When it is Avocado season, I go mad using avocados in every possible recipe. My dear husband is flabbergasted because the only recipe per him, that does justice to an avocado is Guacamole. Inevitably there is always a batch in the fridge for him, but I need more creative uses for the lovely stone fruit.
I’m always on the lookout for wonderful little spaces that serve as an oasis from the hustle and bustle of our dear burgeoning city. Located on the Lavelle Road offshoot in the erstwhile space occupied by Cinnamon and now the GoodEarth store, is the very welcoming Fresh Pressery Café. An extension of the cold pressed chain – Fresh Pressery’s ideology, the café caters to all those health nuts that like their food and drink – light and healthy.
Bangalore has suddenly become cooler, thanks to a Bento box delivered to your doorstep! Now we can eat sashimi and sushi at home in our pajamas – the deliverance of couch potatoes and Netflix addicts. Shiro is pioneering the trend and I tried a couple of their offerings this weekend. I reckon I’m off to a great start!
It’s an oxymoron, Salad Pizza. But seemingly disparate things do seem to find a place in my heart and my kitchen. I can’t really take credit for this pizza idea. I chanced across this in a darling little pizza joint that’s opened close to my house. (Review soon enough…). Tomatoes and Arugula on a Crisp Pizza base! With the recent bumper luck of arugula availability at my door step – it’s also super easy to make.
If there is a salad leaf that’s got a special place in my heart – it’s Arugula. So when I find it in the market, I’m going to treat it with a lot of love. The gorgeous peppery Arugula needs very little to make it shine. A simple balsamic dressing to give it the right amount of zing, coupled with some luscious sidekicks like Feta, Cranberries and Walnuts.
I hardly find Arugula in the market these days. All the good stuff is siphoned off by restaurants and we are literally left with little or none of this zingy, peppery, salad leaf. So every time I want to eat Arugula or Rocket, I need to go to a fancy restaurant and order their over-priced salads. I know a lot of friends with green thumbs who just scoff at the idea that I don’t grow my own arugula. According to them, it is insanely easy to grow – almost like a ‘salad leaves for dummies’ kinda thing. Unfortunately none of them realize that I have managed to kill even the most resilient cacti, given enough time!
Now ‘quaint’ is a word that is loosely used with a lot of cafes in Bangalore – a practice that must stop, after visiting the Café of Joy. This café can now claim monopoly of the term, with its picket fences, an all white theme with lavender accents and the most interesting knick knacks! If not for the in-your-face-signage of Bhagini restaurant next door, I could almost imagine that I stepped into a gorgeous café in the German countryside. And I’m not saying that because of the cute figurines of the German baker couple, or the little white cow milk pourers, or the cow butter dishes, or the fact that the board says Brot.Gateaux.Biscotti. (Ok, that is very German :P) But I’m game for a little round of active imagination and if their desire was to transport me to a European café – game well played! We heard that apart from cakes, artisanal breads, and baked goodies (produced at their on-site bakery) they also serve lunch. So on Saturday, a really talented baker friend and …
I bought a lovely multigrain loaf from Bliss Chocolates. Yes, yes…they now bake loaves, pita, lavash, foccacia and a host of other yeasty delights. And their packaging is quite nice as well and you know I’m a sucker for such things anyway. After I polished off half a loaf with just olive oil and some balsamic vinegar, I was left thinking how wonderfully this bread would lend itself to my chicken salad. I know it’s winter and a Chicken Salad is more of a light summery meal. But in Bangalore, the sun still shines nice and bright and the skies are awash with my favorite shade of blue. It’s not fair is it? 😛 This basic recipe has many tricks up it’s sleeve. a. You can make this ahead and keep it in the fridge, the flavors just get better. b. So needless to say, it’s a great picnic staple! c. Serve it on some cucumber roundels and you have a fancy cocktail snack at a party! d. I ate this for lunch, so yes …
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