Do Three 'Reallys' Equal Four Stars?

It's the end of the month which means only one thing. Eggs on toast Extravaganza!

"It's really, really, really good. It's amazing. It's like a starter you could have in a fancy restaurant" -Fred, April 2005

This is a simple, quick & easy supper dish that will be on the table in less than 30 minutes. This recipe idea serves two.

Oeufs en Cocotte, Creamy Mushrooms with Sherry & Thyme, Prosciutto & Toasted Levain

Creamy Mushrooms with Sherry & Thyme This part of the recipe is based on my memory of a dish I used to make from a Sainsbury's Vegetarian Cook Book circa the late 80s. It always tastes superb, but I never measure the ingredients. If you want to replicate it, just do so by following your heart and tasting as you go along. I gently sauteed one small, thinly sliced shallot and one minced clove of garlic in some butter. I added a large handful of sliced white button mushrooms, some minced fresh thyme and seasoning and continued to saute until the mushrooms were soft. I poured in a large glug of sherry and cooked further until the alcohol had evaporated. I then added a large dollop of creme fraiche and gently simmered until the sauce was thick.

Oeufs en Cocotte I greased the insides of two ramekins with softened butter. I carefully added an egg to each, taking care not break the yolk. I placed the ramekins in a baine marie (in my case an oven proof pyrex dish) and filled it with boiling water up to a level 2/3rds the height of the ramekins. I placed it in a 325F oven for about 8 minutes until the whites were opaque but the yolks were still soft.

Assembling the Dish After removing the ramekins from the oven, I gently topped the eggs with the mushroom mixture. I garnished with strips of prosciutto and finely chopped chives and parsley. This dish is good served with a thick slice of toasted levain.

posted in Food and Recipes and eomeote

Do Three 'Reallys' Equal Four Stars?

Made in France Warehouse/Village Imports Sale - April 2005 - Today and Tomorrow

There is Made in France/Village Imports Warehouse Sale taking place today and tomorrow at:
211 South Hill Drive Brisbane, CA 94005 415-562-1120
Friday April 29th (2:00pm - 6:00pm)
Saturday April 30th (8:30am - 1:30pm)
Directions.

The 'La Fermiere' yoghurt pictured above, crowned with a dollop of Lolou's Garden Blood Orange & Rosemary Marmalade, is a must-have item from the sale. Sinfully delicious, plain yoghurt mixed with cream. What is there not to like? And you if you buy some you will start to amass a collection of cute little earthenware pots. They run out quickly of these heavenly delights, so get there early. An early visit is a good idea anyway - you will also be more likely to miss the potentially long lines

Other items we like to stock up on include ground almonds, Badoit mineral water, les Petits Suisse, d'Isigny salted butter, Valhrona, couverture and Cote d'Or. They have unfortunately stopped selling the 'olive oil & lavender soap' I recommended in the past. If Ced is reading this I am sure he will leave a comment recommending cachou lajaunie. Maybe he'll be able to explain to us what cachou lajaune actually is.

Take an ice box with you - to keep you cold items cool whilst you stand in that checkout line!

Visit the Made In France website here. Sign up for the mailing list so you can be notified about their next event.

posted in Food and Bay Area and France

Made in France Warehouse/Village Imports Sale - April 2005 - Today and Tomorrow

As the Bar Flies...

Hi Dive - 21st Amendment - Hotel Utah - Annies Bar

Just when you thought the Food Blogging community couldn't handle another meme, along comes Sarah with a new one. Her brainwave is that those food bloggers, like me, who like to review restaurants, should all critique one, following a given subject, on the same day. The first edition, published today, is on the theme "Bar Fly"



Not one to do thing by halves, I am actually able to present to you a full-on San Francisco bar crawl, as organised by one of my colleagues, in the SoMa district, at about this time every year. This was my, and Fred's, second year of attending. We had so much fun in 2004, accepting this year's invite was a no brainer. Each year, the route is mixed up to keep things fresh. We started, at 8pm, at the Hi-Dive Bar at Pier 28 on the Embarcadero, almost underneath the end span of the Bay Bridge. The bar tender was very funny, teasing me when I ordered a white wine spritzer (something I would never normally drink) instead of the Scotch he was trying to persuade everyone to imbibe. Hey - I knew it was going to be a long night, I needed to pace myself. The drink was served in a wine glass, straight up, no ice and tasted inoffensive. Good start.



At 9pm we took a brisk hike slightly up hill to Second Street and the 21st Amendment (pictured above). This is a modern, large and welcoming bar with a solid reputation, near to the Ballpark. Fred and I had good memories of eating here in the past, so we decided this would be the perfect spot for a quick dinner to line our stomachs.

First, drinks. I ordered another spritzer. Ugh! This time it was served with mountains of ice in a tall beer glass using an obnoxious white wine. After my first taste I didn't even want another sip. Then I saw it. It was a a slice of pretty, pink watermelon, adorning a glass of beer. It triggered a distant memory of a post I read last year on Fatemeh's blog, Gastronomie, in which she described her love of 21A's Watermelon Wheat. I was sold. As beers go, this was a glass full of amber nectar, so summery, so subtle, so lip-smackingly good, even to an irregular beer drinker like me. I am sure macho, real ale drinkers would have looked down their noses at me in disbelief as I enjoyed a beer with a pink fruit aftertaste.


Although they have a blackboard outlining daily specials, both Fred and I decided to order from the regular menu. I went for the Classic Burger "21A" with grilled onions and tomato 8.95 plus swiss 1.00 plus mushrooms 1.50 and a side of their house made kettle chips.



This wasn't a life-changing burger but it sure was good. The meat was tasty and cooked perfectly to my medium rare specification. The bread was fine and the generous pile of plump, juicy, delicious mushrooms added to my enjoyment of the dish. The onions were gently cooked which was another bonus. The kettle chips - a great idea, were less consistent. Here and there I found one that was perfectly light and crisp but too many of them were overloaded with oil making them a greasy and less appealing option as a side.

Fred wasn't keen on his Pizza Margherita, 7.95, on first taste, but by the time he'd finished his pie (which they had smothered in extra parmesan cheese for him, at his request) he was raving about it. I am not quite sure what this suggests about his taste in food, except that he likes to chew on a question before making up his mind.



The next bar on our itinerary was mysteriously boarded up. Just as well, by this time we were behind schedule. So we soldiered on to the next rendezvous, The Hotel Utah. Here, a live band was playing which meant a cover was being charged at the door. We managed to persuade the doorman that we weren't interested in listening to the music, so he let us in without paying an admission and we all had another drink. This time, it was a refreshing campari and soda for me. And another one... I have to admit, Hotel Utah is not my favourite spot in town. There is nowhere to sit down (apart from a few stools in the narrow bar) for a chat and, well, I am getting old, I need to rest my weary pins these days. (Bring out the violins.)

The long and short of rest of the evening follows. A sobering walk to a friend's SoMa loft on 7th Street left us revived and ready for more. Our host had prepared a home bar for our arrival and we made dirty martinis with sweet and sour pickled carrots as stirrers. We had so much fun at his house, our eventual journey to the final bar, Annie's, was a little later than planned. This was a big shame. Annie's was where I was expecting to sing my best Karaoke in the key 'D-flat'. We were just seconds too late to make it onto the Karaoke list. Despite pleading and begging, the evil karaoke mistress would not budge. Hmmph. Annie's loss. It's now going to be at least another year before my work colleagues thrill at hearing me scream my own sorry version of the Sex Pistols' 'Anarchy in the UK'.

Never mind. We ended up, instead, at another friend's SoMa pad where I drowned my sorrows until three in the morning. Good night!

Hi Dive Pier 28 1/2 @ Bryant, San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-977-0170
21st Amendment 21st Amendment, 563 2nd Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, 415-369-0900
Hotel Utah 500 Fourth Street, San Francisco, California 94107, Bar: (415) 546-6300
Annie's Bar, 20 Annie Street,San Francisco, CA, (415)777-1102


posted in Food and Restaurants and Bars and Drinking and San Francisco

As the Bar Flies...

Indian Essence

My India, Curry & Spice Week must come to an end. Those of you who can count will know it has lasted about eleven days. I didn't realise when I started, quite how much material I had. Last week I was asking for Indian recipe book recommendations and I would like to thank everyone who offered suggestions via email and in the comments section of this blog. I will be weighing them up for my next purchase.



In the meantime my copy of Indian Essence arrived from Amazon. The author, Atul Kochhar, was one of the only two Indian chefs to have been awarded a Michelin Star. He achieved this honour whilst he was head chef at Tamarind restaurant in London. I chose this book because I wanted to try out some traditional recipes with a modern twist. In the future I'll let you know how I get on.

Because of my Indian themed series, I also missed out on my Bay Blogger of the Week feature last weekend. I was hoping to find an Indian food blog I could highlight but the pickings were slim. Instead, I have been keeping note of all of the blogs and posts that fitted in with my theme over the last week and a half. Now, as a way of drawing this subject to a close, I would like to share my findings with all of you. Here are the links to more Indian Essence:

Route 79 is a London-based blog that has a great section of Indian recipes with informative pictures. Check out this recipe for mint sauce.

My friend Amy has been India-inspired a couple of times this week. First she reviewed a ready-made Madras Curry Sauce and then she made a Frozen Mango Lassi.

On April 21st, one of my favourite Chef blogs, Knife's Edge posted a piece where he wondered why he nearly always goes vegetarian when eating Indian food.

Sarah at the The Delicious Life ate an Indian dinner out in Los Angeles. Read her review of the All India Cafe here. Whilst you are over at Sarah's, don't forget that tomorrow is the deadline for her brand new Dining Out meme with a "Bar Fly" theme.

Nupur, living in New York, is an Indian Food Blogger I have recently discovered. Check her out at One Hot Stove. I can't wait to catch up on more of her posts about Indian cooking.

Do you read Culiblog? You certainly should, she has a fresh perspective on everything food. She is just back from a trip to India so her blog is teeming with posts on the subject. She kindly set up a Dehli Nomadic Banquet category, so you can view all of her posts on the subject in one place. Fascinating stuff.

Back in the kitchen, here are some Indian-influenced recipes other food bloggers have been creating this week. Kitchen Chick gives us Orange Halva. The Green Jackfruit made a delicious-looking egg curry. I Like to Do Stuff cooked Butter Chicken and Tigers & Strawberries made Vindaloo whilst Grab Your Fork created one of my all-time favourites, Tarka Dhal.

That's it for India, Curry & Spice Week, folks. We hope you enjoyed the sprinkling of spice at Becks & Posh. We hope it won't be the last you'll see of us getting hot in the kitchen.

posted in Food and Indian and Curry and Blogging and Recipes

Indian Essence

Shalimar - Tenderloin - San Francisco

Shalimar 532 Jones St, San Francisco (415) 928-0333

Cooking in your own kitchen can make you go bananas! So instead of mixing, measuring, sauteing or producing a meal that is going to freak you out, have a wonderful dinner at one of the four Shalimar restaurants.
-The Shalimar Times, 2005.

Shalimar's large throw-away menu is fashioned like a newspaper. The front page lets you into The Shalimar Secret (fresh herbs, fresh produce, real spices, vegetables cut in even size pieces and crispy garnishes) and states their culinary philosophy (no frills, no nuevo cuisine, no substitutions to fit the local tastes).




I don't ever recall seeing a crispy garnish within these four walls, but if you want a no frills meal, Shalimar is certainly the place for it. Situated in the heart of the Tenderloin, it's not a dining location for people with no sense of adventure. It is probably not the best place for a romantic meal for two, either.
The interior is bright and stark. Fluorescent lighting ensures you can clearly see everything you are eating and everyone you are eating with. The menu is large, the prices are reasonable and the choices are plentiful.

On our last visit we tried a kebab that was dry, overcooked and none too appetizing, an unremarkable bhuna gosht curry that was thin and greasy plus a bengen bhujia eggplant dish that was too bland, oily and reduced to a mushy pulp.

Disappointed? Yes we were. And since discovering Darbar with its superior dishes, it's unlikely we'll back. Being cheap is a draw, but Darbar is about the same price and just has more overall appeal.

There is one caveat, however. Shalimar's naan breads are far superior to those at Darbar. Served whole, these enormous breads have just the right amount of blistering from the hot clay oven balanced with soft chewy dough. Yum!



Shalimar has another location on Polk Street, directly opposite Darbar. I wonder what they'd think if, as well as bringing in our beer in a brown paper bag, we smuggled a couple of our favourite Shalimar naan into Darbar? Or maybe we should set up a table in the dead centre of Polk Street and try ordering the best dishes from each of these great value little restaurants.

posted in Food and Restaurants and Indian and Curry and San Francisco

Shalimar - Tenderloin - San Francisco

Teaching Tim 2 - Tips on making Chicken Tikka Masala

Every day it becomes harder and harder to make a food blog stand out in any way from the multitude of new and simply amazing creations out there in Food Blog Land. But I think I have something that sets me aside from the rest of the crowd. How many other Food Blogs can boast a pin-up? And a male one no less. Yes, girls, Tim has been back in my kitchen and once again I am kind enough to share him with all of you. Since I gave Tim his first cooking lesson just over a month ago, he has been the focus of quite some attention with my readers. A local journalist told me that all of her friends were rather delighted by him, and when I went for dinner, recently, with a bunch of local cute, young, female food bloggers, they were almost begging me to let Tim into each of their charges for lessons in the future.

As we were in the middle of India, Spice & Curry Week at Becks & Posh, I suggested Tim should come over and learn to make that classic faux Indian English dish Chicken Tikka Masala. I took the recipe from Healthy Indian Cookery which I will lend to Tim when he wants to try this at home. This post is dedicated to giving him extra tips to help him as he tries to follow the recipe by himself.


The apron look is just so adorable! [Quote from a comment after Tim's last appearance on my blog]

First we made Tikka Paste. This involves a lot of different spices. As Tim lives in San Francisco I recommend he visits Bombay Bazar to stock up on everything he needs. I suggest to Tim that he should makes the paste in advance as the paste can be kept in the refrigerator. The recipe in the book makes enough paste to create two batches of Chicken Tikka Masala.



The recipe calls for red and yellow food colouring to give it a more vibrant colour. Preferring a more natural result, we all decided that this wasn't necessary.

The paste can be kept in the fridge in some sterilised jars. Here are some tips to help Tim with the sterilisation process (if he can be bothered). My translation (they make it sound over-complicated) is put the jars and their lids in a large pan of near boiling water. Bring to the boil for 10 minutes. Carefully remove with tongs and put on the oven shelf at low heat to dry out for 20 minutes. Leave to cool before filling with paste.



Tim dices the chicken, minces the onion, grates the ginger and mixes the meat with the spice and yogurt mixture. I suggested to Tim that before he starts chopping things up, he should read through the recipe carefully and measure out any of the spices he will need into small containers. Better still he could do this part the day before, especially if he is cooking for a date. The less he has to do in front of a dinner guest the better. Organisation is the key.



The chicken is grilled before being added to the curry sauce. Skewers are used for ease of turning the meat. My tip to Tim is to soak the skewers in water for 24 hours in advance in order to try and stop them burning. On this occasion we slightly overcooked the chicken. I suggest reducing the cooking time a few minutes and testing the inside of one of the pieces to avoid this problem in future.



There isn't much liquid in the masala sauce, even so, use quite a large pan, this stuff spits and splatters all over the place.



I blended the sauce in the pan with a hand mixer. This was pure laziness on my part. At the same time I lectured Tim on how he shouldn't follow my lead, but that he transfer the sauce to a proper tall-sided blending container before doing it himself. Showing off a little I told him that because of my years of experience, I would be able to manage it, myself, just fine. Famous last words! I covered the kitchen in blobs of tomato and I had to clean up the mess.



The final result. Quite delicious, extremely fragrant and flavourful. Serve over rice.



Fred, spoilt by his recent meal at Darbar told me that next time I make it, he doesn't want the healthy version made with low fat yoghurt and barely any oil. I guess that means the remaining tikka paste, I have in my fridge, is going to have to make friends with the butter and the cream instead. ..

Been offline over the weekend? Check out posts you might have missed on our India, Curry and Spice theme. On Saturday my Naan disaster attracted a huge conversation in the comments section, mostly from Owen and Dr Biggles on how to build a Tandoor oven in your own back yard. On Sunday, I made the easy but delicious Indian dessert Shrikhand for IMBB # 14, theme Orange Food. Check out all the other entries here.
There is a new food blogging event this week that I am really quite excited about. Dining Out #1 Bar Fly on April 28th is a brilliant idea from Sarah at Delicious Life. Check it out, I hope you'll be able to join in.

posted in Food and Restaurants and Recipes and India and Curry

Teaching Tim 2 - Tips on making Chicken Tikka Masala

Shrikand, an aromatic Indian Dessert

Whilst I have been writing posts on the subject of Indian food over the past week, a memory I'd completely forgotten suddenly came to the fore of my mind. Shrikhand! Somewhere, a long time ago, I don't recall where, I frequented a restaurant where they served this Indian dessert. Recollections of the taste and the texture flooded my thoughts. I had a sudden urge to make some because as well as fitting in with my theme of the week, it was haunting me and the memory of the taste was lingering on my tongue. Plus, most importantly, it is also a delicious shade of pale, golden orange.

The following recipe serves only one so increase measurements appropriately if you would like to serve more people. The recipe is incredibly easy and you can adapt the amount of sugar and cardamom to your own personal taste. I read through a few recipes online, saw how easy it was to do and then went ahead and prepared it, my way, without the aid of reference. I was also able to make it without a trip to the store. I already had everything I needed, you might be able to do the same thing.



First leave 1 cup of yoghurt (I used 2% fat Greek) wrapped in muslin to strain in the fridge for about 12 hours. Wrap the muslin tightly and suspend over a bowl to collect the water (over an 1/8th of a cup will be expelled). When ready, carefully open the muslin and put the strained yoghurt into a bowl.



Gently dry-heat a small frying pan or skillet and toast 1/2 tsp saffron for about 1 minute, just to let the moisture evaporate. Do not cook! Grind the saffron to a fine dust in a pestle and mortar. Measure 1 tsp Rose Water into a tiny bowl and brush the saffron dust into it. Mix together well with a little spoon to make a vivid orange liquid. Beat this into the yoghurt together with 2 tsp sieved powdered (icing) sugar, and 2 pinches of cardamom. When all the ingredients are blended thoroughly return to the refrigerator to chill for at least 20 minutes before serving, topped with a few slivers of pistachio.

My version uses much less sugar than the traditional recipes. I find that the strength of the flavours and spices makes this little treat so interesting that I don't need any extra sweetness. If you want a sweeter version, just add more sugar, 1 tsp at a time and keep tasting until you have the desired result. The flavour of this unusual dish really does stay with you for a while after eating. It is mesmerising. No wonder that memory had firmly lodged itself in a box somewhere in the back of my mind, waiting for the appropriate moment to burst out and unleash itself on me again.



posted in Food and Recipes and India and Cooking

Shrikand, an aromatic Indian Dessert

Note to Self

Dear Sam
Please remember you do not have a tandoor oven.
It is futile to even think of making naan bread.
It might look pretty but it tastes like cardboard.

posted in Food and Indian and Recipes

Note to Self

Lager & Curry in Soho, London, on a typical Friday night.

Read a more recent, up-to-date post about the Maharani here.

At about the time I publish this post, it will already be Friday afternoon in London. My English friends will already be thinking about which pub they'll be heading to once 6.30pm comes around. It might be The George or The White Horse on Newburgh Street, pictured below. Last Summer, when we snapped this picture, I was guide to Fred on his first trip with me to London. I told him that the British drink outside wherever they can and that if he wants to eat late (which he always does), we'll show him a thing or two about eating late.



Although its not one of our better pictures, I love it because it absolutely captures the essence of a typical Friday night in Soho. If the slightest hint of sun has been out, literally hundreds of people gather on the sidewalks outside the 48 pubs in this tiny West End district no bigger than one square mile. They talk they drink, they buy rounds generously, asking everyone they know if they'd like a drink and include the friends of the friends who they may never have met before. It's the way things are, and it's the way I was, before I moved to a more Californian way of life. Yes, I miss it sometimes, but there are things about it I can do without. The night the above picture was taken, I went to the bar. "Do you have champagne by the glass?" "No." "Oh, can I have a Seabreeze please?" "No." "How about a vodka with grapefruit and cranberry?" "No." "Ok, I better have a Campari and soda then." At last. Yes, the thing I hate about pubs is that they are often geared towards beer-drinking males and have a smaller selection of drinks that appeal to women, unless you are satisfied with a sugary synthetic-tasting alcopop like a Barcardi Breezer.

Enough of the drinking, this is meant to be Curry week. I'm just trying to give you a window on this cultural phenomenon. The Soho norm is to drink right until the 11pm closing time (about 5 hours in total) and then dash to a local Indian restaurant (everywhere is in walking distance) for some late night nosh. By this point, some individuals can be a bit leery and I am always astounded by the grace with which the restaurants handle large groups of intoxicated customers.

The curry house of choice was nearly always The Maharani on Berwick Street.



The food at The Maharani (above & below) is actually a little bit more interesting than most high-street Indian Restaurants. They have some more unusual items on their menu, fish curries and even chaat appetizers like bhel puri.



Another of my favourite Indian Restaurants is called Gopals on Bateman Street which is where I took Fred last summer, at 11pm after he'd had at least 5 pints of Guinness. There are two things I always remember about Gopals. The potato patties with a tamarind sauce and the rice, which contains fresh coconut. Both of these items are memorably good. Ummm, I am getting hungry just thinking about them and I haven't even had my breakfast yet.

Below you will see a picture of what the damage looks like after a late night curry at Gopals. Yes, it's true, Brits seem to have room for more beer, even after a 5 hour stint in the pub:




Plain popadoms? In the UK, plain popadoms are the norm. In CA, I have only ever seen spicy popadoms served. Does anyone out there know any restaurants in the Bay area that serve the plain variety. Or have you seen them in a store? If yes, please let me know, thanks.


Maharani 77 Berwick Street, London, W1V 3PF, 0207 287 0233
Gopals Of Soho Indian Restaurant 12 Bateman Street, London, W1V 5TD, 0207 434 1621




posted in Food and Restaurants and Curry and London and Beer and Soho

Lager & Curry in Soho, London, on a typical Friday night.

Cooking Indian Food at Home

The other weekend Fred and I invited eleven friends to our house for a housewarming dinner. Although I had cooked Indian food for many of them before, they all love it so much I knew they wouldn't mind if I repeated myself.

The only recipe book I currently have for cooking Indian food is called Healthy Indian Cooking by Shehzad Husain and Manisha Kanani. It is a really great book. Not only does every recipe have a large colour photograph, there are also smaller pictures illustrating each step of the recipe too.

There are over 150 recipes, including a variety of meat, seafood and vegetable curries and other spiced dishes. The reason I am particular fan is that each dish tastes markedly different. A lot of care has been taken to make each recipe unique. Although the book sells itself on being healthy, you wouldn't necessarily notice. If you prefer something richer you can easily adapt the recipes by using butter and cream instead of the oil and low fat yoghurt suggested.

This book also shows you how to blend your own curry powders, garam masala, curry and tikka pastes. Making, instead of buying, these essentials will ensure your curries are wonderfully fragrant with optimum flavour.

There are recipes in this book I have made over and over again. Spicy Spring Lamb Roast, Tarka Dhal and Basmati Rice with Peas & Curry Leaves are my three absolute favourites. Others I really love and keep returning to include Chicken Tikka Masala, Prawn Curry and Stuffed Baby Vegetables.



You have to be organised when you cook Indian food. First make sure you have all the spices you'll need. This means carefully going through recipes in advance and writing down how much of each spice is necessary for all of the recipes you will be making. Tot up the totals and make sure you have enough of everything in stock. If not, visit your local Indian Market for cheap supplies of all the dry goods you'll need.

For our recent dinner I made at least nine different dishes from this recipe book. To ensure success and make my life easier I knew I had to plan ahead. The day before cooking I measured all of the spices for each of the dishes into bowls which I wrapped up and labeled with the matching recipe. This task took well over an hour, but it certainly made the cooking procedure less stressful the following day.




All this talk of curry made me hungry for another Indian recipe book. So, without any recommendations whatsoever, I brashly bounded over to Amazon and ordered one that took my fancy. I am sure I will share it with you all when it arrives, but in the meantime, what about you? Do you have an Indian recipe book you know and love? If you will, let us know about your own particular favourite and the reason you cherish it so much. Thank you for your comments.



posted in Food and Recipes and Indian and Cooking and Books and Curry

Cooking Indian Food at Home

Darbar Pakistani & Indian Cuisine

1412 Polk Street, Between California and Pine, 415 359 1236




My latest post for SFist in which I am eating my way around the Bay area in alphabetical order has been published. This piece is written in typical SFist, rather than the usual Becks & Posh, style.

No self-respecting Londoner would ever move to San Francisco in search of curry. Yes, London. The home of no less than two Michelin-starred Indian Chefs and more curry houses than you can shake a sheek kebab at. (And that's just on Brick Lane.) What are the poor old expats to do when searching for a fix of post-lager Chicken Tikka Masala at 11pm on a Friday night? The answer is probably, not much, save fly straight back to Blighty. If forking out several hundred dollars for a plane ticket inflates the value of a plate of biryani a few dollars over the level of excessive, then tell your English mates they could do worse than try Darbar instead.

Darbar will do nothing to vanquish delirious longings from a British insomniac kept awake by nightmarish thoughts about a world without Plain Popadoms, with no Chicken Rezala and devoid of Prawn Puris. Darbar is not decorated with flocked wallpaper, nor is the floor padded with a swirly-patterned burgundy carpet. At Darbar you don't get to rest your lardy arse on a soft, but well farted-upon claret-coloured velvet chair. No food warmer powered by little tea lights is set on your table to keep your food warm, but, so what, we're not in England now, we have no choice but to do curry the San Francisco way.
Darbar is a cute little place on Upper Polk where you might normally expect to order your cheap Indian food at the counter in an ugly neon-lit room, as you hide your bring-your-own beer in a brown paper bag on a Formica table. Darbar stands out from these neighbours by offering a prettier setting, painted walls framed with pictures, tables that are clean and set for dinner, waiter service, and a proprietor who loves nothing more than to socialize with his customers whilst bringing them a glass for that beer or wine.
What price do we pay for this luxury? Well, not much more than the foodies perennial bargain basement favourite, Shalimar.
For $2 our Seekh kebab was superb. A skillet-sizzling, juicy, fat, meaty, spiced pink sausage on a bed of hissing onions landed on our table with aplomb. Beyond any doubt, this was the best version we've ever tasted and a bargain to boot. Shalimar charges exactly the same for its inferior version which has none of the grace or the quality of Darbar's super-fresh, straight-from the oven offering.
Two vegetarian samosas stuffed with potatoes and peas for $1.99 were less of a wow. The dough was uncooked beneath the surface and the vegetable stuffing was unexceptional. To be truthful, we prefer the samosas at Wholefoods in SoMa.
At $5.99 Darbar's aubergine dish, the Bagnan Bharta composed of roasted eggplant with potato, peas and darbari spices is a good dollar more than Shalimar's sloppy, featureless equivalent, Bengen Bhujia. One extra dollar is a small price to pay for a serving of delicious vegetable curry where each of the ingredients has it's own form and identity but partners with its neighbours to result in a fresh, tasty, not too oily, well-spiced dish. Darbar's curries are topped with fresh cut herbs too, an unusual touch at this price point.
Darbar's Sarson Ka Saag, $5.99 is another vegetarian dish, this one made with mustard spinach and darbari herbs. The green leaves are cooked to a soft mush, and although tasty, the texture might be too much like puree for some. For this reason, we don't recommend Darbar's spinach as a main, although it would be a great little side to share among four or so people.
It's common enough knowledge that Chicken Tikka Masala is a British invention. Until today, though, we weren't aware of the myth which suggests an obstinate diner somewhere in Scotland over 30 years ago, demanded gravy on tandoori chicken. Rumours abound that the chef responded by adding a tin of Campbell's tomato soup and pinch of spices to the meat and so Britain's most popular dish was born. Darbar's own version, at $5.99, does nothing to dispel that particular legend. The pieces of meat are drowning in a sea of a bright orange-red, creamy, buttery soup-like sauce, that reminded us of Heinz Tomato, but considering our geography was more likely to have been Campbells, if indeed it was made from soup. Our dining companion, not one to shy away from rich food, unsurprisingly polished this off, smacking his lips and barely allowing us even a mouthful.
As we prefer to receive a giant plain naan that we can tear and share, we were disappointed that the bread, $0.99, was already cut into four before serving. It was a pretty standard naan, a little too much on the soft side. It needed more blistering on the fatter areas of the dough.
Darbar's boss, kindly offered us complimentary tea after our meal. (All of his dinner guests received the same treatment.) We accepted but didn't expect it to take so long to arrive. When it finally materialized it was so scorching hot, the spiciness of our food became a distant memory, this was the part of the evening when we actually got to burn our tongues. [Warning - this tea contains milk.]
Much of Darbar's menu is actually Pakistani, not Indian. The owner told us that we could tell which was which by the amount of cream and butter in a dish. Generally those without dairy are the Pakistani dishes. He also told us that Darbar endeavours to use less dairy and less oil to create a healthier menu, although this fact isn't advertised anywhere. He's obviously doing something right, the food certainly did seem fresher and less greasy than it is at other similarly-priced joints in the neighbourhood. You might also be interested to know that they only use halal meat.
The adventurous amongst you might like to try out some of the more challenging dishes on offer such as Lamb Brain Masala or Goat Meat cooked with Pickle, all of them under $6.
Our bill for the two appetizers, rice, naan and three curries came to $27 before tip. Although it has the definite edge on comfort and quality, Darbar is in the same league as the other super-cheap local joints, price wise, making it our new favourite spot to eat curry in the 'loin.

Mon-Sun: 11.00am to 10:00pm




posted in Food and Restaurants and Curry and San Francisco

Darbar Pakistani & Indian Cuisine

News Flash - English Food the Best in the World!

I have to interrupt India Curry & Spice Week for a second for a serious announcement. Amy emailed me yesterday to let me know that Heston Blumenthal's English Fat Duck restaurant was voted the best in the world, knocking The French Laundry off its perch. Read the full story here.


You may have noticed my little one-person blogging crusade to try and let the world know that English food isn't all bad. Now I have been vindicated. (Even if the awards were hosted by a British magazine, pah, so what, no one complained when Thomas Keller won). I visited England recently and did some pretty good dining out. I bought back some English fare to share with quite a few of my San Francisco blogging friends. Check out one new blogger who really embraced their gift, Alice. She created a fabulous feast using the Jules & Sharpie hot apple and sage jelly I gave her. Wow!


Fred sometimes remarks to me that he doesn't like the comments people leave on blogs. He finds them too sweet, too insipid, too adoring. I have to disagree with him, of course. But maybe, today, as I gloat, just a little, over the new world restaurant order, I will attract some more abusive responses that will be to his liking. Bring it on...

posted in Food and Restaurants and English

News Flash - English Food the Best in the World!

Sucettes d'Agneau aux Epices et Lassi Vert

Aujourd hui j'essai de parler Francais ('Franglais' vraiment) pour Blog Appetit Mon Francais n'est pas bon, mais peut etre vous allez me trouver charmante, comme Jane Birkin? J'espere...

Les ingredients pour cette Blog appetit sont l'Agneau et les petits pois.

Pour moi, l'inspiration de cette recette viend d'Inde. Le nom Anglais de ma creation est "Spiced Lollipop Lamb with Green Lassi"
C'est un "Souper pour deux"

Pour les Sucettes d'Agneau
1/2 tsp de garam masala
1/2 tsp de poudre de cumin,
1/2 tsp d'ail, hache finement
1/2 tsp de gingembre frais, hache finement
1 tbsp de confiture de figue
1/4 tsp de concentre de tamarind
1/2 tsp de sel
1 tsp d'huile vegetale
4 cotelettes d'Agneau
Mixez ensemble tous les ingredients sauf l'agneau.
Brossez les cotelettes avec le melange d'epices.
Marinee pendant 24h dans le frigo.

Pour le Lassi Vert
200ml de yaourt froid
500ml d'eau tres froide
150g de petits pois frais
2 tbsp de menthe fraiche, hache finement
1tsp de sel
Faire bouillir les petits pois pendant 3 minutes.
Passez au tami les peits pois pour obtenir une puree.
Laissez refroidir.
Melangez l'eau, le yaourt, la puree de petits pois, et la menthe avec un mixer.
Versez le melange dans les verres.
Decorez avec les graines de cumin.

Grillez les cotelettes agneau, rose, 2 minutes de chaque cote
Laissez reposer les cotelettes deux minutes avant de servir avec le lassi vert.
Yum, delicieux!
Ma recette est un idee creative. Experimentez avec des indredients differents si vous le voulez.
Savourez!

Les pois sont ici.

Mon amie Francaise, Del, a faire un illustration pour cette recette. Le Blog de Del, Non Dairy Diary ici.

My French friend, Del, created a wonderful illustration just for my Blog Appetit recipe. Check out Del's beautiful blog, Non Dairy Diary here.

In English Spiced Lollipop Lamb with Green Lassi
Mix together 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp minced ginger, 1 tbsp fig spread, 1/4 tsp tamarind concentrate, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp vegetable oil. Brush onto 4 chops from a 'frenched' rack of lamb. Leave to marinate for 24 hours.
Boil 1 cup of petits pois 3 minutes, sieve to form a puree. Cool completely. Blend with 1 cup of plain yoghurt, 2 1/2 cups ice cold water, 2 table spoons of minced mint leaves and a tsp of salt.
Broil the lamb chops a couple of minutes each side until pink inside. Leave to rest for two minutes. Pour the green lassi into two glasses and serve, for a light supper, with the spiced lamb lollipops.
Think of this recipe as a creative inspiration. You can easily experiment with different ingredients along the same lines.



posted in Food and Blog Appetit and Spices and blogging

Sucettes d'Agneau aux Epices et Lassi Vert

Bombay Bazar - Valencia Street - San Francisco

Bombay Bazar, 548 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 621-1717



The first place I visit to stock up on dry Indian food products and spices is the Bombay Bazar in San Francisco's bustling, busy Mission District.



Bulk supplies of all sorts of dry Indian ingredients are on offer at the Bombay Bazar. Dessicated coconut, ghee, lentils, corainder, cumin, tumeric, garam masala (if you don't have time to make your own), gram flour, dahi vada mix, rosewater, onion seeds and much, much more.

If you are lucky they might even have fresh curry leaves which are an aromatic addition to my favourite rice dish. I keep these in my freezer for those times when fresh curry leaves just can't be found. If you have never tried fresh curry leaves you should - their scent and flavour is mesmerizing.

Bombay Bazar have almost everything I need to cook an Indian feast, except meat, fish, yoghurt and vegetables which need to be purchased elsewhere. Oh, and dried mint leaves, they don't have those, but I found them at Wholefoods instead.

Next door, Bombay Bazar has a very basic little chaat cafe where you can buy savoury snacks, Kulfi and Indian icecream with flavours like pistachio and cardamom to either eat in or to go.

Is Bombay Bazar the best place to go for Indian supplies in San Francisco? I imagine there are some great places in the South and East Bays too but my own experience is limited. Please share your own personal favourites in the comments section.

[Don't forget these upcoming food and wine blogging events: Sugar High Friday Black & Sticky April 22, Is My Blog Burning #14 The Colour Orange April 24th, Dining Out #1 Bar Fly April 28th and Wine Blogging Wednesday #9 rosé, May 11th. Last but not least, you would be foolish to forget End of the Month Egg on Toast Extravaganza #6 but I am not sure who this month's host will be, just yet?]

posted in Food and Indian and Spices and Curry and San Francisco

Bombay Bazar - Valencia Street - San Francisco

My own personal journey towards the world of Indian curry.

First I have to make a disclaimer. I am British, not Indian. I have never been to India (although Fred has). My entire knowledge of curry is based on the British versions of it. I am aware that British Indian Curry is not necessarily authentic. This is not a bad thing. The fact that curry has become popular enough in the UK for Foreign Secretary Robin Cook to describe that completely faux curry invention, Chicken Tikka Masala as "Britain's true national dish" goes some way to suggesting the Brits like their own interpretation of Indian curry, a lot.




History of my discovery of curry. (all dates approximate)

• Circa 1980. Whilst taking a Commonwealth Badge for her Queen's Guide , Sam bakes the examiner some Indian Chapati Bread.
  
• Circa 1982. Sam goes to dinner at the home of her teenage sweetheart, Benjamin Allen. His parents are trendy. His mother (shock, horror!) is wearing the same style of clothes as teenager Sam and dangly earrings, to boot. She cooks Indian food. Sam is, at first, terrified about eating something so new and strange, but after the meal, is very impressed.
  
• Circa 1986. Sam is at college in Bournemouth, taking a degree in Communication and Media Production. One of her flatmates suggest they all go out for an Indian. Why not? They even order a bottle of Mateus Rosé wine. How grown up and sophisticated is that? It's not the wine, but the food that blows Sam away. As a vegetarian she is impressed by the variety of tasty dishes available.
  
• Circa 1988. Sam buys her first Indian cook book. She thinks it was called The Indian Vegetarian Cookbook. She cooks up an Indian feast including homemade paneer cheese which she pairs with peas to make mutter paneer.
  
• Circa 1988. Sam moves to London where she discovers Drummond Street. The street is well-know for its string of South Indian Vegetarian restaurants that serve dhosas and chaat. The food is cheap and tasty.
  
• For a huge birthday lunch treat, Sam and her then boyfriend decide to try out the Veeraswamy. It touts itself as the oldest Indian restaurants in the UK. It's a little bit more fancy that your average Indian and is situated on an upper floor with picture windows overlooking Regent Street. Back in the late 80s The Veeraswamy did a Sunday buffet lunch special for something like £10 per person. Cheap compared to their regular menu, but only just about affordable for Sam at that time. Sam recalls elegance, live piano and wait staff who on learning they were vegetarian arranged for several extra dishes that weren't on the buffet, to be prepared for them.
  
• Circa 1989. Sam meets up with an old friend from college at a pub called The George in Soho. They put a little change in a slot machine for a bit a laugh. Twenty minutes later they've won the grand sum of £10. (A lot of money in those days.) They hike up to Drummond Street and splurge on a huge Indian Vegetarian feast.
  
• Circa 1995-2001 Sam and her work colleagues meet up at a Soho pub nearly every Friday night. Not until at least closing time (11pm) do they make their way to their favourite (where favourite means within stumbling distance and still open at that late hour) spot, The Maharani, for a late night, delicious, beery, curry feast. (More on the Soho experience later in the week.)
  
• Circa 2001. Sam moves to San Francisco where she and her English Friends are depressed about the state of Indian Dining in the Bay Area.
  
• Circa 2002 Some of those same English friends buy Sam a copy of Healthy Indian Cooking and she starts cooking Indian Food again.
  
• Circa 2003 Sam and Fred discover the Tenderloin District and all the great places to find a curry there at very reasonable prices. It's not like English curry, but it will do just fine.

posted in Food and India and Curry and Memories and England

My own personal journey towards the world of Indian curry.

Bay Area Blogger of the week #5 Food Musings

I only discovered Catherine Nash's Chitter Chatter about Food in the San Francisco area recently. She is a freelance writer and like so many of us, her favourite subject is food. Join Catherine and her Mr Food Musings on their journey of culinary discovery here. Her blog is the usual mix of recipes, discoveries and restaurant critiques, mainly in the Bay Area.

There is a special reason I am featuring Food Musings today, of all days. Recently I noticed Catherine's post about making paneer. In my youth, I used to make paneer, too, so her description brought back an old memory for me. When Catherine exclaimed "I'm not a crazed dairy maid wannabe. I promise. I'm just obsessed with Indian food. I eat it till I'm sick," I realised we had something in common.

On reading her statement of obsession it became clear we are both big fans of Indian food. This got me thinking. I currently have enough Indian food material to probably keep this blog full of spicy posts for about a week.

I therefore declare it to be India, Curry & Spice Week here on Becks & Posh.

Look out for these upcoming posts:

• Food memories - the start of my love affair with curry.
  
• Indian Restaurant Reviews
  
• More Teaching Tim. San Francisco's most eligible bachelor hopes I'll teach him how to whip up a batch of Chicken Tikka Masala.
  
• Blog Appetit (en Francais) with a touch of India.
  
• My favourite Indian Cookery Book.
  
• My favourite Indian product suppliers in San Francisco.
  
• Hosting an Indian dinner party.
  
• How to make beautiful looking naan bread that tastes nothing like.
  
• How to eat curry, Soho-style.
  
• Indian Food Retrospectives from my archives.
  

No promises that I am going to get through all of these subjects, but I'll give it a try. I hope you'll come back and join me as things get a bit spicy in the Becks & Posh kitchen.


posted in Food and Blogging and Indian and Curry

Bay Area Blogger of the week #5 Food Musings

Think Pink ! Wine Blogging Wednesday #9 is announced.

It has not escaped my notice that some - people - have difficulty remembering the colour of the wine they are supposed to critique for Lenndevour's virtual, monthly meme, Wine Blogging Wednesday. So now, in its ninth edition, I am tickled pink to announce that this month, countries of origin are completely redundant. As a member of that exclusive club of bloggers who are obviously colour-impaired, I hereby declare we should all forget about common but oh so confusing, every day wine colours like red and white and just think pink instead.
Yes, this month's communal wine tasting is on the theme of anything at all rosé. A review of any wine that looks like my favourite colour will be welcome to join in on Wednesday May 11th.

If you would like to take part in WBW#9, choose a rosé wine, look at it, sniff it, taste it, drink and then write something about it. Photograph it too, if you are so inclined, and then post your findings, on your blog, on Wednesday May the 11th. If you can, give us some background details, history, winemakers, place of purchase, cost. Just so you know, some bloggers like to suggest food pairings too, but this is not, by any means, a must. You don't have to be an expert wine taster to join in either. WBW warmly welcomes particpants with any level of experience, from beginners (like me) to expert wine bloggers with wine-dedicated blogs.

Shortly after the May 11th deadline I will do a roundup of all of the entries. The result, hopefully, will be a collection of varied and interesting rosé wines from all over the world. Maybe someone will be able to blog about the first bottle of wine I think I ever ordered in a restaurant, Mateus Rose . (oh yes, I am a girl with such class!) Please send me an email with your pink post on May 11th for inclusion in the roundup.

I am not going to give you a list of suggestions, because I would like you all just to go for it without influencing your choice. Summer is just around the corner and the sun is about to peek his head out from behind the clouds which is the best excuse to get outside, breathe some fresh air, and enjoy a nice chilled glass of some gorgeous-looking, thirst-quenching, pretty in pink wine. If you are stuck for ideas, just ask your local wine merchant for recommendations. Oh, I can hardly wait. Enjoy, oh, and cheers everyone!

For more information about Food & Wine Blogging Community events visit the Is My Blog Burning website.

posted in Wine and Blogging

Think Pink ! Wine Blogging Wednesday #9 is announced.

That Saucisson Sec

Do you remember that a while back I left Fred in charge of a saucisson sec for a week, whilst I went to Bristol to visit my family. The saucisson, from our favourite charcuterie vendor, The Fatted Calf wasn't sec enough. Sec means dry.



A few days into my absence, Fred decided that it had dried out enough for eating. I am happy to report the good news that Fred's years in the Saucisson Sec wilderness have come to an end. This almost-impossible-to-find-in-the-USA version of his French favourite is very good indeed. We still have a little bit left, but are keeping our fingers crossed that The Fatted Calf will be making a new batch again soon.

posted in Food and Charcuterie

That Saucisson Sec

The Old Passage Inn - Arlingham - Gloucestershire - England

Arlingham Gloucestershire GL2 7JR +44 (0) 1452 740547
Visit the Old Passage Inn website here


The Old Passage Inn is situated in a remote part of Gloucestershire on a bleak stretch of Britain's longest river, The Severn. You need a map to find this place, but it is worth the effort. Last year the restaurant was rewarded with a Best Seafood Pub in England Award. My mother, who grew up in the Gloucestershire countryside, had recently rediscovered this little gem and decided to take me and my grandmother there for lunch.

After being seated and ordering drinks, we were bought a delicious basket of fresh, warm, wholewheat, cheese & herb, olive and tomato bread rolls partnered by a yellow, pat of salty butter. Very good indeed.


A long time had passed since I'd eaten some British oysters. I bypassed the one French option and settled for one each of the three Cornish oysters from the restaurant's seawater tanks. I did a mix and match, but the prices for three of a kind were as follows:
Fowey Pacific No 2 £4.40 for 3
Salcombe No 2 £4.80 for 3
Helford Native Oysters No 2 £7.70 for 3
All of the oysters were on the small side which is how I prefer them. Out of the three, the most expensive, the Helford, was my least favourite. It was briny and salty. It tasted a little too much of the sea.
The Salcombe Oysters were sweet and delicious. I wish I'd ordered just three of them. But the Foweys were almost as tasty, too, so all was not lost.
[In case you were wondering what Helford might actually look like, here is a picture of me, aged 2 hanging out in this Cornish seaside village.]


Potted Shrimps served with toast and salad £ 5.50
My grandmother's choice was formed from tiny little nutmeg-scented shrimps set in a ramekin and held together with hardened butter.


Risotto with deep fried squid rings with balsamic vinegar £8.70
My mother's appetizer was quite bizarre and not quite what we were expecting. The portion was overly large for an appetizer, the squid was spongy-textured, the rice was a little hard and the balsamic was pungent, unrefined and overpowering. The dish was too sweet with a lack of contrasting flavours.


Roast Cornish Skate Wing on a bed of garlic mash with nut-brown butter, capers, parsley and lemon butter £15.90
Superb, soft, long white flakes of moist fish. A buttery sauce and fat, juicy capers, this dish was just perfect. The quality of the Skate shone through. It was a pleasure to consume.


Beer Battered North Cornish Cod fillet with hand cut chips, lemon and tartare sauce £11.70
My grandmother declined to offer us any of her fish (wise woman), but she couldn't manage all of her chips so my mother and I dived in. They were better than any chip I've tasted in a long, long, time. The choice of potato (I didn't think to ask which one), was perfect, the size was large enough to result in a decent-sized mouthful, (none of this French Fries crap with your fish and chips, thank you very much). The outside was crispy enough and the inside was pillowy enough to elevate these pieces of fried potato, in my mind, to a level where they deserve to be worshipped.


Pan-fried Dover Sole Meuniere with nut-brown butter, parsley and lemon juice £17.50
Like the skate, this more delicate fish was simply perfect.


I shocked my mother by ordering a side of parsnips. It wasn't a price issue, a side is included with each main course for a small £1.50 supplement. I didn't like parsnips as a child, but my tastes have matured and now I think they are fine. These ones, roasted with golden syrup and mustard were particularly moreish.


A few seconds later my mother was even more shocked when I asked for some curly kale. I admit, I didn't order it with confidence. If it was true to say I didn't like parsnips as a child, then it would be even more true to say I hated kale with a vengeance. But had my mother gently stewed the kale in about half a pound of butter for me when I was a kid, I am sure it wouldn't have taken me quite so many years to come to the realization that Kale isn't bad after all!


I think my grandmother really enjoyed herself that day. I know I did.Thanks for the lunch, mum!

posted in Food and Restaurants and Seafood and Gloucestershire and England

The Old Passage Inn - Arlingham - Gloucestershire - England