Monica Saigal Bhide's Blog, page 10

When I first heard that Sandra Gutierrez  was writing a new book, my first thought was the same as I had when I got her first book: It is going to be amazing. And guess what? Empanadas: The Hand-Held Pies of Latin America is as amazing and as comforting as it sounds. A beautiful book by an amazing author!

You will have a chance to enter to win the featured book and, as a bonus, will receive my new book, A Life of Spice, as well!

 

About Sandra – “Sandra A. Gutierrez, who grew up in the United States and Guatemala, is a journalist, food writer, culinary instructor, and recipe developer. She lives in Cary, N.C., with her husband and their daughters.” reprinted from her website

In order to enter, here is what you need to do – (no purchase necessary) –

1. Follow me on FB and/or Twitter. If you are already following me – THANK YOU!

2. Follow Sandra. If you are already following them – YOU ROCK!

3. Help us spread the word about this giveaway – any way you choose – tell friends!

4. Leave a comment here and tell us why YOU should win!

I will be picking a winner on June 7th, 2015, at 6:00 p.m.

 

Rules -

1. US residents only. NO P.O.Box please

2. One winner will be selected at random. If you win and do not respond (within a week of) when I contact you, I will choose a different winner.

3. I will ship you both books by media mail.

4. No purchase needed to enter.

 

PLEASE NOTE – I have purchased these books myself. No publisher or publicist or author has paid for these copies.

 

 

The post Giveaway: Empanadas: The Hand-Held Pies of Latin America appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

I buy all of Nancie McDermott’s books. Her recipes are delightful and I always feel like she is in the kitchen with me.. teaching me how to make her terrific dishes whether they be cakes or Asian meals.  Today, I have the honor of giving away her new book, Simply Vegetarian Thai Cooking: 125 Real Thai Recipes. You will have a chance to win her book by entering this giveaway and in addition will also receive a copy of my newest book, A Life of Spice,

 

 

About Nancie: “Nancie McDermott is a North Carolina native, born in Burlington, raised in High Point, and educated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand gave her a lifelong love for the cuisines, history and cultures of Asia, and she has spent the last twenty years cooking, reading, traveling, writing, and teaching about Asian food. Her ten cookbooks focus on Asian kitchens, but since moving back home to North Carolina in 1999, she has taken time to look at the foods of the American South, the place she fell in love with cooking in her grandmother’s dairy farm kitchen.” — reprinted from Amazon. 

 

In order to enter, here is what you need to do – (no purchase necessary) –

1. Follow me on FB and/or Twitter. If you are already following me – THANK YOU!

2. Follow Nancie.  If you are already following them – YOU ROCK!

3. Help us spread the word about this giveaway – any way you choose – tell friends!

4. Leave a comment here and tell us why YOU should win!

I will  pick the winner on June 3rd, 2015 at 6:00. p.m.

Rules -

1. US residents only. NO P.O.Box please

2. One winner will be selected at random. If you win and do not respond (within a week of) when I contact you, I will choose a different winner.

3. I will ship you both books by media mail.

4. No purchase needed to enter.

 

PLEASE NOTE – I have purchased these books myself. No publisher or publicist or author has paid for these copies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Giveaway: Simply Vegetarian Thai Cooking appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

You will love this giveaway!! My friend, Ramin Ganeshram’s IACP -award-winning cookbook — FutureChefs! The book has a collection of wonderful recipes from kids around the US and the world. My own kids want to cook from the book. The recipes are ethnically diverse and very accessible. As always, you will also get my book, A Life of Spice,  along with this one! 

 

About Ramin:

Ramin Ganeshram is a journalist and professional chef trained at the Institute of Culinary Education. She is the author of Sweet Hands: Island Cooking From Trinidad & Tobago (Hippocrene NY 2006; 2nd expanded edition 2010) and The Pass It Down Cookbook (Smiley Books/Hay House 2010) (with Jeff Henderson) and Stir It Up (Scholastic 2010) about a teen who gets the chance to fulfill her dream of competition cooking on the Food Network.

In addition to contributing to a variety of food publications including Saveur, Shape, Gourmet, Bon Appetit and epicurious.com, Ganeshram has written food/culture/travel articles for Islands (as contributing editor); National Geographic Traveler; Forbes Traveler; Forbes Four Seasons and many others. She is a contributor to the Encyclopedia of World Foods (Greenwood Press 2010) and award-winninge Oxford Encyclopedia of Food & Drink in America.

She has appeared on Food Network, Travel Channel, CNNfn, Good Day New York, the OWN network and other television programs, sharing her culinary expertise.

In order to enter, here is what you need to do – (no purchase necessary) –

1. Follow me on FB and/or Twitter. If you are already following me – THANK YOU!

2. Follow Ramin.  If you are already following them – YOU ROCK!

3. Help us spread the word about this giveaway – any way you choose – tell friends!

4. Leave a comment here and tell us why YOU should win!

I will pick a random winner on May 30th, 2015, 6:00 p.m.

Rules -

1. US residents only. NO P.O.Box please

2. One winner will be selected at random. If you win and do not respond (within a week of) when I contact you, I will choose a different winner.

3. I will ship you both books by media mail.

4. No purchase needed to enter.

 

PLEASE NOTE – I have purchased these books myself. No publisher or publicist or author has paid for these copies.

 

 

 

 

The post Giveaway: FutureChefs appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

I was so delighted and honored to be a keynote speaker for an event sponsored by Friends of the Library, Montgomery County (FOLMC) - Mosaic: Celebrating Diversity Through Creative Writing contest. “FOLMC sponsor’s this contest in conjunction with the Montgomery County Public School System. Mosaic is for middle school students and is designed to get them thinking and writing about their cultural heritage and to help foster an appreciation for their own and others unique cultural backgrounds. Students may submit works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and spoken word and their winning works are compiled into a book that FOLMC publishes.”  I had the honor of writing the Foreword for the wonderful book that includes all the winning stories. 

The kids who read their pieces really blew me away — a young girls ponders wearing her headscarf to middle school, another young lady contemplates the angst of having to “tick a box” on a form indicating if she is American or African American. Touching pieces… and I have to say very well done.

Here are some photos from the lovely event - 

 

 

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Today, I will be giving away, Dishing Up® Virginia: 145 Recipes That Celebrate Colonial Traditions and Contemporary Flavors, by Patrick Evans-Hylton. Why did I pick this book? Well, here is the endorsement I wrote for it.. pretty much sums it up!

Monica Bhide on Dishing up Virginia: I have lived in Virginia for the past ten years and have fallen in love with it. This book has made that love deeper. It is filled with delightful recipes, rich history and reflects the true spirit of this state: love.  I love that Patrick showcases the state’s culinary heroes (people and peanuts!) throughout the book. My kids and I fight over the popcorn with pecans! The Virginia Sea Scallops with shallots and walnuts is comforting and so simple to make. I am honored to be a part of this terrific book.

As always, you will in a copy of Patrick’s wonderful book and a copy of my new book, A Life of Spice.

In order to enter, here is what you need to do – (no purchase necessary) –

1. Follow me on FB and/or Twitter. If you are already following me – THANK YOU!

2. Follow Patrick.  If you are already following him – YOU ROCK!

3. Help us spread the word about this giveaway – any way you choose – tell friends!

4. Leave a comment here and tell us why YOU should win!

I will pick a winner on May 28th, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.

Rules -

1. US residents only. NO P.O.Box please

2. One winner will be selected at random. If you win and do not respond (within a week of) when I contact you, I will choose a different winner.

3. I will ship you both books by media mail.

4. No purchase needed to enter.

 

PLEASE NOTE – I have purchased these books myself. No publisher or publicist or author has paid for these copies.

 

 

 

The post Giveaway: Dishing Up Virginia appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

Last year I ran a successful year-long program called Powered by Hope. The intent of the program is to help you follow your creative dreams by powering your spirit with hope! I am glad the program was so well received. This year, in addition to new posts, I will also be sharing a few of the best posts from the program. From now until the end of 2015, you will receive a minimum of two posts a month focused on hope. I hope you will enjoy them and that they will inspire you to follow your dreams!

 

FILTER

 

When I was in engineering college, we studied the concept of GIGO: Garbage In/Garbage Out. Basically what it taught us was that the computer wasn’t capable of distinguishing bad input from good input; it would process it all and if the input was illogical/silly/useless, the output would be useless as well.

I find this concept works well with life as well. I used to work with the TV running in the background, mostly on the news channel. By the end of the day, I would find myself really cranky and, frankly, very depressed. I realized that while I was not consciously listening to the TV, some part of my brain was taking in all the bad news constantly. Same applied for what I read—I was reading gossip sections of magazines, newspapers filled with news of every disaster known to man. And watching the nightly news broadcasting all that was bad in the world. Now, I am not saying that we should not watch the news or consume information; all I am saying is that I had to be careful what I was consuming and how much. I was taking in all bad and nothing good. There was no balance.

Now I try to listen to classical music as I work. It makes the room and my brain feel more at peace. I watch the news but only once a day. I read the papers but try not to go into the details of gory murder stories. And each night, I end my day with reading something inspiring, something that fills my mind with possibilities, something that informs rather than scares. After all: garbage in, garbage out.

 

How do you handle all the information coming your way? How do you filter it?

 

 

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I hope you are all enjoying all the giveaways and the contests!!

Today’s book is possibly one of the most stunning cookbooks I have ever seen. Yes, the recipes are delicious. Yes, they are easy to make. Yes, my family loves the dishes I have made from the book. It meets every single criteria that I have for a good book and, to top it all, it is breathtakingly beautiful. I am talking about - Cheryl Sternman Rule’s Yogurt Culture: A Global Look at How to Make, Bake, Sip, and Chill the World’s Creamiest, Healthiest Food  

You will have a chance to enter to win her book and, as a bonus, will receive my new book, A Life of Spice, as well!

 

About Cheryl: “Award-winning author Cheryl Sternman Rule began writing professionally for newspapers, magazines, and websites in 2004. She is the voice behind the food blog 5 Second Rule (5secondrule.typepad.com), which won the 2012 International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) New Media & Broadcast Award for best culinary blog. Cheryl’s work has also appeared in Cooking Light, Sunset, Body + Soul, Health, Vegetarian Times, the San Jose Mercury News, Edible San Francisco, Culinate.com, The Kitchn, and Serious Eats; and in several books published by the American Heart Association and the EatingWell Media Group. Cheryl also served as a contributing editor at EatingWell Magazine, a daily food news blogger at iVillage, and the Fresh Talk columnist for recipe.com.” reprinted from Amazon.

 

In order to enter, here is what you need to do – (no purchase necessary) –

1. Follow me on FB and/or Twitter. If you are already following me – THANK YOU!

2. Follow Cheryl. If you are already following her – YOU ROCK!

3. Help us spread the word about this giveaway – any way you choose – tell friends!

4. Leave a comment here and tell us why YOU should win!

I will pick a winner on May 23rd, 2015 at 6:00pm.

Rules -

1. US residents only. NO P.O.Box please

2. One winner will be selected at random. If you win and do not respond (within a week of) when I contact you, I will choose a different winner.

3. I will ship you both books by media mail.

4. No purchase needed to enter.

 

PLEASE NOTE – I have purchased these books myself. No publisher or publicist or author has paid for these copies.

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/sternmanrule

The post Giveaway: Yogurt Culture appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

I was so very honored to be one of the judges for the DC Embassy Chef Challenge. A dream come true for me! Sharing some photos of the terrific and very delicious event!!

 

 

 

The post Embassy Chef Challenge, DC – 2015 appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

 

 

Today, I am delighted to feature a book by  fellow writer, Nevin Martell –  Freak Show Without a Tent.  I really adore Nevin’s writing and his sense of humor in particular. This book captures it all – travel, food, kids and the craziness of it all!  A good story in the hands of a talented writer is the perfect combination — a book that you cannot put down. It is a terrific read and I highly recommend it.

Here is what you can win today:

 

 

Nevin Martell is a D.C.-based food, travel, and lifestyle writer whose work regularly appears in the Washington Post, Plate, Wine Enthusiast, and NPR’s blog “The Salt.” He is the author of six books, including the memoir-misadventure Freak Show Without a Tent: Swimming with Piranhas, Getting Stoned in Fiji and Other Family Vacations (2014), The Founding Farmers Cookbook: 100 Recipes for True Food & Drink (2013) and the small-press smash Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and his Revolutionary Comic Strip (2009). Find him online at nevinmartell.com and on Twitter @nevinmartell.

 

In order to enter, here is what you need to do – (no purchase necessary) –

1. Follow me on FB and/or Twitter. If you are already following me – THANK YOU!

2. Follow Nevin. If you are already following him – YOU ROCK!

3. Help us spread the word about this giveaway – any way you choose – tell friends!

4. Leave a comment here and tell us why YOU should win!

I will pick the winner on May 20th, 2015 at 6:00 pm.

Rules -

1. US residents only. NO P.O.Box please

2. One winner will be selected at random. If you win and do not respond (within a week of) when I contact you, I will choose a different winner.

3. I will ship you both books by media mail.

4. No purchase needed to enter.

 

PLEASE NOTE – I have purchased these books myself. No publisher or publicist or author has paid for these copies.

 

The post Giveaway: Freak Show Without A Tent appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

So you think you can write a funny caption? Come on, now.. you know you can! Today, I am thrilled and pretty much crazed with excitement to be able to share this with you. New Yorker’s super talented cartoonist Liza Donnelly drew a cartoon JUST FOR THIS BLOG!! Now, all you have to do is give her a caption she loves. She will pick the winner and I will send the winner a KINDLE copy of her new book, Women on Men  and a KINDLE copy of my new book, A Life of Spice,

Here is the cartoon and Liza says, “”Cartoonists write captions as they draw the idea (and sometimes the other way around): the two are integral and hard to separate. But, my advice is to  have fun with this image, go wild, go intellectual, go playful. Whatever strikes you!”:

Here are her rules:

1. This contest is only open to non-New Yorker Magazine people

2. Being lewd will get you nowhere

3. Judge:  Liza Donnelly, New Yorker cartoonist

How to enter:
1. Post your caption here in the comments section.
2. Enter as many times as you like.
3. You can be based anywhere but the prizes are KINDLE files. I will gift the winner the two books on Amazon.
4. Liza will determine the winner on Friday, May 15th at 1:00 pm est. And we will post the winning caption along with the cartoon right here so do stay tuned!!

LIZA DONNELLY BIO

Liza Donnelly is a staff cartoonist with The New Yorker Magazine. When she first began selling toThe New Yorker in 1979, she was the youngest and one of only three cartoonists who were women. Donnelly is a public speaker and has spoken at TED, the United Nations, and The New Yorker Festival, among many other places. Donnelly has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, NBC and BetterTV, and has been profiled on radio and in numerous magazines, newspapers and online. Donnelly’s cartoons and commentary can be seen on various websites: CNN.com;  huffingtonpost.com; salon.com; dailybeast.com; womensEnews.org; narrativemagazine.com. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, The Nation and The Harvard Business Review, and her cartoons have been exhibited around the world.

Donnelly has published fifteen books, her most recent is When Do They Serve the Wine?: The Folly, Flexibility, and Fun of Being a Woman (2010, Chronicle Books). She also wrote Funny Ladies: The New Yorker’s Greatest Women Cartoonists And Their Cartoons, Sex and Sensibility: Ten Women Examine the Lunacy of Modern Love…in 200 Cartoons and Cartoon Marriage: Adventures in Love and Matrimony by The New Yorker’s Cartooning Couple (with Michael Maslin).

She conceived of and is editor for World Ink, a site of international cartoons from contributors around the globe on dscriber.com. She is a charter member of an international project, Cartooning for Peace, helping to promote understanding around the world through humor.  Her website is lizadonnelly.com and her blog iswhendotheyservethewine.com. Donnelly teaches part-time at Vassar College. and is a member of PEN, Authors Guild and the National Cartoonist Society. She and her husband, New Yorker cartoonist, Michael Maslin, live in New York.

What will you win? Here are the two books -

 

 

and

 

 

 

WE HAVE A WINNER! LIZA DONNELLY REVIEWED ALL THE CAPTIONS, HERE IS WHAT SHE PICKED! Congrats Tom Racine

 

 

 

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