Borough Market

I recently took the Eurostar up to London to spend the weekend with my friend Mei-i (of Displaced Cook fame), who was there on a business trip. We had a fabulous foodie weekend, hitting up spots like Amaya, Wahaca, The Providores and Tapa Room and even Nando’s (a must whenever I’m in the UK, East/Southern Africa and now even Washington DC!). For me though, the highlight was undoubtedly our Saturday morning visit to the amazing Borough Market, which is an absolute heaven for epicureans like ourselves! Right at the exit of the London Bridge tube stop, the market has been around in one form or another since 1755 and is open on Thursday and Friday afternoons and all day on Saturdays. According to the Borough Market website...

Lime-Basil Sorbet

Who doesn't love basil??? From the Greek word basileus, meaning "king", basil is rightly known as "the king of herbs" or "l'herbe royale" in the culinary world. With its pungent, fresh smell and zippy taste, basil adds incredible flavor to just about any dish! I didn't have much exposure to basil growing up on Indian food, as the Indian experience with basil tends to be generally limted to tulsi, or holy basil, which is regularly used in Hindu ceremonies and rituals rather than for culinary purposes. However, once I had my first taste of Italian pesto and Thai curries finished with fresh basil, I was hooked! 

Huevos rancheros

Weekend brunches in Texas and throughout the American Southwest are a special treat when huevos rancheros (literally ranch-style or country-style eggs), a delectable breakfast treat from South of the border, are involved. Traditionally in Mexico, this dish was served to farm workers during almuerzo, the large mid-morning breakfast served on rural farms. The basic version consists of warmed or lightly fried corn tortillas topped with fried or scrambled eggs and a tomato-chili sauce. Many people add refried beans (frijoles refritos), fried potatoes, avocado and other goodies.

Spicy memories #1: Our engagement at Zaika in London (Valentine's Day 2009)

Living in Paris, one of the things that I miss the most (there are many) are good Indian restaurants! There are of course the little hole-in-the wall Sri Lankan and Indian joints near the Gare du Nord/La Chappelle Metros in the 10eme (my personal favorite in this neighborhood is Krishna Bhavan, which specializes in all-vegetarian South Indian and Sri Lankan fare), which while genuine are not exactly the nicest places in terms of atmosphere. Of course there are tons of "nicer" Indian restaurants in Paris, but I generally find the cuisine to be tepid, watered-down and not very authentic at all. This is because the French palate, it seems, is generally unadventurous and finds it hard to handle spicy food.

Gado-gado

While I have yet to visit Indonesia, I fell in love with Indonesian cuisine during my first trip to Amsterdam about 7 years ago. Reflecting the diversity of its people, Indonesian cuisine has also been influenced by the many peoples who have explored, colonized and traded on it shores - including the Indians, the Arabs, the Chinese, the Spanish, the Portuguese and of course the Dutch. It's no surprise then that Indonesian cuisine is the ultimate fusion cuisine!

Welcome / Bienvenue / Bem-vindo!

Welcome to The Mistress of Spices! I've been wanting to start this endeavor for a long time now, but have only now gotten around to doing it. This blog is a testament to both my love of food and to the globally nomadic path of my life.

As long as I can remember, I have been passionate about food and cooking. Ever since learning the basics of South Indian cuisine from my mother and other family members, I have been an avid cook. Nothing gives me more pleasure than inviting friends over for dinner, concocting the perfect menu for the occasion, searching for the best ingredients, grinding up spices and whipping it all up. I collect cookbooks, subscribe to several cooking magazines, read culinary blogs religiously and love the Food Network and the Cooking Channel (which I can now watch in France thanks to my lovely friends Sunil & Aparna who gifted us Slingbox access as a wedding present). While I adore my job with the UN where I work on supporting education initiatives in the developing world, I often daydream of making a career shift to the culinary world. A few years ago, I made a very amateurish step in this direction by launching a little catering company in Washington DC (where I was living at the time) called Rice and Spice. While this endeavor was not meant to be at the time, I am continuing to cook up a storm here in Paris, where I have lived since 2006 and which - as you can imagine - is a food lover's paradise!