After all the great feedback about Aarti Party’s first episode, I have decided to review all of them! The fourth episode “Chai Paarti!” is my favorite one so far. Samosas are traditional chai time snacks. Aarti puts her own (more…)
So glad to finally see an Indian cooking show on Food Network! Looking forward to watching Aarti Sequeira’s Aarti Party, that premieres this Sunday! After noticing that the Cooking Channel was one step ahead of Food Network with Anjum Anand’s Indian Food Made Easy, I more than ever wished for an Indian show on the Food Network itself. I guess my prayers are finally answered but not quite…why you ask? Well, as much as I am looking forward to checking out this show, I doubt that it will actually feature authentic “Indian” food. It will rather consist more of fusion/eclectic types of dishes. This will give viewers a wrong impression of what Indian food really is. Either way, check out the show this Sunday, August 22nd at Noon ET and let us know what you think!
To learn more about the show click here: http://www.arzoomag.com/food/aarti-party-premieres-soon/
As you may have heard Aarti Sequeira won “The Next Food Network Star” and will be hosting a new Indian-inspired cooking show. Aarti, a Los Angeles food blogger, competed along with others in a 10 week heated (more…)
Popcorn is a very versatile food and snack. Put an Indian twist on it with the addition of a few traditional spices. (more…)
The Feb/Mar issue of Food Network Magazine did an entire two page spread on popcorn. Included in the sections for popcorns with an ethnic twist is a recipe for popcorn with an Indian twist. It uses ground cumin, curry powder, and fine salt. Check out the Food section to learn how to make your own Indian popcorn.
Check out the Feb/Mar issue of the Food Network Magazine for these spicy, Indian inspired Bollywood Fries. (more…)
They may not think they are insulting and they may not think that they are causing any offense but they are. I love Food Network but they cannot cook Indian food! Before they show Indian recipes they should really learn how to prepare them properly. They should also learn to pronounce the names right. It’s not buzmati rice; it’s basmati. It’s not sam bosas; it’s sambosas. So that’s the first thing they need to work on is their pronounciation. Next they need to start preparing dishes the authentic Indian way if they are going to call them Indian. Sandra Lee’s semi-homemade naan is not naan! Putting curry powder in something doesn’t make it Indian. Curry powder isn’t even Indian in the first place. Bobby Flay made some garam masala hens but then topped them with a maple glaze. HUH?? Since when did maple syrup become Indian. And by the way, it’s garam masala not gerum masala. So there you go…I’ve presented a few examples but nonetheless I still love Food Network and will continue to watch it. I just believe that they should stop putting forth false Indian food and seriously make it more authentic and traditional like it should be! Now on the other hand if they want to present fusion style cooking then it should clearly be labeled FUSION.
So the other day I mentioned that as I was watching Food Network I heard that Indian food is the hot new cuisine of the year. It makes sense as I’ve been seeing a lot of episodes featuring Indian cuisine. Although I must say they don’t do a very good job! They can’t even pronounce the names right and most of the time the dishes they make are not really authentic Indian. Anyway, I’ll save that discussion for next time.
Coming back to the topic. I picked up a copy of the Feb/Mar issue of Food Network Magazine and sat down to peruse through it. Now I had not been very pleased with their previous and first issue but this seemed a bit more promising and I must commend them for it because indeed it was! I found some great general ideas but the best part is they had a couple of Indian inspired dishes that seemed to have some potential. One was popcorn with an Indian twist which I will share with you a little later but the most appealing to me was BOLLYWOOD FRIES!
Ok, so they have nothing to do with Bollywood but they are fries made with some traditional Indian spices and I must commend Food Network on the catchy name! Don’t forget to check out our Bollywood section to find out how to make them 
We see Indian influences everywhere nowadays. Whether it’s your Chai “Tea” Latte at Starbucks or a kajal eyeliner at Sephora, the craze for everything Indian has taken over. The other day I even heard on Food Network that the “hot” new cuisine of the year is Indian food! Check out a few of my favorite finds:
Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl Liner by Guerlain
This ultra fine, loose powder can be applied as an eyeliner using a wand applicator or as an eyeshadow using the brush. Thousands of years old kohl gets transformed.
Sephora, Laura Mercier, Makeup Forever, and many others have kohl liners as well. Stila even has a kajal eyeliner and Givenchy has a kajal eye pencil as well. Remember when everyone left kajal behind for the modern eyeliners? It seems like some of these big cosmetic companies are now taking something of ours and turning it into their own! I would check the ingredients before using any of these though.
Starbucks’ Chai is a big loser for it’s fake ingredients such as a “chai” syrup but their Black Tea Latte is worth trying with some modifications! Try ordering it like this next time: (your size) Unsweetened Black Tea Latte with less water and more milk! Add the amount of sugar to your taste and it comes pretty close to the chais made in most Indian homes! Why order it unsweetened though? The sweetener they use is their “Classic” sugar and water concoction that gives it an artificial taste.
Nature’s Gate’s Henna Shine Enhancing Shampoo and Conditioners are worth a try! Once again the mehndi plays an important role in the west. This formula is perfect for dull and lifeless hair. The henna helps impart shine to hair.
Not to worry because the henna used in this formula is of the non-coloring type and won’t dye your hair!
