Monica Saigal Bhide's Blog, page 4

Free e-cookbook for you all!

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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Book Reviews for my debut novel

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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Come join me at Whole Foods!

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

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Self Publishing seminar at the Smithsonian

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!

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Karma event back due to popular demand!

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!

 

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Monica Bhide & Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken

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!

 

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Whole Foods Book Club!

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! 

 

 

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GIVEAWAY: Karma and the Art of Butter Chicken

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.

Making Butter Chicken with Dad

 

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!

 

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Free Webinar: MAKING FOOD WORK FOR YOU

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.

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