Suvir

The Story of Instamatic & Crispy Okra Salad

This weekend I share my fourth book, Instamatic in my column. 

I share the backstory to the book. A book that is equal parts Instasaying, Instapics, and Instawisdom. A deeper more thoughtful look into our Instaworld. 

As a teaser I share the brilliance of the sun and clouds as I learned at our farm in Hebron, NY. Also share what I learned while visiting the remarkable nation that is Rwanda. 

Read the column on Mail Today, or below.

Floyd Cardoz: The Mensch is in the detail

Floyd Cardoz, an international restaurateur and the first chef to bring the sweep and balance of his native Indian cooking to fine dining in the United States, died on Tuesday at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, N.J. He was 59.

The cause was the coronavirus, his family said. Read full Obituary here from the NYT here.

Juicy Turkey Cheddar Burgers - A celebration of textures and flavors!

This recipe from Masala Farm is a perfect recipe to make on this National Burger Day. 

Inspiration for this recipe came from my lamb burger recipe, in which I combine ground lamb with lots of spices and a combination of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino cheeses. Richard Arakelian, a chef colleague of mine, asked me why I never use ground turkey in a burger, and added to his question, why I rarely use American cheeses, like cheddar in my recipes? I interpreted his question as a challenge, and this is how my turkey cheddar burgers came to be.

El Naranjo mobile - Iliana De La Vega's Mexican Cuisine. Served with Honesty, Authenticity, Integrity, Style and Passion

The flavors Iliana De La Vega shares at her "humble" food truck in Austin, TX, are far from HUMBLE. There is NOTHING Humble or modest about what Iliana does. I say that in a good way. Her food has a personality that SHINES. A taste that SINGS Clearly, with HIGH Notes, deep LOW gut-pleasing tastes and pleasurable middle, side and any and all notes, flavors and sensations that come together bringing forth a culinary discovery, that speaks of a kitchen alchemy that needs to be savored, shared, celebrated and perpetuated. The only thing Humble about the experience Iliana shared with me last night, was perhaps the concept of savoring Haute cuisine around a food truck.

Ravenous - Good Fries, Bad Attitude.

The sight of the owner scratching her nose and not bothering to even wipe her hands on a napkin, let alone wash her hands, should have told me everything I needed to know. But this may have been the most pleasant thing proprietor Lauren could have done or said. Since the website for Ravenous does not list her last name I called the number provided at several places to get that information. Lauren answered the phone promptly. My request for a last name for Francesco (her husband) and her resulted in her telling me she could not understand me and her hanging up on me. My accent seems to have been an issue. I guess voice-coaching is in the horizon for me.

Is this India? Mad Over Donuts brings the Dunkin way to India

On my maiden visit to a mall in India, it was not the designer stores that caught my eye, but this brightly designed donut store that made me stop in my tracks. I bought a box of a dozen donuts. Colors of the store are not very different from Dunkin Donuts. The pink is missing. What happened to India's love with pink? Diana Vreelend let the world know decades ago that pink was the navy blue of India. With MOD opening stores around India, I guess India is not that India which seduced Diana Vreeland anymore. Is the missing pink telling of what will soon be missing in India?

Perfection - At whatever cost, wherever one works, or shares

The Japanese are perfectionists, before they are anything else it seems. Pride, honor and a certain baggage uniquely Japanese compels them to perform better than people anywhere else. We found it fantastic to discover this even at a street-side creperie. Welcome to Japan, where food meets perfection, meets great hygiene - giving the customer an experience of all experiences, no matter where you find yourself.

Ramen - so common it seems, and often mysteriously delicious

As we walked around Dotonbori, eating our way through many Japanese street food items, I could not resist my urge to enjoy some Ramen. Never one for Ramen, our friend Hiroko Shimbo had changed my attitude towards it, and tonight, we got to enjoy it in Dotonbori.

Dotonbori Marketplace in Osaka - Time Square it is not, but to some in Japan, it is that...

Lee Anne Wong loves to eat and drink. And she enjoys that pastime as much as the best I have known indulging that passion. As we were planning our trip, and ever since our landing in Japan, she had been mentioning Dotonbori and how it would charm us instantly. Above, you see Lee Anne all smiles, as she convinces us to spend a few hours tonight with her in Dotonbori, as she brings her trip to Japan to a close.

A lunch I could eat often and never tire of the enjoyment

Suezawa Yoshikatsu (outside) and Suezawa Toshiko (inside) big us goodbye after we are lavished to one of the most beautifully simple meals ever. A lunch of mixed Okonomiyaki (mixed with oysters, clams, shrimp, octopus, squid and bacon), Tompeiyaki (pork), Nikupeiyaki (beef) and Yakimeshi (fried rice). Of course brought to an end with beautifully big and red strawberries. The restaurant is called Okonomiyaki Hikari.

1-3-21 Minamihanadaguchi-Cho, Sakai-Ku, Sakai City

Tel: 072-233-6338