Monica Saigal Bhide's Blog, page 3

I have been making the rounds with books clubs reading my book, KARMA AND THE ART OF BUTTER CHICKEN, and I just tell you how wonderful it has been! To see the characters come alive and people talk about them…. I never imagined I would be so lucky!!

So I thought I would create a little spiel on why you should invite me to your book club!! I have done in-person appearances, on the phone and via Skype (see pics below).

Here goes:

A storyteller, dreamer, Clooney-fan, Nutella-lover, wine-drinker, spice whisperer, nail-polish nerd, and geeky author is available for your next book club! She brings stories and gifts. Won’t you please consider her for your next book club?

If you have not ordered it yet, I would love for you to give it a try — KARMA AND THE ART OF BUTTER CHICKEN

I am so pleased to let you know that I am offering a free e-cookbook for anyone who has read the book or wants to read the book. We created this e-cookbook for bookclubs who are reading Karma! I received so many emails from book club readers asking for easy recipes they could prepare during book club meetings. You asked, I answered –>>>  FREE E-COOKBOOK (S) – Get two free ecookbooks – Monica’s Indian Express and the Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken BookClub Cookbook when you sign up for email updates.

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Friends – I am delighted to announce a very exclusive dinner for my book, Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken on Monday, November 28, 2016 from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM (EST) in Herndon, VA

Chef Philip Jura Marzelli invites you to his second DC Salon. A Parisian Salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine the taste and increase the knowledge of participants through conversation.

The Chef is honored to showcase his interpretation of recipes from Monica Bhide‘s latest novel, “Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken” during his five-course meal with wine pairings selected by Will Fink of Rose’s Luxury. Your ticket purchase includes a copy of Monica Bhide’s novel and she will be signing books that evening.

If you want the details to this exclusive event, please email me for the password – Exclusive event for Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken. 

 

Monica Bhide is an award winning writer, accomplished literary coach, gifted poet, storyteller, and educator with a lyrical voice and universal appeal. As a note international food writer, Bhide has built a diverse and solid audience through her books and articles in top-tier media such as: The New York Times, The Washington Post, Ladies Home Journal, AARP-the Magazine, Parents Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Bon Appétit, Town and Country Travel, Food and Wine, Cooking Light, Coastal Living Health, Better Nutrition, and many others.

Philip Marzelli is currently the Sous Chef at Garrison restaurant in Washington, D.C. In the six years that he has spent in D.C. since his graduation from the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Marzelli has made a name for himself through hard-work, dedication and passion for his field. He has spent considerable time forging relationships with farmers and sourcing local produce to use in the kitchen.

Will Fink is a bartender and the beer buyer at Rose’s Luxury in Washington, D.C.  He has made beverage and hospitality his passion in life and has been lucky enough to work under some humbling names in Chicago, Detroit, and now D.C.  Will has years of experience as both a Bar and Front of House Manager.  He believes that the best meals are enhanced by the right beverages, and that those beverages sing the most beautifully when they are paired with food.  Also a big proponent of small and sustainable businesses, he always looks to support natural wines, small-batch distilleries, and craft breweries in his endeavors.

The post Jura Salon with Renowned Author Monica Bhide appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

My dear readers!

I am so happy to let you know that the book tour for  Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken is on the road and we are heading to New York city!

I have two events and both are free and open to the public! Please come by and bring friends!

On Nov 14th, I will be doing a book talk with the South Asian Journalist Association. The talk will be hosted at Columbia University and is free! Please come by and bring friends!

Here is the sign up:  SIGN UP FOR MONICA BHIDE BOOK TALK

The second event is on Nov 15th at the beautiful Indian restaurant Awadh. It has been set up by my beautiful friend Paayal Sharma. We will have food and drink and plenty of books! Do come by and bring friends! The event is from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m.

Here is the sign up:  SIGN UP FOR MONICA BHIDE BOOK SIGNING 

Oh, and local DC friends: It really warms my heart to let you know that Politics and Prose just informed me that they will carry my novel. I am just so grateful and so humbled!!

 

 

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I am so delighted to announce my first book event in northern Virginia! I hope you will come and help spread the word!

 

 

 

DATE/TIME:   Wedensday Nov 9th at 7pm

PLACE:          Pastry Xpo at the Mosaic District, 8190 Strawberry Lane, Falls Church, VA

DINNER:        Pastry Xpo’s Signature Selection of Mediterranean Mezzas &

DESSERT:     Finale of Pastries, Cupcakes, and Cardamom Tea and Coffee

PRICE:           $35/person including a copy Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken

Please RSVP and reserve your ticket at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monica-bhides-debut-novel-dinner-book-conversation-tickets-28922519033

On a different note, I was a judge at a cooking challenge last night hosted by the Foods of Chile and the Washington, D.C. Restaurant Association. Here are some fun pics of the event — the winners were Chef Victor of Del Campo and Mixologist Tim Russell of Kyirisan —

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I am delighted to share that we hit #1 on Kindle in the UK and Australia! Now, I am asking my US readers for support!! The ebook is still on sale here for $0.99 for one more day!! Help make it happen:

Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken is on sale for — you can’t beat a $0.99 deal on the digital version of the book at Amazon, Nook, iTunes and Kobo! Sale ends Oct 31st 2016!

(image above shows the Australian price.. currently on sale in the US for $0.99)

Also – wanted to share some fun photos! This past weekend I was signing books at the Fairmont Hotel at a conference hosted by Les Dames D’Escoffier. I not only got to meet some of my favorite authors, but sold out of the novel! All in all…a really fun weekend!

 

Above: With Cathy Barrow and Maria Speck

 

On the right, above, with the lovely Jennifer Farley who is celebrating the release of her new book!

 

With my sweet friend, Carla Hall!

 

 

 

With Nathalie Dupree. She really cracks me up!

 

With Janis Mclean, Nathalie Dupree and Janet Cam

 

 

With Dianne Jacob who won a major award at the conference!

 

 

With wonderful DC Dames including – Amy Riolo, Sheilah Kaufmann, Ruth Dresser, Nancy Baggett and Aviva Goldfarb

 

And here, friends, is the pudding and the proof:

 

 

 

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Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken is on sale for the Indian festival of Diwali!

You cant beat a $0.99 deal on the digital version of the book at Amazon, Nook, iTunes and Kobo! Sale ends Oct 31st 2016!

Thank you for your continued support and love.

On this occasion of Diwali, a festival that focuses on the triumph of truth over evil and light over darkness, our family would like to wish all of you love and light and a blessed year ahead!

As the Bengali poet and novelist, Rabindranath Tagore, put it: “The night is black/ Kindle the lamp of love/ With thy life and devotion.”

 

 

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My super talented friend Alison Stein has created a wonderful line of hand-made jewelry called The Due East Collection to pair with Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken! In fact, one of her pieces is a specific ode to the the book. The jewelry is a terrific buy for the holidays and a great way to pair Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken with a beautiful piece of art!

This is Alison’s first foray in jewelry making and I just adore her work.

I spoke to her about working on her Due East line and, specifically, the bracelets for this project:

Tell me about your wonderful Due East Collection.

The Due East collection is my appreciation of eastern philosophy. Growing up in the 1980s, it was a part of my New York City public school education — although it’s safe to say a lot flew over my head. I was assigned Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha in the seventh grade, and was puzzled by how the story began in a palace, instead of ending in one; I took yoga as a daily gym option in eleventh grade and relished the days devoted to savasana, which we all called “sleep.” I got more informed as I grew older, reading Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, Sylvia Boorstein — and while my approach is still more armchair than adherent, I have been amazed at how often the wisdom and practices have been a source of strength and comfort to me.There is a tradition of religious jewelry in the East, and these bracelets are not that, although I did try to incorporate my understanding of Buddhist art philisohy and symbolism. In Tibetan Buddhism, the arts are a part of spiritual practice. “Form is a way to the sublime,” writes Anjan Chakraverty, in his book Sacred Buddhist Painting. Tibetans were advised to commission a painting to remove physical or mental obstacles, and paintings and sculptures were seen as evocations, arrived at through meditation.


How did you decide on the design for bracelets to go with this book? I know you have two different designs. Can you tell us about both of them?

I borrowed this approach for these bracelets and started with a question in mind about the idea of karma. Karma is often misunderstood in the West as a system of punishment and reward, but as I was making these bracelets, I thought of karma in two ways: that our every action should be mindful and intentional, and that all of our karma is intertwined with others, often in ways we don’t see or understand.So, the brass circle (sometimes called a karma circle) is a representation of the outside of a wheel, an important symbol in Buddhism. Each part of the wheel has meaning; the rim signifies focus and concentration. I tied Chinese cord and gold silk into knots that hold the bracelet together. These signify the sinewy web of twisting connections that bind us to one another.I selected natural stones using a color palette inspired by Tibetan Buddhist paintings. The first bracelet is smaller and more feminine and features fire agate, crazy agate (so called for its variety of colors), carnelian and a type of jasper stone called unakite.The second is larger, more masculine and has natural coral, lava, crazy agate and unakite.Both have adjustable clasps — simply slide to open, and pull on the cords to close. The feminine version will fit a variety of wrist sizes in the range of seven inches, the masculine version will fit a wrist sizes in the range of eight inches.



Tell me about the actual process of making the bracelets:


The thing I love about making jewelry is how each component has its own process. (Like cooking, no?) I really should take a photo of all the raw “ingredients.”

The karma circle starts out as a piece of brass wire, which I cut off a big coil, straighten it and then shape it into a circle on a mandrel. I take it over to my torch station, and use silver solder to secure it. (I generally make several bracelets at one time so I make a lot of circles and set them aside.) The heat turns the metal black, so I pickle them in a mild acid bath and then sand and slightly polish.

The rest of the bracelet is assembled with square knots, mostly. It’s again taking a straight raw material, in this case the cording, and shaping into something new. I love knotting, it’s very meditative. I almost can’t consciously explain how I make each knot — the knowledge is in my muscle memory. I load up all the stones onto the cord before I start knotting, so that’s when I make all the final decisions about which stones, which order. I work on one side of the bracelet at a time, so I select the stones for the other side of the bracelet and set them aside. The time passes very fast when I’m making these.



Where can people buy your wonderful jewelry?

BUY –>>>>  Here! 

Bio: Alison Wonderland Jewelry makes art jewelry for word people, and word jewelry for art people. If you care about language, and you like beautiful art objects — or you need a gift for someone who does — welcome to your jewelry home.

Every piece of Alison Wonderland Jewelry is designed and handmade by Alison Stein, in her Greenpoint, Brooklyn studio. A lifelong New Yorker, Stein spent a very long long time making a living as a writer and freelance journalist. This might have made her a little cynical, but it also definitely sharpened her eye for life’s many ironies. She brings a narrative sensibility to her jewelry.

 

Note: I dont have any financial stake in this jewelry! I do have a strong spiritual stake! I adore Alison and her work!!

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From Co Co Sala:

We are delighted to host a dinner and book signing on November 2nd with local author Monica Bhide featuring her debut novel, Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken. #DC Chef Santosh designed a creative and brilliant menu to pair with the novel’s theme of food and food memories and we hope that you can join us. Reserve your spot now: http://bit.ly/karmacoco

 

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I hope you are all enjoying reading  Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken! If you have not ordered it yet, I would love for you to give it a try — KARMA AND THE ART OF BUTTER CHICKEN

I am so pleased to let you know that I am offering a free e-cookbook for anyone who has read the book or wants to read the book. We created this e-cookbook for bookclubs who are reading Karma! I received so many emails from book club readers asking for easy recipes they could prepare during book club meetings. You asked, I answered –>>>  FREE E-COOKBOOK (S) – Get two free ecookbooks – Monica’s Indian Express and the Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken BookClub Cookbook when you sign up for email updates.

I am delighted to let you know that this beautiful book was designed by a very charming nineteen-year-old artist, Abigail Berk! I have always loved her work and hired her to create this book. I talked to her about what it is like to design a cookbook — a brand new experience for her!

Q. Can you describe how you came up with the design? (Talk about all the cookbooks you laid out etc.)

A. I began my design process by looking at my favorite cookbooks and focusing on what I liked the most about each. After highlighting which factors I liked the most I created a layout for the recipes. I printed the draft and tried cooking from one of the recipes to make sure the font was large enough. For the pictures, I tried creating two different styles of photos. One of the options was focused more on the food, and the other was focused more on the arrangement the food had been placed in. After I printed the two options out I discussed Monica’s favorite. Once decided I tweaked the original design until we were both content with the end product.

Q. What was the hardest part?

A. The most difficult part was making a cohesive look with the pictures provided. While all of them were stunning pictures that captured the beauty of Monica’s dishes they each added a different vibe to the overall book. I wanted the reader to know it was the same book start to finish.

Q. What did you learn? Would you do it again?

A. I learned to always save the pictures in multiple places incase I might need them again. I have also learned you can have too many drafts, it is easiest if you pick the best of all your drafts and offer, at moat, three different options. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Monica and I would definitely do it all again.

Her terrific portfolio is here:  https://abigailberk.myportfolio.com/

Here is a poster that Abigail created. I am sharing it here with her permission –

BUY THE BOOK  –  KARMA AND THE ART OF BUTTER CHICKEN

 

 

 

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I am delighted to share some recent book reviews of Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken. In addition to these formal reviews, I have taken the liberty of posting a couple of quotes from Amazon reviews that touched my heart! Hope you enjoy them!

Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken (Bodes Well Publishing, 2016)

 

Lakshmi Gandhi talked to me about Karma for Tricycle.org – “The book is a hero’s journey about a young man who has lost a lot in his life and who wants to make a difference in this world,” Bhide said. “But he struggles with the demons in his head.”  Read the full interview here 

The terrific blog Eating Rules (run by Andrew Wilder) featured Cardamom Tea that is discussed in the novel!

India Abroad newspaper ran a terrific story about the book and did an interview with me.

Deborah Kalb did a Q&A with me about Karma – You can read it here. Her site always features terrific reads and I am honored to be a part of it.

And finally, one more for this post. The very prestigious Washington Independent Review of Books reviewed Karma. This is the books’ first official review by a writing website. I am so honored.

“The past and present mingle in this charming story about the healing power of food,” Washington Independent Review of Books! Read the entire review here.

 

Hope this inspires you and motivates you to at least try the book!! Book tour dates coming up soon! Here is the link to the book –

Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken (Bodes Well Publishing, 2016)

 

 

 

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