Category: FOOD

The Oregano Santa

Yeah…Skeety has a different Santa from that of you guys. Hers, unlike yours isn’t red, but blue and red (dress wise o’course). He comes anytime of the year, month or day, whenever she calls him, unlike yours who throws a lot of weight around, appears once a year, dresses in red (ol right I know Skeety loves red), wears a fake white beard, fills up your socks (how uncool) with goodies and may sometimes not even deliver what YOU want.
Skeety’s Oregano Santa is known by the layman as Domino’s delivery boy. The one you people start bullying, even if he is just one second late than the 30-minute deadline. Duh!
Skeety is no Domino’s fan. As a matter of fact, she despises the Domino’s Pizza that most drool over. Only GREEK works for her.
Anyway, the Oregano Santa gets Skeety a pouch full of flavourful oregano sachets. He gives her a generous number of sachets on his own. But what Skeety likes about him, is the fact that he does not hesitate to let go ALL the supply of the oregano in his pouch, if Skeety asks for it. And does she love it?!
Later, Skeety safely tucks away all the sachets in a tumbler, while the family is busy downing the pizzas. These are thereafter used for making toasted bread with toppings that vary from butter, parmesan cheese n black pepper, or just about any other cheese that Skeets is fond of.

The story of My Pleasure Cavern and Fondue

A late morning cuppa, a quick brunch, a quiet evening.
In introspection. In jubilance. In gloom.

Whenever Skeety does not want to tax her brain about the place she should be headed to, the brain, on its own, pops out the answer: MARKER CAFE.
Pleasant blue walls, good service, decent food, serene ambience – I show you, today, My Beloved Pleasure Cavern.

In one of the backlanes of Khan Market, I climb up a dozen broad stairs to reach this place.
And then, the fun begins.
This winter, I was there to sample their Fondue.
Skeety knows that the Fondue being a community dish, is not meant to be had alone, but then, for want of peace, Skeety had it all by herself 😛

Okay, Skeety did order the Kahwa alongwith. If that is any relief for those who go back with growling tummies after reading my posts 😛


The Fondue is tastefully served in an earthern pot (with a tealight flickering beaneath to keep the cheese bubbling) with squared pieces of bread and crackers.


People at Market Cafe happily admit that they don’t do an authentic Fondue, but what is their own variant of the original recipe. And Skeety says it tastes oh-so-lovely, though she is YET to taste the real thing.
The Kahwa was not as good as it ought to be. But then, they claim to have learnt it from a Kashmiri guy whose preparation is much appreciated in the Delhi party circuit.
The Hot Chocolate Mud Pie is their clame to fame and I absolutely love the Goat’s cheese on baked Walnut bread with Za’tar that they do.
Coming back to the Fondue (which is the swiss national dish), there are interesting legends which do rounds as the printed word spreads across the globe through some of those wonderfully bound books on food (not recipes books, mind you).
I will share two with you:
One goes that during the harsh winters, the shepherds of the Alps, having little or no vegetation around, combined cheese, wine and milk to make the cheese sauce, and ate it with the thick bread.
Another interesting version is that during the Swiss Reformation, when food supplies fell alarmingly short in Zurich, the Catholics and the Protestants merged all cheese, wine and milk into a big pot and ate it by dunking pieces of bread into this pot of cheese sauce, and hence was born, the great FONDUE.
What are you waiting for? Dunk your way to a riot of flavours, before the foggy mornings fade away to pave way for the scorching summers. And come to me with a happy tummy and smiling face 🙂

If food and love were not made for each other…

…I wonder if I would bother cooking!!!
So says The Twisted Gourmet.
And since the day I’ve read this line, I am a fan.
It holds true to the T for Skeety.
So here goes this post for Pa, Ma, Nearly Headless Nick and Chicken Little (for whom I love to cook).

A subway-style salad that Skeety made 😀

Potato rings from Tesco with sour cream and mint dip (made by Skeety again)

I ate my drink!!!

Hot chocolate at Costa is NOT passé. But, Skeeter has found a new flame, the Sao Tome Hot Chocolate at Choko la (Khan Market branch ONLY please).
Choko la (meaning let’s drink chocolate together) is Delhi’s very own chocolate boutique at Khan Market.
As she sits down one pleasant evening by the window seat, Skeety is attended by a lady with the most pleasant smile across her face.
Skeety takes eons to decide on her food and drink (as always). The lady patiently keeps an eye on Skeety to see when she is ready to place the order. A while later, she gives up on Skeety, comes to her rescue, asks her preferences, and recommends a Sao Tome (single origin hot chocolate made from cocoa beans of that region). Skeety surrenders, and to accompany the drink, she orders a Chocolate Mousse.
Eight minutes pass by. Enter, Sao Thome alongwith a piece of the chocolate in the unmolten state. Sao Tome is made with dark chocolate and contains 70 percent cocoa content. It is characterised by its firm body and distinct taste. Skeety enjoyed each sip so much, that she ended up eating her drink!
Having finished the drink and the mousse, Skeety speaks to the Manager who believes in making customers relish the ‘real’ chocolates rather than the regular Cad bar or the Fererro Rocher for that matter. Thus, he encourages all to try their Liqueur Truffles and Tanzania hot chocolate (with 73 percent cocoa content).
Skeety then moves on to meet the man behind the scenes, the chef Nikhil Baveja. After a small chat session, she asks him what would he call the specialty of the house. Ice-creams comes the reply.
According to Nikhil, they are as good as home-made ones and are freshly churned. Skeety shall wait till summers to see (read taste) it for herself.
Till then, let’s Choko la!
P.S.:The staff at the Khan Market branch do a better job than the ones at Basant Lok. The Basant Lok branch is their first one and is more sought after. Choko la at Khan Market is a new-kid-on-the-block and is doing quite well. Atleast for now.
Update: Nikhil no longer works at Choko la.

Love, Care, SHARE

Have you tasted some foods which, if you do not share with a particular person, don’t taste the same good ‘self’?
I have tried it many a times. Hot and Sour soup hasn’t tasted the same in last 18 months since Nearly Headless Nick left. There is no fun having Hot and Sour soup without fighting with Nearly Headless Nick over who would get more Shiitake mushrooms.
Ditto about the Greek Pizza. It has never tasted better with Pea-NUT not around. NEVER EVER!
Call it love if you may.
I love my Pea-NUT and Nearly Headless Nick.
Cheers to them!

Mister Master Chef

Attitude, suits some perfectly. One of those people of course is Skeeter (maybe kidding, maybe not). And the other is Gordon Ramsay. I have read, heard and seen so much about this attitude thingy of his, that I thought it would be but unfair not to share it with people who read this blog.
So, the story goes like this:
Gordon, was once asked by a Japanese journalist (a she) how can he “still” call himself a working chef when he ran 11 restros in 4 different countries, and was simultaneously making two TV shows on both sides of the Atlantic?
So, Mister Master pointing to the Armani jacket this journalist was wearing, said: Did you ask the store where you bought your jacket from, if f*****g Giorgio stitched every f*****g button on your f*****g jacket with his own f*****g hand?! Heeee
Point being, Mister Master has invented his dishes and trained all people working under him to follow his exact style and what you get to eat at Ramsay restros is the exact f*****g replica of the dish as it would be if made by Mister Master. 🙂
You can watch the last 3 minutes of this video to see the same incident being narrated by Mister Master himself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZF5EI_JWj0

I love Attitude, if it has substance. Do you?!

The Classy Glassy: Costa Hot Choc

Hola Boys and Girls!
Finally, I unleash what lies inside the ‘Glassy’ for all those who have been dropping in umpteen questions about Skeety’s love for the Glassy(s).
The term Glassy refers to a glass in which Skeety is served her drinks [soft ones mostly ;)]. The Glassy has, and always will play a quintessential role in Skeety’s drinking rituals.
Here are two random facts about Skeety:
* Skeety can get high on any drink she likes.
* She does not like being disturbed when she is enjoying her drinks and can get really angry if disturbed.
And now the POP = Point of the Post:
Skeety has a reason to rejoice as Costa Coffee has re-opened at Shopprix Mall, Noida (yeah I know this is the first time Noida is featuring on this Delhi blog). And in the Glassy lies Costa Hot Choc.
Man, is she at a loss of words or IS SHE?

Skeety’s poison, Costa Hot Choc (wish she could rename the chain that), is best served with two sachets of brown sugar, a generous dash of chocolate powder, and that, preferably at a moderate temperature as tongue-burning has become a ritual with her at Costa. *Grin*
Oh yeah NOT TO FORGET, it should be in the Classy Glassy (take away cup/mug/glass for you). The drop dead gorgeous colour of the Classy Glassy’s exterior is Skeety’s eye candy.

And then of course there is the rich creamy texture, the light brown-ish colour, the slight nutty taste of the Hot Choc itself. Skeety dies and goes to heaven for the 30-45 minutes long drinking session. Oh Boy!

Coinciding with the re-opening of Costa is Skeety’s newest discovery in Noida, which would make her shut up and stop cribbing about the place: the chaiwala near Skeety’s office. He serves good ealichi tea @Rs.3 a glassy. Pata ni kahan chup ke baitha tha ab tak (Don’t know where was he hiding all this while?!)
Another random fact about Skeety: Tea tops the list of Skeety’s LDOMW: Lovely Drinks of the Muggle World. Costa Hot Choc comes a very, very, very close second.


Adventures at the Moon-lit square

I take one step and stop to look around. To my right (down), is sitting, a paanwala engrossed with filling and wrapping the paan (betel leaf) as per his customer’s order. I look up across the street, there is this famous Indian sweets and savouries shop, Haldiram’s, which is running to a full house. I walk a few more steps. There is this vendor with his small mobile stand, selling moong dal ke gulgule (fritters of an amazing sort) surrounded by customers shouting orders. I take a few steps more and I reach Ghantewala, the much acclaimed sweet shop of Chandni Chowk. Get a few rasmalais from there. White ones. Yes! White! Gol and chapet. That is round and flat ones. I walk down again. Another few steps. Reach Kanwarji‘s. Madhouse this. Mister P loves this shop. He says nothing can beat this place. I keep shut here, as I still haven’t tasted all that Chandni Chowk has to offer. At Kanwarji‘s, I got. Hold Your breath. I got Malpudas, Paneer ki Jalebis, Kachoris with HOT aloo ki subji, Aloo ke lacche (I chose medium spicy ones), and Dal bhuji (maximum spice variety) which might be known to some of you as Dal Moth. I am yet to taste the Malpudas and the Aloo ke Lacche. The rest of everything was good. I am bereft of words more than these.

A winner, however, was this list that my eyes rolled upon. It is a list of Mirza Ghalib’s favourite food. And I found that unke aur humare zayke kaafi mel khate hain.

Chic and Choko la

Tucked away in one of the lanes in the PVR Priya complex, Choko la houses WICKED desserts, toothsome chocolates and commendable breads. On my last visit, I had Tiramisu in a glass and Passion fruit with Mascarpone. Yes I had both. No heee hawwwing now, ok?

And then I found the perfect companion for myself in this tiny little bottle of fiery pepper sauce known to you as Tabasco. I carry it in my purse all the time for I never know when I may need it to make the blande taste sizzle.

That’s the way eet ees

Pea-NUT, Blazing boy and Nearly Headless Nick, all get embarrassed when dining out with Skeeter. The reason being that she takes out either the mobile (with the flash on) or the camera and starts clicking the food before eating, after eating and just about anytime she feels like. Now Skeeter makes an innocent face with a pleading expression (I will die if I don’t kinda thingy) and mostly manages to get a “kill you” nod from them to go ahead and shoot. In between, Skeeter also gets “stop-it” stares from them. And does she love it? She does and doesn’t. Loves it because she knows that she can have liberties with them around; doesn’t love it because the pictures don’t come out nice as they keep making her feel so conscious and guilty all the time. Period.
Today, I tell you about the much-awaited visit to Side Wok @ Khan Market. Now what attracted me to this place was the location apart from the so many reviews. The galli in which it is situated, is a sleepy, lazy one. So much so that I can almost hear it yawning. And for some reason I just love to walk down that place for the heck of it. This time, I walked up, up the stairs I mean. Attractive entrance that. The ambience was a welcome change from the regulars.
The food was decent. I absolutely loved my non-alcoholic Pink Mojito. They did a good job on that. The start with the Sushi platter (vegetarian o’course) was a disaster, no matter how lovely it seemed to the eyes. A birdie tells me that Side Wok is not ‘the’ place to try Sushi for the fist time. Point taken. Next came the Phad Thai noodles and the Stir Fried Chinese Greens with Roasted Garlic. Phad Thai noodles were regular but nice. I can go back for them. The stir fry was quite authentic and delicious.
Main course done, since we were in an indulgent mood, we ordered a dessert each. I ordered Crispy Nutty Rolls with Vanilla ice cream and Pea-NUT ordered a Chocolate Mousse. The Crispy Nutty Rolls with Vanilla ice cream were too greasy and spoilt the flavour. This dessert was not treated subtly and hence the result was bad. The Chocolate Mousse was okay.
The waiters are talented. Very. They are adept at playing hide and seek, hence resulting in customers being anguished over fetching them to take the order. Well, even if that is not done on purpose, the management should assure that a waiter is visible from every damn seat.
I have a second visit lined up to this place, because I couldn’t have enough of it the first time. Besides, the menu is dotted with dishes from Burma, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore. They could well get the South-East Asian Cafe (the theme which they had in mind while designing the menu and the place) status, if they pay some attention to the quality and authenticity.
Ah yes, you can view the Side-walk from Side Wok.