Bengal’s culture of fish has been determined in large part by its geography. Most of Bengal is an alluvial plain, giving rise to rivers and wetlands that are partial to growing rice and prone to flooding. Kolkata sits at the mouth of the Hooghli River—a tributary of the Ganges—where it meanders through its delta into the…
Spring Chickens
It’s time. Yesterday I went to the garden center and bought pink dahlias, purple daisies, and some fancy dirt. Also floppy petunias, striated coleus and the start of a little herb garden. I am a city gardener, a small timer who dwells on the third floor and has access to a back deck overlooking a…
Anticipation
Spring has arrived. We are apparently saving daylight, (saving it from what, I am tempted to ask) and finally, we are past the threat of snow. The boxwood in our front yard have begun to release their pungent, sandy smell, the daffodils have broken through the cold soil, and the tulips want to test their…
Make It Fast
Make it now. Make it taste good. And make it nutritious too. These are the demands of busy families. The timeline of cooking shifts when children are present, especially the littlest ones who demand our constant attention. Long hours spent in the deliberation and preparation of food suddenly give way to “what can I make…
The Doctor Is In
We had a touch of snow in Chicago about two weeks ago. A light dusting of 20 inches or so, officially. In some places, the snow drifts were a wee bit deeper, around three or four feet. Even the most resolute of Chicagoans preferred staying home while the storm raged outside. For a day or…
Inner Circle
The more sophisticated the dish, the more it hogs the spotlight. It’s unavoidable. Guests coo and admire: “You must have spent so much time making this!” We bask in their admiration, glowing because the dish was in fact an effort: many steps, much time, and perhaps some anxiety. A commitment. But if the dish succeeds,…
The Perfect Couple
I occasionally disobey one of the cardinal rules of entertaining and try my hand at a dish that I’ve never quite made before. It’s heresy, I know, and I’m either setting myself or my guests up for an experience we will never forget. And not necessarily in a good way, either. I admit there have…
All Mixed Up
The autumn puja season is officially over, the weather is now cold, and the leaves lie in crushed, swirling patterns on our lawns and streets. As a follow up to my begun bhaja (fried eggplant) and mamlet (omelet) posts, I would like to blog about khichuri. Loosely translated, it means “all mixed up” in Bengali (Bengali: খিচুড়ী khichuri). …
It’s a Love/Hate Thing
We say that we have relationships with food and with cooking. A friend would say she has a complicated relationship with dairy; she loves ice cream and cheese, but almost never eats it, and yet she is always tempted. The brie lies there quietly, in the depths of her subconscious, and taunts her a little…
Accompaniment
The Bengali meal, when allowed to showboat in all its unabated complexity, is a grandiose, multi-course affair. For very special occasions, one might be served 12 to 15 courses. But for the less spectacular, everyday meal, one would be served at least four courses, with rice holding court as the queen, without which the other…
Remember the Taste 