the hits

someone asked, what are the 5 foods from here, that i would miss the most after i leave.
it was tough, and the list kept changing, but id have to say, in no particular order (and stretching it to 10):


1. really good homestyle dal, besan, korma or kichdi, with millet roti and seasonal vegetables.
2. monsoon patra with thick, gingery, masala chai in very small cups.
3. west coast seafood. fish curry and butter crabs, neer dosa.
4. paneer rolls from ayubs or a bombay triple decker off the street.
5. toast and amul butter.
6. alfonso mangoes. any mangoes really, but those are the best.
7. how could i forget idli/sambar/coconut chutney? or a cheese toastie. lunchtime standards.
8. fresh coconut water. essential to long run days. plain soda any other time.
9. sweets triple tie between kaju katli, fresh ice cream, and sesame chocolates.
10. masala omlettes or egg bhurji.

really, any meal that is a shared effort, in or out, with good company and conversation is never a miss.

good morning

goodbye old,


and hello new!


amul butter is always a hit.

hit or miss?

global trade.

theobroma christmas stollen. stollen is a traditional christmas bread. usually hard to find in good quality in the states, and hard to avoid in germany. unlike fruitcake, its drier, yeasty, and not overwhelmingly sweet. to make one properly takes a lot of time and energy, and just the right ingredients, so sometimes the store-bought ones are more reliable.
at the beginning of the month, they showed up at theobroma, looking fairly legit. to be seasonal (and have a little taste of christmas) i picked up a few small ones and gave them away, saving one to take to germany, to the fussiest stollen critic i know. the verdict was 'not bad'. kind of overly sweet, and the marzipan inside was double the size that it needed to be, but overall, A for effort. for that, and the novelty of hausgemacht stollen in india, it was a hit.


thank you theobroma, for trying.

hit or miss?

back to when we were on holiday.

some random place near the taj. the train to agra got in early, we were still half asleep. what we really needed was a place to wash up, but decided to order food to cover our bathroom usage.
the menu said 'break fast'.
and also 'peanutbutter toast'.
the chai was fine. so were the eggs. but what better than creamy nut-based proteins spread over warm bread to jumpstart your day?
a pb sandwich deconstructed, of course!
the toast was literally peanut+butter+toast.
maybe it was a joke? this went well beyond comprehension, so far, that i hesitate to call it a miss.
surreal. sticking with the chai... but thanks.

sweet indulgence

in search of modak.
it is ganesha's favorite thing to eat.
this delicious sounding snack has eluded me so far, but is supposed to be a staple around this festival time in mumbai.


there is a recipe here, that id love to try to make, maybe next year if i have a kitchen. but until then, the plan is to visit every mithai shop in town.

update: maharashtrian thali ended with this the other day. it was every bit delicious as it sounds.

hit or miss?

working dinner.

ayubs. one of the perks of working late is that just downstairs are the best paneer rolls in the city. ayubs starts cooking at 6:30, and the whole street starts to smell like delicious, wonderful, grilled nourishment. and if its a late night at the office we can expense it. all 50rs. and, as ridiculous as it is, they will deliver (three floors up), but i much prefer eating out on the street. either way, its always a treat.
i know that most places recycle paper. thats nice. the rolls always come with some insight into an area business. this maybe was a little too much information though:

im sorry ayubs. you are forever a hit. but this one was off the charts.

hit or miss?

its been a while. now its time for dessert.

gelato italiano. i will happily eat frozen desert any time of the day. and in quantities that make me blush. india has been good for this. its too hot to buy it at the grocery, and servings are nice and small, therefore consumption is limited to absolute necessity. and almost exclusively at ice cream shops. although most places will pack 'take away parcel' or deliver. which seemed like such a good idea on a rainy night with hours of work ahead. gelato italiano is conveniently located around the corner from the office. the quantity of free samples usually makes up for the less than amazing taste, and in this case, location is a hit.
oh no gelato. i do love that you packed my two small cups neatly, and even stuck them in the deep freezer for the walk home, and i love that you had yogurt wildberry, and that the fer rocher was not terrible.
but i do not love flies. i do not love them especially when they are disguised in berry swirl.
damn you gelato. what was once borderline is now most definitely a miss.



ps. your competitor, naturals, is far superior. in every way.

i miss home.

today the new york times had this guy in the top headlines, complete with picture:

"'The Jersey tomato is a nondescript red, round tomato,” said Mr. Rabin. “And I use nondescript as a term of respect.'

Is there nothing unique about the legendary Jersey tomato? Ask seven New Jersey farmers and you get the same answer: a perfect balance of sweet and acid. But everything from lemonade to lollipops can be described that way."

we used to grow tomatoes in the backyard. it was always fun to mix up the dirt, give them their stakes and cages to stand up, and watch them grow. to this day, i have never tasted tomatoes as delicious as the ones out of that backyard garden. the simple, plain, standard ones that we got every year, nothing fancy, just all tomato. and they grew so well that we would have endless salads, grilled tomatoes, fresh tomato sauce, blt's, etc. and they tasted so good it was hard to eat anything else.
to the city's credit, i have not really had a bad tomato in mumbai. but i really wouldnt mind digging around in the dirt and having one of these again.

hit or miss?

coffee break time.

barista. if you specify lavazza, you can get a damn good cappuccino. not quite as prolific as starbucks, but they can be found almost everywhere. banana muffins sound nice for a light lunch? upon closer inspection, no. understandably baked... but still, id rather not have hair.
hit for the coffee.
miss for the snacks.

hit or miss?

this will obviously become a recurring feature. but lets start with lunch time foods.

idli. usually hit. its a nice light lunch. fresh and never greasy. just enough spice. yummy coconut chutney too.
but not today. not with ants.