Product Description

Born in New Delhi, raised in the Middle East, and living in Washington, D.C., acclaimed food writer Monica Bhide is the perfect representative of the new generation of Indian American cooks who have taken traditional dishes, painstakingly prepared by their Indian mothers and grandmothers, and updated them for modern American lifestyles and tastes. Respectful of the techniques and history of Indian cuisine but eager to experiment, Bhide has written simple but deeply flavorful recipes. Modern Spice takes the vibrant tastes of India into the twenty-first century with a cookbook that is young, fun, sassy, and bold.

Dishes like Pomegranate Shrimp, Paneer and Fig Pizza, and Coriander-and-Fennel-Crusted Lamb Chops are contemporary and creative. Bhide pours Guava Bellinis and Tamaritas for her guests, and serves Chile Pea Puffs and Indian Chicken Wings; instead of Chicken Tikka Masala, she serves Chicken with Mint and Ginger Rub. Make-ahead condiments such as Pineapple Lentil Relish and Kumquat and Mango Chutney with Onion Seeds add a piquant accent to the simplest dish. There are plenty of options for everyday meals, including Butternut Squash Stew with Jaggery, Indian-Style Chili in Bread Bowls, and Crabby Vermicelli, along with plentiful recipes for elegant dishes like Tamarind-Glazed Honey Shrimp and Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Paneer. For an original and effortless finish, spoon Raspberry and Fig Jam Topping over tart frozen yogurt or a store-bought pound cake, or if you have more time, tempt guests with exotic sweets such as Saffron-Cardamom Macaroons or Rice Pudding and Mango Parfait.

As Mark Bittman says in his foreword, "there is not a cuisine that uses spices with more grace and craft than that of India," and Bhide's recipes do so, but without long and daunting lists of exotic ingredients. In keeping with its local approach to global flavors, Modern Spice includes a guide to the modern Indian pantry and Monica's thoughtful, charming essays on food, culture, and family. Eight pages of gorgeous color photographs showcase the recipes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16971 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781416566595
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Bhide (The Everything Indian Cookbook) provides a personal look at modern Indian cooking, showcasing new versions of her native cuisine that pay homage to tradition but also acknowledge the everyday lifestyle of India today. While Bhide's recipes use authentic spices and techniques, she departs from the stereotype of complicated meals that take hours to prepare. Her recipes focus on spices and flavor, spanning the gamut of Indian cuisine. She also includes recipes for meat, rice, breads and desserts. Highlights include coriander-and-fennel crusted lamb chops, curried scallops, and onion bread stir-fry. Scattered throughout are personal stories on a variety of subjects, including a visit to Vaishno Devi Maa's Temple and recollections of a meal prepared by grand master Indian chef Imtiaz Qureshi. Bhide also provides a detailed spice pantry section and an insider's guide to time- and labor-saving ingredients. The author offers a refreshing look at the diverse and changing cuisine of India, with a new perspective that will be embraced by Indian food lovers everywhere. (Apr.)
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From Booklist
Product of a culture deeply bound to its traditions, Indian cooking has only recently begun to engage seriously with other cuisines. Bhide spearheads a movement seeking to reinterpret Indian cooking and make it more accessible to the growing international kitchen. Herself an offspring of the Indian diaspora and raised in the Middle East, Bhide eschews standard recipes that can be found in other Indian cookbooks, instead taking Indian ingredients, especially the vast array of spices, and applying them in original, intriguing ways. She concocts a cocktail snack based on Rice Krispies cereal but sharply scented with mustard seeds, turmeric, cumin, and fennel. Green chili chutney tops bits of omelet resting in little pastry shells. Mashed potatoes get a garlic, chili, and coconut kick. Dry rubs anoint both grilled fish and meat. Essays intersperse the recipes, most of them Bhide’s reflections on her family and upbringing. A revolutionary approach to Indian cooking. --Mark Knoblauch

Review
"Monica Bhide...invites you along for a tasty ride in her forthcoming book, Modern Spice....Bhide offers a modern interpretation of Indian flavors and cooking techniques. The result is something cooks need-- new ways of thinking about common ingredients.-- J.M. Hirsch, Associated Press

Customer Reviews

My Favorite New Cookbook!
"Modern Spice" is hands-down my favorite new cookbook. I am reading it cover to cover, and I simply can't say enough good things about this book. For those out there who fear the exploration of this cuisine, let "Modern Spice" be your guide. The pantry chapter alone will allay your fear of mysterious spices and by the time you've gotten to the first recipe you'll be chomping at the bit to get to your stove.

"Modern Spice" is more than a cookbook; its a deeply personal exploration of food, family, culture and more. Monice Bhide's passion for life and food is infectious - it will draw you in, keep you reading, and encourage you to explore. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this treasure - your heart and your palate will thank you.

A must have - gorgeous inside and out
The cover of Modern Spice is just the beginning. Monica Bhide helps the average, mediocre kitchen mother/ wife transform her boring dishes in to a higher level of cuisine without fear or failure. She has such a gift for writing; her knowledge base combined with her flair for interjecting wit and reality give the inspired reader a real boost. The outcomes of her recipes leave our plates empty, and my family and friends satisfied. The cover - beautiful - the content - rich - Monica will give you a top 10 recipe as a signature dish for a lifetime. Best and Thank you!!! Amy Nymark

Modern Spice is for both Indians and people new to Indian Cooking
I loved the recipes, stories, guidelines on Herb and Spice usage under "The modern spice pantry" and mostly the style of writing in Modern Spice. I found it to be very interesting read as the recipes were personalized with beautiful personal stories and anecdotes that certainly kept the interest and added that extra dash of personal touch, which along with providing recipes, tips and guidelines threw light on cultural perceptive, origin or historical background of the recipe, and on the depth of Monica Bhide's passion with food and her writing.

This is a book for all-Indian and Non-Indians who would like to venture into kitchen with confidence. You can cook entire meal as it gives recipes for entrees, snacks, desserts and drinks.
I have recommended to my American friends, who usually get little overwhelmed with the spice/ingredient combination's that go into Indian cooking.
In Modern Spice, recipes are easy to follow, the flavors and the spice combination's are easy on the taste buds, and most importantly many of the ingredients are very easily available in regular super markets, except for few basic ingredients that would be found in Indian grocery stores.

The second group I am recommending the book is to the 2nd-generation Indians, busy Moms and for people who like to add a different angle to an Indian dish but lack the creative, risk-taking adventurous mindset of their own(eg i can site are-Papad stuffed with Paneer and crab, Brussels sprouts, Leeks and curry leaves, Lychee Pineapple Salad, salmon with Kumquat, Paneer and fig Pizza, roasted cauliflower, saffron mussels stew.....I can go on.

My personal favorite are the drinks-the exotic use of fruits and the blends(Guava Bellini, Papaya-Mango Tango!!!). I loved making them, with my own little twists or using the suggestions on alternatives.
Overall I think it is a good cook book to have in your kitchen and table.