Caponata

Of all my cook books, I turn most often to any ofJamie Oliver's. They never fail to inspire and motivate.

Last week when I was flipping through his Italian cookbook for ideas, a simple Caponata recipe caught my fancy. Luckily I had a brinjal in the fridge along with the usual other basic Italian ingredients so it was a breeze to whip it up.

Heat a sauté pan and add a few twirls f olive oil followed by inch size chunks of brinjal. When they become goldenish then add a few cloves of garlic sliced and an onion finely chopped. If you have celery o hand then add a chopped celery stick or two as well. Allow to cook. Add red pepper and paprika and season to taste. Then add some tomatoes, capers and olives. Cool for ten minutes or so till you get a nice chunky consistency. Top with a few torn basil leaves.

Grill slices of country bread or baguette. Load up the caponata and enjoy bruschetta style.

I also made a simple rocket salad with an oil as white wine vinegar dressing. Crumbled blue cheese added a nice touch.

Paired with a chilled glass of Chablis, this made for a light summer dinner.

What are your favourite summer foods?

miami diary: van dyke cafe for live music

it's always nice to soak in some culture when traveling. you must visit the van dyke cafe if you find yourself in south beach, miami. they have live music upstairs every night. we were fortunate to hear a fabulous brazilian band perform jazz. brazilian drummer silas silva joined forces with some musicians in  miami to pay tribute to some of brazil's greatest composers. 

Miami Diary: The Mondrian in SoBe

Cheers from Miami! I'm at The Mondrian, a cool boutique hotel in South Beach, from where the views of the water are spectacular, the vibe very happening and the people extraordinarily beautiful!

steel cut oats at starbucks in nyc

i'm in new york this week and enjoying some of my old favourite haunts. i had on my shopping list "steel cut oats" that i wanted to pick up from whole foods. and low and behold, i met the perfect oatmeal at starbucks of all places! at breakfast time, the starbucks at 19th and park offers freshly made steel cut oats to which you can add fresh blueberries, a fruit and nut medley and agave honey. all neatly package for oats-to-go! how fab, i'm lovin it ;)

pizza pizza everywhere!

Our girls can not get enough of pizzas so we invariably end up going to pizza parlours on weekends. Two that we checked out recently were Pizza Express at Dhanraj Mahal near Gateway of India and Di Napoli at Dalamal Towers in Nariman Point.

Pizza Express is the fancier of the two and Di Napoli the cozier. Both score well on the taste of the pizzas. I personally love the Naples type of naan pizza and Di Napoli has perfected that kind of pizza in Bombay. Both restaurants offer a wide variety of toppings include many tomato-less and cheese-less options and Indianised ones too! R1 loved a rocket and ham cheese pizza while R2 gobbled a few slices of Paneer Bhurji Pizza!!

Pizza Express does a delectable thin crust rosemary flat bread. Di Napoli has an onion and salt focaccia which is excellent. Salads score well for their freshness at both pizzerias. We're avoiding desserts so cant comment on that :)

What is your favourite pizza place in Bombay?

suzette

Who knew that you get the best crepes outside of France in good old Bombay?! Well I didn't and that just goes to show that I am out of touch! Just this past weekend I finally made it to Suzette in Nariman Point. It's a little (and I mean little) cafe oozing with charm that is tucked away at the back of a boring office building. But from the entrance where a chalkboard highlights the specials of the day to the aromas wafting through as you step in, you are transported away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Bombay. Pick up some French literature (I enjoyed flipping through Stendhal's "Cures for love") or Paris in pictures for your kids and make yourself comfortable at one of the cozy tables while you wait for your crepes to arrive. The menu is delightfully diverse and you can pick from a broad range of savoury (lots of veg and non veg) and sweet crepes. Or still want more choice? Build your own! Don't like crepes? There's always salads or sandwiches. They do fab salads and the lovely Antonia even told me the salad greens are scrubbed in chlorine water and washed many times so you can safely order greens here.

I would go for the buckwheat ratatouille crepe followed by Nutella and banana crepe. And finally a cup of Mariage Frere black tea.

Suzette has recently opened in Bandra and are looking at BKC and possibly Juhu as well. Here's to more authentic French cafes in the city!

They also do home catering and you can even invite them over to provide a live crepe counter at your next brunch party.

sri lanka diary: talpe beach, galle

Greetings from Galle, Sri Lanka! It's a picturesque little beachside town on the South Western coast of this island country. Lots of lovely beaches that I will be posting about. This picture was taken at Talpe beach outside The Beach House.

Have you been to Sri Lanka? Do share your experiences.