Panfusine

The banana tree  has often been described as a perfect example of being totally useful from root to fruit. (well, considering that the 'tree'  is in reality a mutant, giant grass, the description begs for quite a bit of clarification). The banana 'plant grows from fat squat entities called corms which are the actual stems of the plant, the 'trunk' in reality is the base of the leaves which are tightly layered in concentric layers. In terms of its use, other than the fruit, the inflorescence (banana flower)  is often used as a vegetable in Asian cuisine, the leaves are used for wrapping food for steaming, as disposable plates and the occasional umbrella. The fibers from the exterior part of the stems are used for textiles as well as yarn. The core (or the heart)  used for cooking consists of the central, compressed part of the stem, the part which cannot be peeled off in layers. Its been used as a folk remedy for kidney stones and thanks to its fiber rich...

 I could not scripted it if I tried, but I had the opportunity of dining at two splendid dining establishments in as many days. The first, dedicated to Frontier cuisine of the North-west & Punjab, the second, a fitting complement paying tribute to the best of Southern Indian Fare. The two styles of cuisines , (for those who are under the misguided notion that Indian food revolves around Paneer & Naan) , are about as alike as chalk and cheese. Its almost like trying to understand and compare two languages which never had any common origins or script to begin with. South Indian cuisine makes full use of spices that originated in its native soil (such as pepper, cinnamon, cardamom & cloves, originated and evolved in the Southern Indian peninsula).  When paired with the magical aromatic combination of Curry leaves and asafetida, the end result is truly magical. Dakshin, the flagship ethnic cuisine restaurant at the Park Sheraton in Chennai has consistently b...

 Its an oft heard story, new restaurants open, offer fabulous food to the point that you count the days to going back, even though you and the restaurant are physically located on two different continents, and then when you go back, POOF!.. either the the food quality or the service has degenerated down the tubes. is located in Bangalore at SJR primus, ground floor, Koramangala, 7th block, Bangalore 560095 Tel +91-80-40902161/62.. Reservations recommended.. - See more at: http://www.panfusine.com/2011/09/paan-shots-at-punjab-grill-restaurant.html#sthash.DViJjXBA.dpuf It was by sheer serendipity that I ended up dining once again at Jiggs Kalra's restaurant 'Punjab Grill' (the Bangalore branch) yesterday. It was G's (the other Half) birthday and we initially decided to walk up to another restaurant closer to home that previously had served up great food, Just as we finished toasting our wine glasses and were contemplating what to order, there appeared a nasty u...

As much as I look forward to those crazy kitchen sessions, ensconsed at home trying out new recipes to share on the blog, there inevitably comes  sessions when I turn into a human mass spectrometry analyser, the minute I get my boarding pass in hand. My other half calls it the 'driving cabin crew crazy' phase.  I chew (food), analyse (the taste) and spit out  (my opinion) on the food that is served up on a long international flight. Then follows the barrage of questions to the crew that is  always answered very  helpfully. Its a delight to travel with such a wonderful crew as I did earlier this week in Jet Airways' flight from Newark to Mumbai via Brussels. Jet airways (as do most airlines) has a dedicated team that works with various culinary establishments the world over to design the menu for all their three classes of travel. The menu is changed every month and there are 3 or 4 sets of menus that get rotated through out the year. For the premium classe...

There is something about cherries that is utterly addictive. Its a combination of factors, the size - that enables you to scarf down a whole fruit at a time, The childish delight that invariably suffuses you when you sit outside on a balmy summer evening with a big bowl of freshly washed cherries spitting out the pits, one by one (Yes, its summer companion, the watermelon allows for that as well, but the seeds just do not have the size and shape that allows for a good projectile) , and of course the fact that the season is so short and fleeting simply means that cherries get their rightful priority. OXO and NorthWest Cherries sponsored a cherry challenge where they invited bloggers to host a Cherry party with friends and blog about the experience. Each participating blogger received a set of nested mixing bowls with colanders , a weighing scale & cherry pitters from OXO and 10 lbs of the best cherries that you could ever find from the cherry growers association. They were wo...

 It never fails to amaze me how it seems like a short while ago that the new year had rolled in and a bake-crazy bunch of us bloggers signed on to Aparna Balasubramanian's   suggestion that we collectively bake one yeasted recipe a month and post it on our respective blogs as a group. Before I knew it, we were half way through the year and I had made  6 wonderful breads that the family loved. Of course, there was a slight hiccup when my kitchen went out of commission and I'm quite happy about the fact that this post will push me into the 'current' status. July's assigned bread was a yeasted savory bread referred to as 'Kugelhopf'   or gugelhupf in the southern regions of Germany, Austria and regions in Alsace. Its basically a rather large cake baked in a Bundt pan and the original sweet version calls for raisins, almonds and Kirschwasser or Cherry brandy. There is a colorful history regarding its origins, Austria, Alsace, Germany all lay claim . For d...