September, 2015

• 8 September

  5 favourites from my Food Porn Collection

  

  From passive consumption to active indulgence, my gourmet awakening can be credited to a great extent to the food porn that was being served on television so generously. There was something fascinating about realizing the sophistication and intricacies involved in food preparation and consumption. This is the kind of porn …
• 7 September

  The Great Indian Biryani War

  

  What’s the food that most Indians order for when struck by hunger pangs? The answer is Biryani! And the strangest fact of all is that in India, you will find 29 varieties of the hallowed preparation in 29 states! Every area has adapted the original recipe to its own taste …
• 7 September

  Foodopreneur 1: Soorma Bhopali- Taste some vegetarian ‘Bhopaliness’

  

  Shekhar Sinha, who had a cult following during the days of B-school glory in IMT-Ghaziabad (the author being witness to this, details withheld at Shekhar’s request) embarked on a journey down the road less traveled when he quit his corporate job, and it is on such a road that you …
• 6 September

  Five Killer Places to Eat in Kolkata under Rs.100: Part 2

  

  ZamZam, Ripon Street At one point of time, it was considered a challenge to polish off a plate of ZamZam’s Beef Biryani. And it still warms my heart to think of my school days, during which a weekly visit was almost mandatory. Ah, the bliss! Their biryani is one of …
• 6 September

  Five Myths about fruits demythified

  

  Fruits and vegetables are the biggest sources of micro-nutrients required for normal functioning of the human body. Including fruits in our daily diet is absolutely essential. Various guidelines concerning consumption of fruits exist to help us choose the quality and quantity of fruits. Often however, certain traditional guidelines are based …
• 5 September

  5 Killer Places in Kolkata to eat under Rs.100: Part 1

  

  Nafeel, Park Circus You will hear most in Kolkata raving about Zeeshan at Park Circus, but tucked away in that very same lane, is one of the most amazing beef biryani and kabab joint you will find in the city. With succulent chunks of the holy meat, the rice is …
• 5 September

  Did we cook our way into consciousness?

  

  There is one question which has puzzled anthropologists, evolutionists and literally every other “ologist” associated or interested in understanding the origins of humans and how we evolved from primitive apes munching on leaves and berries into the “sophisticated” beings that we are today. Well, for that matter, some prominent individuals …
• 4 September

  Food and Culture: 3 Bizzare Food Practices and their Origins

  

  Some of the stuff you are about to read may not appeal to the faint-hearted; If you still think you want to go on, make sure you absorb and understand the first paragraph completely before you do. The influence of culture as well as environment is very deep in terms …
• 4 September

  A Samosa for Bollywood & Britain

  

  Have you created something so popular as to be yourself named after that creation? This is precisely what Babubhai ‘Berawale’ did more than 100 years ago, as his grandson Mohammad Bhai (Mohammad Saleem) told me. “He used to sell ‘bera’ samosas off a cart in Bhatiyar Gali, Ahmedabad before getting …
• 3 September

  8 hidden origins of popular food phrases

  

  “Food is our common ground, a universal experience’’ – James Beard Food forms a part of everything around us. From cells of every living organism to the inanimate technological developments of 21st century, from imagination to reality, food is everywhere. How can we ignore then, the presence of food in …