SPICES & SEASONS Blog Cookoff, Week #3

It's finally here--week #3, giveaway week! We know you've been itching for a chance to get your hands on your very own copy of SPICES & SEASONS. Now you have 7 ways to win!

See each blog for details on how to enter, and don't forget to do the extra entries! Best of luck and happy cooking.

1. Susan,  The Wimpy Vegetarian

2. Helene, La Cuisine d'Helene  

3. Joi,  Get Cooking   

4. Susan,  Create Amazing Meals

5. Laura,  The Spiced Life

6. Felice,  All That's Left Are the Crumbs

7. Trish,  In Fine Balance

You can find all the recipes in one place if you follow our Pinterest board! You can find more information about Rinku Bhattacharya on her blog cookinginwestchester.com, and see our Facebook page for her event schedule in the Hudson Valley area.

If you missed last week (week #2), each blogger picked a recipe to try. Such a great selection!


1. Well-Seasoned Potato and Mint Salad

2. Stir-fried Asparagus with Garlic and Sesame Seeds  

3. Shrimp in a Mango Basil Sauce

4. Pasta with Spice-Infused Ground Lamb and Green Peas 

5. Fresh Ginger Apple Chai Cake

6. Zucchini, Lemon Thyme and Onion Flatbreads

In week # 1, the bloggers all tried an Indian restaurant staple: Classic Green Mint Chutney. See post...

SPICES & SEASONS Blog Cook-Off, Week 2

You could win a copy!

We're continuing the SPICES & SEASONS Blog Cook-Off and for week #2, each blogger will be cooking up a recipe of their choice. Next week (week #3), each foodie will share their review of Spices & Seasons. Plus all of the participating bloggers will be doing a giveaway! See individual blogs on how to enter.

Here are the bloggers, and their dishes for this week:
(links will be updated along the way)

1. Well-Seasoned Potato and Mint Salad - Susan,  The Wimpy Vegetarian

2. * - Helene, La Cuisine d'Helene  

3. Stir-fried Asparagus with Garlic and Sesame Seeds - Joi,  Get Cooking   

4. Shrimp in a Mango Basil Sauce - Susan,  Create Amazing Meals

5. Pasta with Spice-Infused Ground Lamb and Green Peas  - Laura,  The Spiced Life

6. Fresh Ginger Apple Chai Cake - Felice,  All That's Left Are the Crumbs

7. Zucchini, Lemon Thyme and Onion Flatbreads - Trish,  In Fine Balance

You can find all the recipes in one place if you follow our Pinterest board! You can find more information about Rinku Bhattacharya on her blog cookinginwestchester.com, and her event schedule for this summer.

If you missed last week (week #1), the bloggers all tried an Indian restaurant staple: Classic Green Mint Chutney. See post...

SPICES & SEASONS Food Blog Cook-off

We're excited to share that Hippocrene Books is sponsoring a food blog cook-off for Spices & Seasons: Simple Sustainable Indian Flavors by Rinku Bhattacharya! The cookbook spotlights for Muy Bueno and The New Southwest were so much fun--we had to do another!

Mint from the author's garden.

This week, (week #1), the bloggers will all try Classic Green Mint Chutney. You've probably enjoyed it at Indian restaurants and you'll see it's simple to make. Susan at Create Amazing Meals has already posted her take with a surprising pairing--watermelon!

Week #2, each blogger has the chance to try out a recipe of their choice. In week #3, each blogger will share their review of Spices & Seasons. At the end of the cook-off, all of the participating bloggers will be doing a giveaway!

Here are the participating bloggers:

1. Susan -- The Wimpy Vegetarian

2. Helene -- La Cuisine d'Helene  

3. Joi -- Get Cooking   

4. Susan -- Create Amazing Meals

5. Laura -- The Spiced Life  

6. Felice -- All That's Left Are the Crumbs 

7. Trish -- In Fine Balance

The cook-off is already underway, so be sure to check back to find links to individual posts from each blogger, and for a chance to win your own copy of Spices & Seasons! You can find more information about Rinku Bhattacharya on her blog cookinginwestchester.com.

New cookbook: SPICES & SEASONS by Rinku Bhattacharya

" . . . beautifully combines the time-tested traditions of the Indian kitchen with a practical, modern approach . . ."
--SUVIR SARAN, author of Masala Farm and Indian Home Cooking

"Spices & Seasons awakened my sleepy palate the moment I opened it! What gorgeous, beguiling recipes and such wise words about so much, especially about children and vegetables. I am off to my kitchen, book in tow and with great anticipation of many wonderful meals." 
--DEBORAH MADISON, author of Vegetable Literacy and The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

"Whether you're shopping in supermarkets or farmers markets or cooking from CSA boxes and farm stands, Rinku has ideas and recipes for you. Whether you are a confident, seasoned cook, or curious about the kitchen, whether you know and love India's vibrant spices and culinary traditions or whether you are more curious than confident, Rinku welcomes you with this splendid and practical book. Teacher, coach, and passionate, smiling guide, she's exactly the presence I want in my kitchen this year, for all the spices and all the seasons." 
--NANCIE MCDERMOTT, author of Quick & Easy Thai and Southern Pies
 

We're excited to announce a new cookbook that will be out next month! Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors by Gourmand Award-winning author Rinku Bhattacharya is a fresh take on Indian cuisine inspired by the bounty of local produce.  You'll learn how to turn enticing farmstands full of fruits and vegetables into healthy, flavorful meals. Rinku not only teaches readers how to prepare meals with ingredients from the backyard, but she also shares advice on cooking with Indian spices, using a pressure cooker, and "green tips" for making your kitchen eco-friendly.
 
With more than 150 easy-to-follow recipes--many of them vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free--Spices & Seasons is ideal for the busy home cook who wants to bring Indian flavor to their table. Savor dishes such as "Mango and Goat Cheese Mini Crisps," "Seared Scallops in a Blueberry Ginger Sauce," "Fresh Ginger Apple Chai Cake," and much more! A beautiful photo accompanies each recipe in this hardcover volume.

Stay tuned for details about our blog tour and giveaways!

About the author:

Rinku Bhattacharya is a native of Kolkata, India, currently living in a house with a vibrant backyard in Hudson Valley, New York with her husband and two young children. Rinku's practical, sustainable approach to Indian cooking is showcased on her blog, Cooking in Westchester, and her Journal News column Spices and Seasons. Rinku has been teaching recreational cooking classes for the past nine years and also partners with the local Down Home Markets to offer seasonal Indian cooking demos. She is author of The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles (Hippocrene Books, 2012). Rinku has also written for the Poughkeepsie Journal and several online sites, and appeared on CT Style television a few times.

Hippocrene Cooks and Books: Five Cookbook authors trade cuisines for a day

Today we'll be sharing a fun blog swap from five of our cookbook authors! Each author will be reviewing a different type of cuisine and sharing a recipe from a fellow HB author's cookbook. Even better, they will each be giving away a copy the cookbook to their readers!

Here are the five authors:

Author                                              Cooking From:

Rinku Bhattacharya          The New Ukrainian Cookbook by Annette Corona

Nadia Hassani                  The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles by Rinku Bhattacharya

Annette Corona                Nile Style by Amy Riolo

Amy Riolo                       Rice & Curry: Sri Lankan Home Cooking by S.H. Fernando

S.H. Fernando                 Spoonfuls of Germany by Nadia Hassani

You can find the authors online through their blogs and social media!

Rinku Bhattacharya          

Blog: www.cookinginwestchester.com

Twitter: @wchestermasala

Facebook: CookinginWestchester

Pinterest: @rinkub

Nadia Hassani                   

Blog: www.spoonfulsofgermany.com

Facebook: SpoonfulsofGermany

Annette Corona                

Blog: www.refuelingyourfork.com

Facebook: annette.corona

Amy Riolo                       

Blog: http://www.amyriolo.blogspot.com

Twitter: @amyriolo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.riolo

Pinterest: @amyriolo

Instagram: @aasriolo

S.H. Fernando  

Blog: www.riceandcurry.wordpress.com

Twitter: @SkizFernando 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RicenCurry

Beat the Heat Recipe Day 4 - Potato and Chickpea Salad

The week is almost over, and with it, the hot, sticky weather. In this kind of heat, 80 degree temperature forecasts for next week are a welcome sight! 

We've got another recipe for this week's "Beat the Heat" collection. Today, we recommend Potato and Chickpea Salad from The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles by Rinku Bhattacharya. Don't let prep time disenchant you. We promise, the two-hour wait will be forgotten the second fork meets mouth. This recipe, like others from this week, have simple ingredients that can be found just about anywhere--even in your garden! You can find tamarind paste at Indian markets and specialty stores.

Image courtesy of Rinku Bhattacharya

POTATO AND CHICKPEA SALAD (Alu Kabuli)
This simple recipe is symbolic of childhood and carefree times to a lot of Bengalis.

Prep Time: 2 hours (mostly to chill the salad)
Yield: 6 servings

4 russet potatoes, boiled and peeled
1 tablespoon tamarind paste

Juice of 2 limes

1 teaspoon black salt
3⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 red onion, very finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1 or 2 green chilies, finely chopped

Directions

Slice the potatoes and place in a mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl mix the tamarind paste, lime juice, black salt, and cayenne pepper powder. Gently add the spice mixture to the potatoes. Add the chickpeas, red onions, cilantro, and green chilies and mix in lightly but evenly.

Chill for 1 1⁄2 hours. Serve as a light meal or as a salad with any other dish.

Bengal, located in eastern India, is famous for its cuisine, including a unique five-spice blend called panchphoron. Bengali cooking balances fresh, local ingredients and delicate spices to produce an array of mostly vegetarian, fish, and shellfish dishes.  

Includes:

• A thorough introduction to Bengali culture and cooking
• 180 easy-to-follow traditional and contemporary recipes
• Sections on spice pastes, spice blends, and essential tool
• Sidebars with family anecdotes and historical and cultural information

 
Rinku Bhattacharya was born in Kolkata, India and currently resides in Westchester, New York. She teaches cooking classes, maintains a popular food blog, Cooking in Westchester, and writes a weekly column, “Spices and Seasons,” for the Journal News website.

Recipes from earlier this week:

Day 3: Potato and Pomegranate Salad
Day 2: Peach Coconut Paletas
Day 1: Shrimp Salad on Mixed Green

“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

"The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles" Two-by-Two Cook-Off: Week 1

What better way to start off the holidays than to have another food blogger cook-off ? This time we're featuring our cookbook by Rinku Bhattacharya, The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles, that is sure to get your taste buds dancing.

Thirteen bloggers will have two weeks to post two reaction pieces about their experiences. Thus the name "Two-by-Two." At the end of the cook-off, each blogger will be giving away one free copy! This delightful cookbook would be a great gift for a friend, family member or even yourself, so be sure to enter.

Rinku, the author, will be hosting the event on her blog, Cooking in Westchester. This is an event you don't want to miss so keep checking back for updates!

"Two-by-Two" Cook-Off Bloggers

Akheela Hisham - Torviewtoronto Alex Witte - Chow Vida Amanda Moutakki - Maroccmama 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 - 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