Monica Saigal Bhide's Blog, page 4

Friends – I am going to be signing books at the Montgomery country Whole Foods store starting today! There will be food samples and a discussion of Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken. I hope you can make it!! It is a FREE event

Please do come by and tell your friends …. Would love to see you there!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1698951820426864/

Bethesda Whole Foods Market – Wednesday October 19th (10am-11:30am)

Kenwood Station, 5269 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20816

Friendship Heights- Wednesday October 19th (6:30 pm-8pm)

4420 Willard Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815

Kentlands- Wednesday October 26th (6:30pm-8pm)

Kentlands Market Square, 316 Kentlands Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Rockville Whole Foods Market- Thursday October 27th (6:30pm-8pm)

11355 Woodglen Dr, Rockville, MD 20852

The post Come join me at Whole Foods! appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

I am delighted to let you all know that my Smithsonian seminar on self publishing sold out! I am doing a brand new event with them in Feb 2017 focused on the Indian Kitchen. My lecture will be followed by an amazing Indian meal and I will be signing my debut novel, Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken. I will post details here soon!

In the meantime, here are some pictures from my self publishing event!

The post Self Publishing seminar at the Smithsonian appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

I presented a fun program on regional curries of India at Indique last week. The program benefited the wonderful Les Dames D’Escoffier DC Chapter. Well, looks like we are back with a repeat!! Due to popular demand, the event is back and you can register here:

Nov 17th  — Regional Curries of India – Registration.

The menu etc remains the same — only the date has changed —

Here are some photos from last week’s event with the fantastic Chef K.N. Vinod who did an outstanding job with the curries!

 

The post Karma event back due to popular demand! appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

I am delighted to share so many pieces of good news! You can see and hear me talking about so many different things in this post! I discuss my novel (with Sree) and Karma (with Kojo)! I was able to sneak in a photo with my friend, Chef Jose Andres who has inspired me so much!

I was delighted to chat with NYC Chief Digital Officer, Sree Sreenivasan about Karma and the art of Butter Chicken. We met and discussed my book and my work at Indian Accent in NYC.

You can listen to the entire interview HERE. 

I was delighted to co-pilot a show with my fav radio show host, Kojo Nnamdi! What a fun afternoon that was!

 

And, of course, these are my fav pic with Chef Jose Andres! The caption explains it all!

 

The post Monica Bhide & Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

I am so delighted to announce that I have teamed up with Whole Foods and we are doing special events for local book clubs in Maryland! If you or your book club are reading Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken, please stop by any of the Whole Foods stores listed below (see dates and times) and join us for an evening of discussion, good food and inspiration!

Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken (Bodes Well Publishing, 2016) ebook is now out!
Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken paperback now available in the US! 

Here is the official information:

Whole Foods Market is excited to be hosting several “book club” evenings with author Monica Bhide. Please join us as we welcome Monica for great food and conversation as we discuss her newest novelKarma and the Art of Butter Chicken,  A novel that transcends culture in a captivating tale of loss, love and food.

Named by the Chicago Tribune as one of seven food writers to watch, her food writing has appeared in Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Saveur, The Washington Post, Health, The New York Times, Ladies Home Journal, and many other well-known publications. She is a frequent presence on NPR and a presenter for organizations that include Georgetown University, the Association of Food Journalists (AFJ), London Food Blogger Connect, and the Smithsonian.

Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken has been described as “Slumdog Millionaire meets The Hundred-Foot Journey”. The novel tells the story of Eshaan, a traumatized young man raised by Buddhist monks, as he tries to right the wrongs of his past by embarking on a challenging quest. Ms. Bhide dishes up a page-turning story of sacrifice and determination while exploring the human spirit. Set in contemporary India and seasoned with gentle love, dramatic loss, enchanting verse, and exotic food, Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken escorts readers to a place where past and present keep uneasy yet delicious company.

Don’t miss out on this unique experience. Start reading now and please POST IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW what day and how many will be joining us.

Bethesda Whole Foods Market – Wednesday October 19th (10am-11:30am)

Kenwood Station, 5269 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20816

Friendship Heights- Wednesday October 19th (6:30 pm-8pm)

4420 Willard Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815

Kentlands- Wednesday October 26th (6:30pm-8pm)

Kentlands Market Square, 316 Kentlands Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Rockville Whole Foods Market-  Thursday October 27th (6:30pm-8pm)

11355 Woodglen Dr, Rockville, MD 20852

 

Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken (Bodes Well Publishing, 2016) ebook is now out!
Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken paperback now available in the US! 

 

 

The post Whole Foods Book Club! appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

My dear readers and friends: Today is the official launch date of my first novel – Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken. So many of you have already ordered it and I am so grateful to you for your support!

We are doing a fun giveaway today to celebrate the book and I hope you will share it with family and friends!

Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken (Bodes Well Publishing, 2016) ebook is now out!
Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken paperback now available in the US! 

 

The giveaway includes some terrific merchandise from my food and writer buddies! I have no financial affiliation with any of these folks and they have been so kind to provide these products.. I am truly very grateful!!

So –  if you win the giveaway – here is what you get —

My super talented friend Alison Stein has created a wonderful line of hand-made jewelry called The Due East Collection. One of her pieces is an ode to the the book. Featured here and it is yours to win! See below on how to enter. This is Alison’s first foray in jewelry making and I just adore her work. (PS the color of the beads you receive maybe different than the color featured here)
One of my most fav food people, Maya Kaimal, has kindly given us this wonderful basket of her terrific food products. And it can be yours!! 
Finally, of course, books! I will be providing the winner with autographed copies of The Devil in Us, A Life of Spice and Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken. Author not included in giveaway.

 

Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken (Bodes Well Publishing, 2016) is now up for pre-order!!
Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken paperback now available in the US! 

Making Butter Chicken with Dad

(This story originally appeared on NPR)

The prep work always began on Thursday night.

In 1980 when I was 10, we lived in the Middle East, and Thursday was the start of the weekend. I’d huddle with Dad in our small galley-style kitchen as he began making butter chicken: a glorious dish of chicken pieces marinated in yogurt, cumin, fenugreek, ginger and garlic, oven-roasted and cooked in a sinful, creamy butter and tomato sauce.

“The first thing is the chicken,” he would say. “If the chicken is not of good quality, you can forget the dish. The frozen chicken on the market is no good.” Working closely with his butcher — my father still has a closer relationship with his meat vendors than most people have with their doctors — he would pick out the best chicken and have it chopped up his way.

Dad began the marinade in a bowl filled with homemade yogurt in which he swirled his long, slender fingers to gently whip it. “Yogurt is the key. It tenderizes the chicken, it makes it soft,” he said. “People forget that.”

My father is an engineer by trade. When we were kids and lived in Bahrain, he traveled constantly and was often gone for long periods of time. After a day at school, I’d wait for his return, rather irrationally, by the large windows of our cozy family room each night.

When he finally came home — from Beirut, Dubai, Alabama, Delhi, London, Kuwait or Paris — he brought gifts of unusual foods, such as peanut butter, baked beans with bacon, Lindt chocolates and dates stuffed with pistachios. However, when he asked, “What would you like to eat this weekend?” the answer was always the same: butter chicken.

Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken (Bodes Well Publishing, 2016) is now up for pre-order!!
Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken paperback now available in the US! 

After the yogurt came tablespoons of melted clarified butter and a large squeeze of lemon juice, then a slathering of pureed tomatoes. “This is the real butter chicken,” he’d say. “I can tell you it tastes like the one from Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi. Did I ever tell you that is where this dish originated? I will take you there when we are in Delhi next. We can eat and sit outside in the lawns and listen to beautiful ghazals [Urdu poetry].”

As the memories of Moti Mahal filled his mind, he would begin to recite poetry by Indian legends. I understood nothing because I spoke no Urdu, yet his soothing, deep voice kept me entranced as he sang and cut slits into the chicken so the marinade would be absorbed. Then he added the chicken to the marinade, rubbing it until it seemed as though the chicken was born with the mixture on. The chicken needed to marinate overnight. And I needed to go to bed.

The next morning, I would be up with him at 8, ready to go to the market to buy tomatoes for the curry. Years later, when he visited me in the States, he was appalled I went to the grocery store once a week. “You buy tomatoes now for use on Friday? They won’t be fresh. What is the point?”

Once after returning from London, Dad did not stop talking about chicken tikka masala — a British version of butter chicken. “It had onions. Who puts onions in butter chicken? I found out that it was originally created using a can of tomato soup? Soup in making butter chicken? Who does that?” The rant took several years to die down.

His messy hands reached out to the spice cabinet for the treasures that made the dish sparkle. “Smell this methi, child, here, smell,” he said. “When I was a kid, my mother would make it and it made the whole kitchen smell like paradise. Moti Mahal did not add this to their chicken dish. They should have.” I leaned over and pretended to smell the dried herb, which smells like maple syrup, all the while reveling in the precious time with my father.

He’d place the chicken pieces single file on a foil-lined sheet to roast in the oven as we began preparing the sauce. Then he would fish out his ancient grinder. He made me smell the pungent ginger, and he laughed as I scrunched my long nose at the garlic. Both went into the blender with fiery green chilies to make the paste.

It was time to cook. Butter would go into a hot kadai, a large steel wok-shaped pot, as he would regale me with stories of his college days or how he agreed to marry Mom without even seeing her first. In went the paste and the fresh tomatoes. He would stir, pause, analyze, stir and use the back of his spoon to mash the tomatoes. Then he stopped and pulled the roasted chicken from the oven.

“Now is the secret nobody knows,” he would say as he pointed to the pan. “This marinade has all the flavors from the spices and the chicken. This is what makes the masala real.” He tilted the marinade into the wok. I watched him smile, frown and finally look at peace as the tomatoes cooked to his satisfaction and the oil moved out toward the sides of the wok. Then he added the chicken and cooked it until all the flavors melded.

My job came at the end. I gently cut the side of a plastic pouch of heavy cream and poured it into the chicken. The dish was complete. And it was time to invite everyone to eat.

Years later, my son asked me to make butter chicken for him. Reluctantly, I did. He tasted it and declared, “It is really good, Mom, but his is better.” Ah, the relief I felt. I still need my dad to show me how.

_

I am delighted to share that my first novel – Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken – is available for sale now in the US, UK and Canada (India release coming soon). The book is available in print and ebook on Amazon, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks and Nook.

Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken (Bodes Well Publishing, 2016) is now up for pre-order!!
Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken paperback now available in the US! 

 

If you want to cook the butter chicken, I am delighted to offer you a free Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken Cookbook  — Once you confirm your subscription to my newsletter,  you will receive not one but TWO free e-cookbooks – CLICK HERE FOR FREE E-COOBOOKS 

 

A big huge thank you to Simi Jois  for the fantastic cover photograph of both of the novel and the e-cookbook. And to our super secret model who modeled for the cover of the book.

A heartfelt thanks to the GW Magazine for the story they did on me. The photo used in this post – on the slider – is thanks to the magazine. They are terrific and I am so blessed to be an alumna of such a wonderful school.

Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland friends, fans and family: Lots of in-person events coming up! Stay tuned. I will be posting more here!

 

The post Making Butter Chicken with Dad appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

I am so honored to be a panelist:

The Symposium for Professional Food Writers, supported by a generous grant from the W.K.Kellogg Foundation, is hosting a two-part webinar series on Wednesday, September 28.

Session One, BUILDING A BIGGER TABLE, will be moderated by Toni Tipton-Martin with panelists David Leite, Elissa Altman, and Michael Twitty

Panelists will discuss how diverse voices may be brought to the food writing table, and how each has made her or his own mark on food writing. They will discuss the importance of networking and of leveraging opportunities, as well as how to reach a wide audience amidst a sea of culinary stars, whether writing about the food of one’s own roots or about local and sustainable food. This session aims to generate answers to the pressing question: How can the community of food writers and editors work together to nurture diversity and to create a welcoming, open space for all food storytellers in all forms and formats?

Session Two, MAKING FOOD WORK FOR YOU, will be moderated by SPFW Board Chair Andrew Schloss, in conversation with Dianne Jacob, Monica Bhide, and Sandra Gutierrez.

Writing about food may be fun and gratifying, but without proper planning and strategizing, it often is not sustainable. A living isn’t built by a cookbook alone—assuming you can get a cookbook deal. Hear from four successful writers about how they have put their food writing to work to earn a living. The panelists will talk about their workflow and how they plan for the bottom line.

Each webinar is 90 minutes long, including a Q&A period, and will be recorded for future uploading to our website. More details and registration links are available on the website at www.spfw.org/webinars. There is no charge to attend.

The post Free Webinar: MAKING FOOD WORK FOR YOU appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

If you have spent any time reading my work, you may have noticed that my bio always says “engineer.” If you did not know that, well, now you do! I am a recovering engineer and I got my M.Sc degree from the very prestigious George Washington University…. 23 years ago this week.

I worked in my field of study for a decade and then chose to move to a new industry – writing. I had always wanted to be a writer… although I did not have the courage to follow that path initially. When a close friend died, it shook my world and I decided to quit my job to pursue writing. I never imagined where this new pursuit would take me. I guess I did not need to see a goal or a vision. I was and am so happy writing (on most days!) that the end goal doesn’t seem that important anymore. I will not lie and tell you that every day is glorious. There are days I want to throw the computer out the window. But then, there are days like today — after 23 years, my alma mater (a school I respect so much) ran a six page story on my work. My NEW work. The work so many said would lead nowhere.

I only share this to tell you this: Do it your way. Do it with love, with passion, with dedication. Do it like it matters and your work will be rewarded.

If you are still reading – thank  you! Here is the story! I hope you will enjoy it!

 

If you would like to read the entire summer issue, click here.

My debut novel, book seven, releases on Sept 15th 2016. We have a ton of events planned around the city so do stay tuned! I am also available to speak at bookclubs etc. (Bookclub folks – I have created a free cookbook for you so you can make butter chicken when your club meets to discuss the book!!)

Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken (Bodes Well Publishing, 2016) is now up for pre-order!!



 

 

The post George Washington University Alumni magazine features Monica Bhide appeared first on Monica Bhide | Recipes, Stories, Inspiration.

This program is SOLD OUT. Please click here to add your name to a waitlist. We will announce additional dates soon – Sign up here!! 

In association with the wonderful Les Dames d’Escoffier Washington, D.C. Chapter and the talented Dame Amy Riolo, I am honored to present an event on the regional curries of India at Chef KN Vinod‘s terrific restaurant Indique. Space is very limited and I am told the event is selling out! Come join us!


Sign up here!! 

Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken (Bodes Well Publishing, 2016) is now up for pre-order!!







Les Dames d’Escoffier
Washington, D.C. Chapter
invites you to 


 A Regional Tour of Indian Curries at Indique









  






Dame Monica Bhide and Chef K.N. Vinod team up to provide a delicious look at the variety of curries found in the Indian subcontinent. Join us as we explore the different curries (both veg and non-veg) of

India.  Monica will present an informative seminar on the regional cuisines of India and her presentation will end with India’s most popular curry imports: Butter Chicken!  “Just as every state and sub-region in the U.S. South has its own version of barbecue, every region and sub-region of India has its own curry. Think of it this way: you can have a simple chicken curry five nights of the week and each one is completely different from the other. For a country that boasts over 30 types of cuisines within its borders this is an easy task to accomplish,” says Monica Bhide.One of the oldest known civilizations, India has greater cultural, culinary, geographic, linguistic and religious diversity within its borders than, say, Europe. Home to a billion people, speaking over a dozen languages and of hugely different ethnicities, India boasts at least thirty-five recognized cuisines.  Each cuisine is greatly influenced by local ingredients, geography, history and religion. At the end of the evening, Monica will sign copies of her new novel, Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken.








DATE:    Tuesday, September 27, 2016
PLACE:  Indique, 3512-14 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20008
              (202) 244-6600  www.indique.com
TIME:   6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
PRICE:  Members of the Public $90;  Dames (Members Only) $80.
Ticket price includes a copy of Monica’s book, Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken, everything on the menu below, one glass of wine or Mango Lassi, and gratuities. Non-member’s price includes a $10 tax exempt donation to Les Dames d’Escoffier scholarships.
RESERVATIONS:   Reservation or cancellation deadline September 20, 2016
METRO: Cleveland Park Station is just a few feet from the restaurant.
PARKING: Street parking

REGISTER:    
Click here

 to buy your tickets on Eventbrite!

Click here to print out a copy of the program.











MENU


Family-Style Dinner


Chicken Tikka Makhani (Butter Chicken)

Chicken Curry

Lamb Roganjosh

Konkani Fish Curry

Macher Jhol

Pork Vindaloo

Lal Maas

Potato Uralakizhangu

Pulao Rice

Cucumber Raita

Assorted Breads


Dessert

Kulfi
 
Drinks

Wine or Mango Lassi


 
 

(Ticket price includes full menu above. 
 Anything extra is not included in the ticket price)











 Visit us on the web at www.lesdamesdc.org 






(I will also be signing copies of my forthcoming novel, Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken, at the event)
Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken (Bodes Well Publishing, 2016) is now up for pre-order!!


 

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