Travel

Best of 2012 | Season’s Greetings and 3 Cookbooks Giveaway

December 30, 2012 / 22 Comments

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At this time of the year, the only thought that pours in – this year just whizzed by! A bit of reminiscing and I realise that it was long enough for me to have eaten some of the most amazing foods – from street food to fine-dining and every food in between. Also, it was long enough for me to have travelled to some brilliant destinations and have some of the most enlightening moments. I would like to sign off the year by sharing the Best of 2012 Food & Travel Posts from my blog and announcing the end-of-season give-away. And this time there are 3 cookbooks to be grabbed – essential MEDITERRANEAN, essential ASIAN and obviously a sweet sign-off –  essential DESSERTS!

These Murdoch Books Test Kitchen has been published in more than 20 languages, the hugely successful Essential series has now been revised with stunning new contemporary design and photography. Still an indispensable reference library for enthusiastic beginners and advanced cooks, it provides a comprehensive guide to cooking techniques, expert tips and hundreds of timeless recipes.

all books

Essential Asian (256 pages) guides you through the cuisine of 12 Asian countries – from China to Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia. Traditional recipes are supported by detailed Asian ingredient and utensil information, step-by-step photography and authentic cooking techniques.

Essential Mediterranean (256 pages) takes you on a journey through the food-loving countries of Greece, Italy, France, Turkey, Spain, North Africa and the Middle East with a collection of reliable and authentic recipes. and supported by step-by-step photography and detailed information on ingredients and cooking techniques, including tapas, meze and pizza.

Essential Desserts is where you will find everything from the perfect fruit pie to deliciously rich cheesecakes, the classic soufflé, comforting puddings and elegant chocolate creations.

Click here for the blog Giveaway!

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Best Food Trips of 2012

Phuchkas in Vivekananda Park, Kolkata

Firni or Ferni, Ramadan or Ramzan, Mallick Bazar or Karama?

Searching for Shiraz Golden Restaurant – From Lucknow to Kolkata and Finally DubaiDSC_6302

An Authentic Emirati Food Experience (First Time Ever!), Al Fanar Restaurant, Dubai

Pickles… Mother (-in-law) Of All Pickles!Hot Garlic Pickle

Sikarni Raan/Marinated Lamb Shank from Hotel Yak & Yeti, Kathmandu, NepalSikarni Raan/ Marinated Lamb Shank @Hotel Yak and Yeti

Lafayette Gourmet’s Festive Menu… Christmas Is In The Air!

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An Evening of Wine Tasting at Asado Wine Club, The Palace Hotel, Dubai

Eating Out Is A National Pastime – SingaporeChilli Pepper Crab@Newton Food Centre

Khichuri As Harbinger of Hope & Kolkata Soaked In Rains

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Best Travel Trips of 2012

The Abandoned Women Amidst Many Prayers, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, NepalAbandoned by family - sitting in the sacred temple premises waiting for their deaths

Flying over Mt Everest – NepalThe numerous peaks and summits of the Himalaya, bathed in the warm rays of the morning sun

Gift Wrapped & Preserved For Each Tourist – Chitwan, NepalThiru dancers, blurred by their motion

Deep Sea Fishing & Fish Barbeque – Persian Gulf, UAE

In the land of Paella – Valencia, SpainAt Night time - A local market which sells everything under the sun - this reminded me of the old Park Circus market in Kolkata

Singapore At NightOff the Orchard Road this dark alley was abuzz with pubs and restaurants - so mysterious and so antique!

Terraces and Beyond – Kolkata

Locavorism, Friday Market & Tok Palong/Sour Spinach Chutney

Things To Do In Dubai – Like A Tourist In My Own City

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While many posts have been written, many are still lying in the blog queue. For example, my incredible culinary experience in Prague recently (above) where I ate through all my senses – from road side kiosks to traditional Czech food in the Farmers’ Market & Christmas Markets; from savouring 19th century recipes to eating in a restaurant visited by The Brangelinas; from gobbling up home-made Goulash in a Caverna/Café to having a ‘haute-couture’ Goulash in Grand Hotel Europa of Mission Impossible fame!!! Screen shot 2012-12-30 at copy

Or the unique contemporary Bengali Cuisine that we tasted in a restaurant called Bohemian (above) in Kolkata. Absolutely free spirited and Bohemian, the menu offered by Chef Joy’s deli is good enough to inspire one to break out into a Bohemian Rhapsody. You’ll get a snapshot of all the food and drinks that went into my tummy in my Facebook Page, specially those which haven’t yet been tumbled out as blog posts.

A lot of recent events happening around us have often made me think whether it’s preposterous for me to keep on writing on yummy food and far-away destinations. I have purposely refrained myself from making any religious and political comment on the blog. This is a Culinary Travel Blog and it should solely remain so. Many of my readers feel that I should keep on writing on Food and Travel, irrespective of whatever happens around us because ultimately travelling and food matters connect a lot of threads together – of different places scattered all over the world, of different spices evolving through communal interaction and binding these strongly is an element of Hope. So, here’s wishing all my readers a wonderful New Year – safe and secured, healthy & happy, peaceful and prosperous. Also, all the best to all of you – there’s going to be not 1 but 3 winners for the Cookbook giveaway. Happy cooking!

Unblogging it all… IshitaUntitled-2

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Disclaimer: I hope you enjoy reading the posts with lot of visuals. While you enjoy seeing them please don’t use them as some of them have been taken from our personal albums just to make your reading experience more pleasurable. You can see more pictures of my travel and food journey here.

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