An ode to the Brits: beans on toast, Indian style!

Across the Channel, the Brits are all up in a frenzy about Friday's royal wedding, when Prince William and the lovely Kate Middelton will say "I do". Here in France, there has been no royalty since the Revolution. Liberté, égalité, fraternité are great and all, but this also means no royal weddings and the accompanying national holiday that comes with them. Not only no national holiday, but unlike the Brits who will have a four-day weekend between Friday's wedding and Monday's Labor Day observance, we have no holidays period in May this year since both Labor Day (May 1) and Victory Day (May 8) fall on Sundays and both Ascension and Pentecost fall in June. Quel scandal...a month of May full of work!

Upma...pure South Indian comfort food!

Everyone has a different idea of what comfort food is. When I surveyed friends of mine lately on what food or dish they find to be the most comforting, the answers I got ranged from mac and cheese to nachos to chicken soup to dal (lentils) to rice and beans to chocolate pudding! For me personally, nothing beats upma, the classic couscous-like South Indian breakfast dish made with semolina (coarse, purified wheat middlings) tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies and ginger. Though it's traditionally eaten in the mornings with some sambhar (lentil and vegetable stew) and chutney of choice (coconut or tomato are particular favorites), it can be enjoyed at any time of the day with any number of accompaniments.

Bollywood Breakfast Smoothie

Regardless of the season, there's nothing that I enjoy more as part of breakfast than a refreshing smoothie! It must be because smoothies and breakfast shakes lend themselves to endless experimentation and variation. I usually just throw in whatever fruit we may have on hand and mix with different yogurts, juices and milk and then jazz it up with different herbs or extracts. The smoothie that I whipped up yesterday for breakfast got an Indian touch with some ground cardamom and dessicated coconut. It was delicious...the ultimate "Bollywood" breakfast smoothie!

NYC adventures part 2 of 2: Eating my way around Manhattan

It goes without saying that New York City is a place unlike any other. The buildings, the lights, the people, the shopping...nothing can compare! The same applies to the food, as New York City is the greatest place in the world to eat, at least in my book. From sidewalk food carts to corner delis and diners to fusion hotspots and celebrity chef outposts to renowned institutions, NY has it all! On my recent trip there, the Gastronomic Nomad (GN) and I, along with other friends, had some amazing meals! Here's a recap (with less than stellar photos, as the dim lighting in most NY eateries doesn't facilitate great photography)...

Minty pea soup

When I was a kid, I hated peas. And when I say hated, I mean HATED! I couldn't stand the squishy texture and the sweet taste and would pick out the peas from any dish in which my mom used them. I particularly couldn't stand the peas in the U.S., where they were even squishier and sweeter than those in India, which were somewhat palatable. So imagine my surprise as an adult when I discovered that actually, peas aren't so bad after all. In fact, I'll go as far as to say that I love them...be they American, Indian or even French! With spring finally upon us and the unseasonably early warm and sunny weather here in Paris, there is nothing that tastes more seasonal and delicious to me right now than the classic combination of peas and mint. I combined them in a soup at a dinner party with friends during my recent trip to the States and was happy that other avowed pea-haters enjoyed this too. So I made the soup again last night, to rave reviews from my husband.

NYC adventures Part 1 of 2: A magical afternoon in Brooklyn

After three long years, I just made a trip to New York City. Though I've never lived in the Big Apple, I couldn't help but reflecting on all the ways that it's different from Paris. New York is the city that never sleeps, while Paris turns in at 11pm. New York is cutting edge, Paris is timeless. New York is edgy, Paris is conservative. Anything goes in New York, ce n'est pas possible in Paris. Each city has its charms, but part of the reason that I adore New York is the diverse, multicultural, rootsy, activist vibe that you find in my favorite borough, Brooklyn (of course!). On a sunny Saturday, the Gastronomic Nomad (my partner in crime for all NY adventures!) and I had a fabulous afternoon of food and fun in Brooklyn that was just absolutely magical.