The light has changed even though the weather is not too inhospitable, not yet. But it has been dark. And the weather was oppressive last week, rainy and uncharacteristically grey, somber, even at noon. This weekend has been sunny and mild: an interstice of blue-sky warmth forestalling the arrival of winter. We went for a…
Author: Mimi
Dispelling Myths
Occasionally someone asks me what kind of curry powder I use. I don’t. I tell them that “curry powder,” as far as Bengali cooking is concerned, is a British invention, a spice mix not unlike Mrs. Lawry’s Italian Seasoning or McCormick’s Cajun Seasoning Mix. Spice mixes can be fun and convenient and delicious too, but…
Friends Forever
I never met a vegetable I didn’t like. Really. I mean, I’ve met a few vegetables that I may not consider BFFs, but truth be told, I like most of them when cooked properly. And I think that Bengali cooking does justice to most vegetables, although we do cook them thoroughly. The vegetable dishes of…
Humble Beginnings
Let me start with a memory. I was in Manhattan one winter weekend many years ago, wandering through Chinatown, when I was struck by the similarities between its open air markets and various markets in Kolkata. Storefronts on Mott Street boasted wooden crates piled high with okra, stacks of dried fish and fragrant cilantro, a…
Remember the Taste 