Cooling off Mumbai Style

Mumbai is oppressively hot for about 9 months of the year. There's a brief respite in January and February during the "winter" and then briefly during the monsoon. But otherwise, it is HOT. And cooling off is a bit of a city-wide obsession. There are all kinds of remedies for cooling foods (there's an ayurvedic theory about some foods that cause heat in the body while others are cooling) -- in fact, juicing has been a trend for decades!

There's a very famous juice spot in Mumbai called the Haji Ali Juice Center - everyone in the city knows exactly where it is. My favorite part about it is that like a lot of juice spots in the city, you can wait in your car, and someone will come take your order and bring your juice right to you! You never have to leave the air-conditioned comfort of your vehicle if you don't want to!



I've never had one of these cream dishes these guys are talking about, but their juices are great!

One of my favorite juices is watermelon juice, and while mine doesn't taste like the one at Haji Ali Juice Center, its delicious nonetheless.

Here's my recipe:
Half a watermelon, cubed
A generous handful of mint
Blend, and pour over ice.
And then, and this is the special Mumbai bit, top with a half a teaspoon of Chaat Masala. Chaat Masala is a mixture of spices that result in a salty, slightly tart flavor. A great balance to the sweetness of the watermelon. Its available on Amazon, and also at your neighborhood Indian grocer!

Here's a look at the finished product!

So as our temperatures start to climb this summer, try a little watermelon juice with a slight Mumbai twist!

CLE Cooks: A taste of Mumbai

Yesterday, I finally pulled the trigger on something I've been thinking about for a few years.

I've always wanted to have a retail store, and yesterday, I finally founded my business, Bombay Taxi. Bombay Taxi will offer a selection of apparel and accessories, curated by me. And everything will have a little sparkle, because everyone should Sparkle Every Day.

Over the next few months you will notice a few changes to this page -- this site is in the process of being re-designed, and of course, Bombay Taxi will be launched too, so many exiting things in the pipeline here.

In the mean time, I wanted to take a step back and get a little nostalgic. It is the monsoon season in Mumbai, and given how wet and stormy its been here in Cleveland, its felt a lot like a monsoon here too! Anyway, one of my favorite things about the monsoon is eating grilled corn (bhutta) from the sidewalk stands in Mumbai---- Mumbai street food! Mumbai grilled corn is actually really easy to make, and while they usually use white corn in Mumbai, our more traditional yellow corn will do just fine.

Here's what you do: Mix equal parts salt and paprika (or red chili powder if you're feeling adventurous) on a plate. Slice a lemon into 4 quarters. Turn your grill on high, and de-husk your corn, but leave the stalk on as a little handle. You want naked corn on your grill. Now, grill your corn, making sure to give  it a little char on all sides. You may hear it pop- this is totally fine and normal. Once you have the char you like, take it off the grill. Use the lemon to grab some salt and lemon and rub it on the corn while you give the lemon a little squeeze. Enjoy and get messy corn-face! Its spicy and lemony and absolutely delicious!!!

So there you have it! A little taste from Mumbai for the next time you bust out your grill! Enjoy!

Sunday in the Kitchen

This weekend, Nick and I took our first steps to regaining normalcy following Otto's diagnosis. We reached some decisions (we're not doing chemo, only pain management), and have started to more fully embrace our time with Otto rather than worrying about what is to come. I don't know, maybe these warmer temperatures have something to do with our more positive attitude? Anyway, our diet has been terrible over the past few weeks and we decided that it was time for a massive cook-and-freeze session so that we would have easy meals to reach into over the next few months.

Nick and I went to the Westside Market on Saturday to stock up on ingredients. Every time I visit, I wonder why I don't go more frequently! Although the thing about visiting the market on Saturdays is that you have to either go really early, or go late--around 2. Anything between the hours of 10am - 2 pm is a madhouse! We went with a list, and split up, so a very efficient 30 minutes later, we were out of there, stocked with all the ingredients for Nick's meatballs and 3 different types of chicken.

Nick's meatballs. I could give you the recipe, but its a family secret ;)

I made chicken pot pie, cajun chicken, and tandoori chicken. I wish I could tell you I used some fancy recipe for the cajun chicken or tandoori chicken, but its basically boneless, skinless chicken thighs, some type of fat (oil or melted butter) and a seasoning mix. Marinate for 90 minutes- 2 hours, and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Foolproof and freezes exceptionally well. And when I'm ready to eat it, I just nuke the pre-portioned chicken pieces in the microwave for 2 minutes. Pairs well with salads, over pasta, in pita pockets, in enchiladas. Endless versatility with minimal effort.

Do you cook big batches over the weekend, or do you cook every night or some combination of both?

Try It: 3 ingredient Nutella Cookies

My diet recently has had four main food groups: wine, eggs, cheese and chocolate. One of my favorite things to eat are Nutella cookies--a recipe I discovered on Pinterest a few years ago. Basically, you take 1 cup of nutella, 1 cup of flour and 1 egg, mix it together, form it into little cookie balls, and bake it in a preheated over at 350F for 7-8 minutes.

There you have it. The easiest cookie recipe of all time.

Here's a video (that I didn't create) if you don't believe me.

PS: I didn't smash them or use a fork for the indents. Neither step is necessary.

Try It: Steamed Artichoke

I had no idea that I like steamed artichoke until I ate my first one at L'Albatros a few weeks ago, and subsequently couldn't stop thinking of it. Problem is, I was terrified of cooking artichokes, until I watched this video:



Its easier than you think!!! I steamed an artichoke earlier this week (and ate the whole thing), and it was absolutely delicious. You could make your own lemon aioli, or you can go the super lazy route and just buy Annie's Lemon & Chive Vinaigrette. Either way, super easy, mostly healthy, and super delicious. Don't forget to squeeze some lemon over the artichoke before you eat it!

Happy eating!

Farm Fresh

So a couple of weeks ago, a signed up to participate in Fresh Fork's CSA. If you're unfamiliar with how CSA's work, essentially you "subscribe" to receive a package of locally farmed groceries. Pickups (at multiple locations across Cleveland) are usually every week in the summer, slowing to every two weeks in the winter. I missed the opportunity to participate this summer (boo procrastination), but I got my act together for the winter season.

I picked up my "basket" this Saturday, and was greeted with this:

Amongst other things, the basket contained 1lb nitrate-free bacon, 1 whole chicken, brussel sprouts, beets, roma tomatoes, gouda cheese (YUM!), green cauliflower (never seen that before), apples, and miscellaneous other veggies. I am SO excited to make it through the basket. I've already decided that I'm making the brussel sprouts with bacon, and doing a whole rosemary-lemon roasted chicken. I don't know what I'm going to do about the beets (do I even like beets?), but I'm sure I will come up with something!

So far, I made roasted cauliflower (OMG! So delicious!! Toss cauliflower in olive oil, with garlic, salt and pepper. Bake in a covered pan for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and broil for 5 minutes), and a tomato salad (sliced thick with seasoned salt, drizzle of olive oil, parmesan, let sit for atleast 5 minutes), and maybe its all in my head, but I swear that locally farmed, minimally processed produce tastes better than the stuff at grocery stores! Even N, who doesn't care for cauliflower or raw tomatoes, enjoyed both!!

The good news is there are still a few CSA spots available, so sign up soon!! The next pickup is the week of Thanksgiving, and I absolutely can't wait!!!

What a Crock!

I can honestly say that I NEVER thought I'd say this, but I absolutely LUUURRRVVEEE my crockpot. I don't use it nearly as much as I should, but I'm wierd about leaving things like that unattended (its irrational, I know, but I had a fire. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it). So, the only time I end up using it is on the weekend, typically on Sunday home games. Now, I know that this is not a cooking blog, but I made some BBQ pulled pork with coleslaw on Sunday, and I LUUUURRVVVEED it so much (as did N), that I have to share the recipes with you. Also, the Browns won, and so I'm thinking that it was the lucky meal that resulted in the win. Also, I don't have pictures, but it was yummy; just take my word for it.

Pulled Pork
2 lbs pork butt/ pork shoulder
1 jar of your favorite BBQ sauce (16-18 oz; I like mine saucy. Use 12oz if you prefer yours less saucy)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon oil
1.5 tablespoons dried thyme
2-3 gloves garlic (just smoosh these with the flat end of a knife)
4-5 small onions (just peel and cut in half)
ground black pepper
salt to taste (I actually didn't use any b/c since there was some in the BBQ sauce)
1 tablespoon oil

How to:
Turn crockpot to high. Put 1 tablespoon oil in bottom of the pot. Put in your pork. Toss in all the ingredients (except the salt; I recommend you add to taste when there's about an hour left). Cook on high for 5 hours.

At hour 4, I removed and discarded the onions, and tasted for salt. After 5 hours, I "pulled" the pork using two forks, and left it in the sauce with the crockpot turned to warm, until it was time to eat. I served these with toasted onion buns, cheddar cheese, and spicy slaw, recipe below.

Spicy No-Mayo Coleslaw
This recipe is taking from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. The man is a genius. If you can only buy one cookbook, this is it. Its like an encyclopedia of cooking, and covers all kinds of foods and cuisines, and also has a whole bunch of vegetarian recipes too. He also gives you lots of variations on the same basic recipe, which I lurve! This is my go-to book, and would be a great gift for a recent grad, someone who is new to cooking, a new homeowner who likes to entertain....you get the idea.... There's also an iPhone app, if you'd rather go that route, but to be honest, the book is waaay easier to search than the app.

Anyway, a few disclaimers:
(i)  I halved the recipe, so what I'm giving you below is a half-recipe
(ii) I took a short-cut and used grocery store slaw mix (the shredded cabbage and carrot mix), but feel free to shred your own Napa or Savoy cabbage instead. Bittman also adds 1 large red/yellow pepper and fresh parsley, which I omited.

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced (I used a pinch of garlic powder instead).
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh chili pepper(I used finger hot, but feel free to use jalapeno or serrano)
1/4 cup chopped scallion
3 cups shredded cabbage
fresh ground black pepper and salt, to taste

Make dressing by whisking together mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and chili pepper. I put mine in a clean pasta jar and shook it vigorously. Combine the cabbage with scallion, and toss with dressing.

I will be making this again for N's birthday, which coincidentally happens to be the same day as the Browns-Jets game. I can't wait!!

IHeartNigellaLawson

I was so excited today!! Why, you ask? NIGELLA LAWSON HAS AN iPHONE APP ($7.99) !! I luuuurve her; she's my favorite celebrity chef/ food personality. And for the record, I liked her way before she was on the Food Network; my lurve goes back to her early days on E! and The Style Network. Post-Great Fire of 2009, I went out and bought two of her books : Nigella Express and Forever Summer.

Recipes from these books are in heavy rotation in the CLEshopaholic household. What's so great about Nigella, you ask?
1. I don't know how she does it, but she makes her food look soooooo sensual! And not just in the pictures, it looks fantastic in real life!
2. Her recipes stand up really well to modifications (sidebar: I can't follow a recipe exactly; its why I'm a terrible baker and had a complete meltdown the night before a cookie exchange last year. Seriously, I messed up scoop and bake cookies)
3. Every recipe is FULL of flavor (you should try my adaptation below)
4. She has a British accent. Enough said.

So, here's my adaptation of Nigella's Spinach and Bacon Salad (I wish I could give you the real version, but N has packed up the study and now I don't know where he put the book).

1 cup chopped cooked chicken (if you don't have leftovers, you could use rotisserie chicken)
1 bag baby spinach
6 slices bacon, chopped (I think Nigella used 1 lb in her original recipe; put in as much as you want)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (I strongly recommend getting a good one; it make a HUGE difference)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional : goat cheese (as much as you want)
Optional : Crutons (you can make your own or use store bought; you could also use a chopped up baguette)


Put bag of spinach in a salad bowl. Put cooled cooked chicken in same salad bowl.
In a skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil and fry up bacon.
Fish out crispy bacon with a slotted spoon: DO NOT drain bacon grease. Turn off burner
Quickly pour the red wine vinegar into the skillet; the red wine-bacon grease mixture will bubble.
Once the bubbling dies down, quickly pour over salad mixture. Add bacon, goat cheese, and crutons.
Mix up and serve immediately.

The spinach may wilt slightly, but that's to be expected. So obviously, this recipe is not the healthiest, but it is super quick and easy and ridiculously yummy. ENJOY!!

Try a little Greek

I'm luuurve breakfast! I love everything about breakfast. Eggs, toast, breakfast pastry, cereal, hash browns, pancakes, crepes.....EVERYTHING!! Unfortunately, I can never get it together enough in the morning to make a real breakfast, so I have to either make do with cereal or take something into the office. I have a tendency to go through "breakfast phases" where I pretty much eat the same thing for a month straight.

My new obsession is Greek yogurt. In an attempt to lower my intake of added sugar (including artificial) I've been sticking with the plain yogurt (with a teaspoon of honey and pecans) and the Oikos vanilla (only 4 g of added sugar). And then, I found this fabulous recipe:

6 oz plain Greek yogurt (I use Fage non-fat)
1 teaspoon lemon curd (you could make your own, but I'm not motivated enough; its a little sweet, tangy, lemony, and overall YUMMY)
Optional: nuts (I like slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, and pecans)
Optional: lemon zest

Mix it all together and enjoy.

Here's the part I luuuuurve most:
Nutrition Facts (not including the nuts)
Calories: 150
Sugar: 13 g (of which 9 are natural sugars in the yogurt)
Protein: 15 g
Fat: 1 g

So, what's your "breakfast of champions"?