“The Bengali Five-Spice Chronicles” Two-by-Two Cook-Off: Week 2

Our food blogger Two-by-Two cook-off is officially underway! Until December 6, thirteen bloggers will be reviewing and cooking their favorite dishes from Rinku Bhattacharya’s The Bengali Five-Spice Chronicles, and posting two reaction pieces about their experiences. The best part (aside from working up an appetite for these tasty Bengali dishes) is that each blogger is giving away one free copy of the book at the end of the cook-off!

Amanda at MarocMama tried her hand at Lentil and Rice Risotto, Meatballs in Saffron Rice, and Crispy Potato Sticks, and is looking forward to trying out a dessert or chutney for her second post, while Elizabeth over at Frugal Mom Eh enjoyed the “restaurant quality” of the Quick and Zesty Pineapple Shrimp, and its delicious mingling of flavors and spices.

Meatballs in Saffron Rice

Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla tried out some of cookbook’s vegetarian entrees – Sweet and Spicy Curried Cabbage, and Golden Cauliflower in Orange Mustard Sauce, both served with steamed quinoa. Camilla found these two vegetarian dishes “easy to make and teeming with flavor,” plus they were a big hit with her husband and kids!

Spiced Potatoes with Cauliflower and Shrimp

Laura from The Spiced Life cooked up some “quick, healthy and delicious” Spiced Potatoes and Cauliflower with Shrimp and Saffron Rice with Meatballs for her out of town guest. In her next post, she’ll be sharing with us the dish she cooked for her kids, when she reduced the green chiles to make the spiciness kid-friendly.

Many of the bloggers agreed that Rinku’s vivid, conversational prose style made browsing The Bengali Five-Spice Chronicles extra enjoyable, as she shares her own personal stories and memories of these beloved Bengali recipes. Cynthia from What a Girl Eats described it as “half-cookbook, half autobiography,” and she was excited to try out Rinku’s Chicken in a Creamy Yogurt Sauce, a simple recipe made with easily available ingredients.

There are plenty of posts still to come from these ladies as well as the rest of the cook-off bloggers, so be sure to check back here for updates – and don’t forget, on each of the blogs you can enter to win your own copy of The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles!

"Two-by-Two" Cook-Off Bloggers

Akheela Hisham - Torviewtoronto

Alex Witte - Chow Vida

Amanda Moutakki - MarocMama

Camilla Mann- Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Cynthia McCloud Woodman - What a Girl Eats

Elizabeth Lapmann - Frugal Mom Eh!

Hindy Garfinkle - Confident Cook, Hesitant Baker

Laura Tabacca - The Spiced Life

Melanie Deland - MBA Mama

Perry Perkins - Hautz Meals

Priya Mitrawal - Mharo Rajasthan

Rashmi Primlani - Primlani Kitchen

Sarah De Diego - Journeys of the Zoo