern in your upholstery.

But tell me something - am I crazy or do these fried eggs look like a skull?

And does this chapati look like a heart?

Ok so that was deliberate.

As was this.

Write on a Banana with a toothpick

Since bananas don't speak.

All photos by me.

Whip it. Whip it good.

Whipped Feta

I saw this post on how to make whipped feta.

And it made me smile.

Reasons.

- It's cheese.

- It looks like cream.

- It's going to be like a party in your mouth.

So here's how you make it.

I say Whip it. Whip it good.

Homemade with Love

There was once this boy who I really liked and the first time I met him, he bought me a bag of peaches to eat. 

It made my day!

He bought them from the market and didn't actually grow them but the thought was just as sweet.

So todays blogpost is about how we can grow our own fruits and flowers.

Eat them. Gift them. And make everyones day.

I doubt planting anything could be a Herculean task.

My grandmother used to grow all kinds of plants at home - of the flowering variety, Tulsi (because we're Hindu/ as a substitute for Basil?), and lemongrass (for tea).

She was clearly very enthusiastic. She even made her own wine and beer.

I'd like to think she was the inspiration for the Jamie at Home show.

My grandmother loved plants.

Like she loved everything else in the world.

With her whole heart.

She cared for them like a mother.

Watered them. Changed the mud. Washed the leaves.

And even spoke kind words to them.

She said you have to speak to them lovingly and it helps them grow well.

Like happy plants.
Maybe they can learn something from us and we can learn something from them.

I on the other hand have only ever grown anything when I was 6 years old.

We were told to put cotton in a small plastic bowl and put sprouts in it and water it.

And I'll never forget how happy it made me when the sprouts actually sprouted.

The lady who works in my sister's house has been throwing seeds of various fruits into her plants in the balcony and then one day she told my sister to expect watermelon and papaya trees soon.

She looked just as cool about it as my sister looked worried.

Well, luckily it isn't that simple.

But it's simple enough.

So here's some basic and slightly more advanced tips that should help you make your own little green haven in this concrete jungle and build a healthier future.

Hope your day is just peachy!

Cheese Please

Every time I watch the movie Home Alone, I get a huge craving for Mac & Cheese when I watch Kevin getting ready to eat his bowlful of cheesy heaven before the thieves are about to visit his house.

The last time I watched it, I went around town to different restaurants just to get my fill of Mac & Cheese.

I went to Salt Water Cafe which had replaced macaroni with penne. Eeks.

It was just not the same.

And then I went to Indigo Deli which did a baked version of it.

It was so-so.

Why get creative when the original and simpler recipe is amazing?

And then I went back to Salt Water Cafe hoping that by this time they had bought some macaroni.

But then I ate penne again. And the sauce was also mushroomy. Nooo!

I still remember buying Microwave Mac & cheese in a 3 for the price of 2 pack when I was studying in London. Almost every week. My course was so stressful that I didn't have time to cook.

The truth: I couldn't cook.

Oh how I miss those days.

Anyway I had to make do with something else.

Having given up on my search for macaroni and not wanting to see the face of it's evil and not-so-identical twin - penne, I got myself the Baked Brie at Olive.

Its a mini slab of brie wrapped in filo pastry that's baked and topped with a sweet orangey syrup.

Perfection!

It's amazing how a small piece of cheese can make me so happy. It's like a drug!

And so the current thought that's circling my brain with a rollercoaster-like movement:

via SwissMiss.

Rainy Sunday

I woke up this morning to a whole lot of rain.
And I'm not really a fan.
It's just made my lazy Sunday a lot lazier.
It made me miss getting pancakes for breakfast at a restaurant near my house.
The waiter even asked my sister where I was.

But I couldn't stop thinking about those perfect pancakes with the fruit compote.
The thought of good food makes me happy on a rainy day.
Or any day.

I've just finished watching Season 1 of Junior MasterChef Australia.
I'd watch 8-12 year olds cook some amazing food every night.
They knew how to temper, poach, blanch, make a consommé or even a coulis.
Some of them had started cooking at the age of 3!
Is that even possible?
I think I was still going through my phase of wanting to be a fisherwoman back then.

But, watching the junior masterchefs at work almost seemed unreal.
It made me hungry. It made me jealous.

And it made me wonder, what was I doing from age 8-12?
Well, I was in love with Doogie Howser M.D.
And thought that I too would become a doctor like him by the age of 16.

Incase you're wondering, that did not happen.
And I still can't cook.

But I hope to someday.
Better late than never!

Shabbat Shalom

When I travel to a new country, I always look forward to enjoying their cuisine.

This time it was Levantine.

In a land where McDonald's is Kosher, you know the people take their food seriously.
And in Israel, the portions are larger than life.
Everywhere there was hummus and pita and foods laced with za'atar.

Most of my meals were pasta, sandwiches, shawermas, salads or bagels accompanied by a glass of freshly squeezed Orange juice.
And then there were those weird moments where I'd ask for a mango milkshake and they'd ask me whether I'd like it with milk or orange juice.

While Daniela was away, her friend Horin invited me for Shabbat dinners with his family.

Shabbat marks the weekend and is the day of rest in Judaism.

This means one doesn't use their computer, phone, elevator, car, kitchen or touch any switches.

Instead you spend this day resting at the beach, reading and eating meals with your family.

Doesn't that sound super?

It all started with a little prayer followed by the blessing of wine and bread followed by the meal itself.

And the food? Well, there was everything from rice, noodles, fish, schnitzel, baked beans, fried brinjal, sweet potato, some more veggies and fruits and even a special tea.

I felt so lucky to have been included in this intimate family dinner and to have been able to have experienced Shabbat in Israel.

Walking for 30 minutes from Daniela's house to Horin's house on the other hand was maybe not as fun as the meal itself.

While I was there, I even managed to learn some Israeli cooking.

So, here's how you make Ptitim.

You find a nice Israeli boy and get him to cook it for you.

Just kidding. 

That's only what I get to do.

The rest of you mortals can cook it yourself like this:

Delish!

(I came back to Bombay and tried to re-create this wonderful preparation with all the wrong ingredients. Couscous instead of Ptitim, spring onions instead of white onions and a Maggi chicken cube instead of Knorr soup powder. It wasn't the same but was close enough).

And for dessert - A Mango.

It was time for me to stop pretending to live in the Blue Lagoon and learn to cut and eat a mango. Just incase I find my ship back to San Francisco and civilisation someday.

Horin taught me how. And I decided to illustrate it for my fellow cavemen.

You can eat it with a fork.
And if you're lazy/ not ready to let go of your aboriginal habits, you can use your teeth.
Enjoy!

For me, the Mango tasted even better when it looked like a flower.

Presentation is everything.

Shabbat Shalom.
Have a super Friday.

Beer Belly

The Beer & Burger festival decorations at Woodside Inn.

Last weekend as you can see was a very eventful one for me.

Of all the things I did, here's one more from the list.

I went to Woodside Inn in Colaba for their Beer and Burger Festival.

It was my first time at Woodside Inn (which opened a couple of years ago) since I live aaaall the way on the other side of town.

Ok, so it isn't all that far. I have just been too lazy to drag myself there.

But, last Sunday I'm glad I did.

I really liked the place - the decor, the chilled out ambience and the walls covered with beer paraphernalia. My visual merchandiser friend Vahbiz Irani had decorated the place just for the festival. She had done some interesting things. As you enter you can see a big beer bottle made with hundreds of little burgers and when you go upstairs there's a big burger which is a collage of different colourful beer bottle caps. Interesting!

Beer & Burgers from around the world.

Now about the F&B:

We were 4 of us - all set to get ourselves some Beer & Burgers since that only seemed right.

Woodside Inn has created a special menu just for the festival.

So, you could choose a country and have the beer from that country and the burger that tasted like it was of the cuisine of that country.

My friends immediately knew what they wanted to have. One went with Japan, another went with Italy and the third went with Germany.

I didn't try any of their burgers. Just stole a lot of fries.

Mr. Italy did not get a beer and chose to accompany his burger with an entire bar of chocolate.

Miss Japan enjoyed her Asahi beer but complained that her burger was a little too Soya saucy.

Mr. Germany (of I love U2 fame) had a Schneider Weisse with his burger.

Mr. Germany really seemed to know his beers and recommended a fruity one for me.

He also gave me helpful tips like you always drink from light to dark. Yes, we are still talking about beer and not the time of day.

I finally decided which burger I wanted to have and was about to order it when I saw 2 delicious pizzas floating across the restaurant. I think they were on plates, in a tray, held by a man. But all I could see were floating pizzas.

So, I went ahead and got myself a grilled chicken and scamorza pizza and a nice dark Belgian Beer called Leffe which came in a manly wine glass. Unfortunately, only the burgers come with flags so I didn't get a Belgian flag.

Time flew by with good company, conversation, food and beer. And it was time for another one

My second beer was also a Leffe since as we learnt earlier you drink from light to dark.

Leffe being a dark beer cannot be followed with a light one.

So much knowledge on a rainy Sunday.

Verdict: 

I loved it. I definitely gained a lot from this experience.

A lot of beer trivia from Mr. Germany.

A lot of belly from the beer.

And a lot of flags to keep at home in my pen stand.

The Beer & Burger festival is on at Woodside Inn from 15-31 July, 2011.

But, I'm sure they will serve Beer & Burgers even after the festival. They just might not be grouped country-wise.

I went a little overboard shooting the flags on my National Geographic World Map.

Photos taken by me on my phone camera.

A Friend with Benefits

When you think of friends with benefits you are clearly going the wrong way.

But, not me. There are some great benefits of being friends with Varun Sheth.

He's the sweetest boy ever. And he cooks. And super well too.

I've always behaved like a food critic in restaurants. Giving a critique when noone really cares.

This started way back when I couldn't even tell the difference between chalk and cheese.

I was a fussy eater while growing up and my mother would feed me with stories like apples and pears are cousins. This was done in an attempt to make me eat pears.

Being the fussy eater that I was, when dessert was served my eyes would light up and suddenly there were exactly 2 empty circular spaces in my tummy to fit in 2 gulab jamuns. I deserved the dessert reward just for being that creative with my explanations.

Anyway, on Tuesday I did no such thing.

My friend, Varun cooked up this neverending meal that was nothing but super.

How did it all start for him?

I think this is a pretty amazing story. 

I've known Varun for what feels like forever and he was as confused as I still am.

He represented India in Counter Strike (the video game). I thought that was awesome. But, he was made for something bigger. And that was 1 tablespoon.

It all began with Varun being bored at home and realising how much he wants to eat pizza which led to him making it himself, from scratch. And then doing it everyday. Making better sauces. Adding different toppings. And then a chef was born.

Varun then went on to study at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York and when he returned he started his own Gourmet catering service called 1 tablespoon.

Now about the food...

There were starters, main course, dessert and even wine. All in the middle of the evening.

But, who's complaining?

We started with some wine. I was thirsty.

As I sipped my wine, Varun started bringing in one tasty treat after another.

First there was the hummus and lavash followed by a garlicy dip (I forgot what it's called) and pita squares.

I love garlic but hate how the taste won't leave me and I need to brush my teeth 5 times after eating it.

But, no such thing happened.

After this we had creamy corn vol-au-vents. This is something I ask my mother to make for me on every birthday because I love vol-au-vents so much. I have only ever eaten the ones she's made. But, these were super too. I would've preferred less of the wafery part but then that's just me.

This was followed by crostinis with a tomato paste, goat cheese and burnt onion. So, I love goat cheese like I love every other cheese and there's something lovely about sweet burnt onion but I am not a fan of tomato. But, guess what, I totally loved it. It was nice and creamy and you couldn't feel the tomatoey texture which is what I usually have a problem with. Full marks again!

This was followed by Varun's specialty - pizza.

He makes everything from scratch - the dough and even the sauce. I could choose my toppings so I went with red and yellow peppers. While Varun made the pizza at lightning speed, I walked around and took some photographs. I'm an amateur photographer with a fancy camera. I tried.

And then when I took really bad pictures, I just continued eating. Seemed to help a lot.

The pizza was followed by ravioli which was filled with a mushroomy pasty filling. A little salty on the outside. But, only because I asked him to put extra salt so I could play around with my photography while he threw salt in the pan. Sorry.

Then came the best part - the dessert.

This is the part I look forward to the most in every meal.

Varun knew that and let me have my desserts in between courses.

So, actually at this point I had already had a bowl of crème brûlée and strawberry sorbet.

Yum yum yum.

The crème brûlée was probably the best I've ever had. Perfect crackly top (without being so thick that it gets stuck in your teeth). And the inside couldn't have been creamier. Even though it was super creamy and that by this time I had eaten as much as an elephant, it was still easy to digest. Loved the black vanilla dots in it.

The strawberry sorbet on the other hand was served right into my wine glass. Well, atleast that's how I had my first serving of it. It was like the white wine pulled it in and gave it a big hug.

This is where I stopped to take a breath.

Yoga has taught me the importance of breathing.

And then we ended the perfect meal with a cannoli (topped with chocolate chips). 

Varun explained how it was made. Something about ricotta, wine, coffee powder, whiskey and I went into a trance. 

My advice: Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.

All this over some great conversation and average photography on a day that couldn't have been anything but delicious. And I got some sorbet and a chocolate biscuit to take home.

My frank opinion: Go for it!

Not only was I impressed by his food but his kitchen is super clean. Something I really appreciated.

Varun caters under the name 1 tablespoon. That's a lot more than what I got.

Check out his website for the complete menu.

Definitely get the brownies.


photos & illustration by me.