nihaar's notepad on technology, food, sf and… well, life
Food
Cooking with left overs…
Tired of the usual delivery options, I rummaged around the fridge to find anything I could throw together for a quick and hearty meal. Noticing some chicken thighs in the freezer and some left over home-made pasta sauce, I thought of throwing the two together. The obvious answer was pasta. But in the mood for [...]
Sesame beef with ramen and veggies
In the need for a quick (& cheap) but satisfying meal, I tried out this recipe that didn’t fail to deliver. It’s extremely easy to make and is ideal for a last minute meal. You can also throw in anything that you like really, making it pretty flexible as well. Serves 2: Take about half [...]
Speaking of good burgers…
Brunch at the Spotted Pig
5 highly critiqued foods and my favorites
In my 14 years of being in New York, if there’s one thing I’ve noticed it’s that New Yorkers are the second most opinionated people I’ve come across (after Delhi-ites). Often times, I feel there is a one-upmanship going on on who can be the most opinionated. And there is little more New Yorkers are [...]
Crepes with chicken, asparagus & mushrooms
This is a recipe that’s inspired by the crepe trucks at Penn that I used to love! The receipe isn’t exactly the same but its still pretty good and satisfies the craving. Serves 2 and takes about 30 minutes to make: Crepe batter: In a large bowl beat a large egg with 1/2 a cup [...]
Lamb burgers
Love this fast and mouth watering fix to a good dinner. Makes two quarter pound burgers. Start with a half pound of ground lamb. Mix in half an onion (finely chopped) with a clove of garlic (minced) and two tablespoons of chopped cilantro. Add salt, pepper and two tablespoons of cumin. Mix everything together well [...]
Low calorie linguine with shrimp
Having enjoyed the Cook’s Illustrated Best 30 Minute Recipes book, I recently picked up their Best Light Recipes book as well and so far it has lived up to the expectations I had. The book looks at huge number of recipes and talks about how you can make some of your favorite dishes in a [...]
Beef tartar at Markt
ML and I tried finally tried out a belgian restaurant in Chelsea, Markt. We ordered a beef tartar dish and I had to share what came out of the kitchen. The tartar was literally a half pound of ground beef uncooked, served over a bed of chopped onions, tomatoes and capers… This is taking carnivore [...]
Pan seared shrimp in a creamy tomato sauce
This is an idiosyncratic coastal recipe from India – shrimp served in a creamy coconut-tomato sauce rich with spices. Unlike most indian dishes, this one is quick and satisfying at the same time. The trick to keep in mind when pan searing shrimp is to not let them on the heat for too long or [...]
Maque Choux
This was my first time trying, let alone cooking, this creamy Louisiana dish. It was surprisingly very good and thought it was worth sharing. It’s a rich corn stew with peppers and chicken and herbs that make it a very hearty meal with a ton of different flavors. Here’s how you make it at home: [...]
Moroccan chicken tagine
Tagine (or Tajine) is a traditional Moroccan stew – slow cooked with chicken or lamb and plenty of aromatics and spices. Traditionally, the meat is left to simmer in the stew for a couple of hours in a tagine pot (clay pot with a conical top) with any combination of olives, apricots, grapes, prunes, dates, [...]
Sushi & Sake 101 @ Sushi Samba
Being huge fans of sushi, ML & I tried out the Sushi & Sake 101 class at Sushi Samba (on 7th avenue) the other day. It was a cool introductory lesson on sake and sushi. The class started out with a brief history of sake and how it is made along with a tasting of [...]
Restaurant week (er, month) – Megu & Aquavit
One good thing that has come out of the economic crises is the extended Restaurant Week for the entire month of February. I am a big fan of this event. In an attempt to make the most of it, ML and I have decided to try and take advantage of this extended period to try [...]
Fish kabobs
Here’s a great recipe I got from my mom. These types of kebabs (think small, flat meatballs) are pretty popular in northern India and are made with practically any meat – fish, mutton, chicken, lamb, etc. They are delicious and make good snacks. Serves 2-3 people: Empty the contents of an 8oz can of tuna [...]
Cornish hens & mashed potatoes
Last night we were in the mood to try something different and roaming down the ever packed aisles of Whole Foods, Maria thought about making her mom’s recipe for Cornish hens. We picked up the necessary ingredients as well as stuff for some mashed potatoes and after waiting in line for a ridiculous amount of [...]
Ants for lunch!
On my trip to Bucaramanga, I learned that toasted ants are a popular delicacy amongst the locals there (and have been gaining global popularity). However, I didn’t get the chance to actually see them while I was there. So Maria brought back some with her when she came back. My first reaction was that the [...]
Fish tacos with guacamole
Update: I tried this recipe using Cod and it came out to be a much better choice than flounder. Cod tends to be less flaky and packs a bolder taste than flounder. I would suggest substituting the flounder for cod or halibut here. Part of the reason I started this blog was to post recipes [...]
Home-made lamb on rice
Here’s a delicious and quick recipe I tried out last night thanks to some inspiration from the all-recipes app on my iPhone (decent app but the number of recipes it has it’s too limited). Take some lamb stew meat (.5 lbs if cooking for two) and rub some salt, pepper and any other spices you [...]
Sea scallops wrapped in turkey bacon
Here is a delicious recipe I learned from maria. Simple, quick and mouth watering. Wrap each scallop with a strip of bacon (you can use tooth picks to hold them in place). Sprinkle olive oil, salt and pepper and sear on a pan with some olive oil and garlic. Done.
My Projects
MapThatPad For Brokers: Allowing brokers, landlords and property managers to gain incredible insights into all their real estate listings. Hit me up for a beta invitation!
MapThatPad: The easiest way to organize your apartment hunt on craigslist.
MyCal: A dead-simple way to add events to your google calendar.