Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Mark Bittman (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bhide (The Everything Indian Cookbook) provides a personal look at modern Indian cooking, showcasing new versions of her native cuisine that pay homage to tradition but also acknowledge the everyday lifestyle of India today. While Bhide's recipes use authentic spices and techniques, she departs from the stereotype of complicated meals that take hours to prepare. Her recipes focus on spices and flavor, spanning the gamut of Indian cuisine. She also includes recipes for meat, rice, breads and desserts. Highlights include coriander-and-fennel crusted lamb chops, curried scallops, and onion bread stir-fry. Scattered throughout are personal stories on a variety of subjects, including a visit to Vaishno Devi Maa's Temple and recollections of a meal prepared by grand master Indian chef Imtiaz Qureshi. Bhide also provides a detailed spice pantry section and an insider's guide to time- and labor-saving ingredients. The author offers a refreshing look at the diverse and changing cuisine of India, with a new perspective that will be embraced by Indian food lovers everywhere. (Apr.)
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From Booklist

Product of a culture deeply bound to its traditions, Indian cooking has only recently begun to engage seriously with other cuisines. Bhide spearheads a movement seeking to reinterpret Indian cooking and make it more accessible to the growing international kitchen. Herself an offspring of the Indian diaspora and raised in the Middle East, Bhide eschews standard recipes that can be found in other Indian cookbooks, instead taking Indian ingredients, especially the vast array of spices, and applying them in original, intriguing ways. She concocts a cocktail snack based on Rice Krispies cereal but sharply scented with mustard seeds, turmeric, cumin, and fennel. Green chili chutney tops bits of omelet resting in little pastry shells. Mashed potatoes get a garlic, chili, and coconut kick. Dry rubs anoint both grilled fish and meat. Essays intersperse the recipes, most of them Bhide’s reflections on her family and upbringing. A revolutionary approach to Indian cooking. --Mark Knoblauch

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (April 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416566597
• ISBN-13: 978-1416566595
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #99,829 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite New Cookbook!, May 7, 2009

By	Tara W. Dahill (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Modern Spice" is hands-down my favorite new cookbook. I am reading it cover to cover, and I simply can't say enough good things about this book. For those out there who fear the exploration of this cuisine, let "Modern Spice" be your guide. The pantry chapter alone will allay your fear of mysterious spices and by the time you've gotten to the first recipe you'll be chomping at the bit to get to your stove.

"Modern Spice" is more than a cookbook; its a deeply personal exploration of food, family, culture and more. Monice Bhide's passion for life and food is infectious - it will draw you in, keep you reading, and encourage you to explore. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this treasure - your heart and your palate will thank you.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT cookbook!, May 20, 2009

By	Kristin Ohlson "Reader and writer" (Cleveland Heights, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There are so many wonderful recipes here, plus I love the little personal stories that Bhide drops into the book, like pearls. I find her recipes for vegetables especially helpful: we're trying to eat less meat in this house, and Modern Spice gives me so many new ways to cook old favorites like eggplant. She's also given me a reason to like green beans. Many nice seafood recipes, too.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have - gorgeous inside and out, May 6, 2009

By	Amy W. Nymark "Amy Nymark" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The cover of Modern Spice is just the beginning. Monica Bhide helps the average, mediocre kitchen mother/ wife transform her boring dishes in to a higher level of cuisine without fear or failure. She has such a gift for writing; her knowledge base combined with her flair for interjecting wit and reality give the inspired reader a real boost. The outcomes of her recipes leave our plates empty, and my family and friends satisfied. The cover - beautiful - the content - rich - Monica will give you a top 10 recipe as a signature dish for a lifetime. Best and Thank you!!! Amy Nymark