Confessions of a Glutton

A good meal is divine bliss –at least for me. And I’m sure many of you will agree! For every glutton at heart, good food (or just about anything that’s edible) is the best part of the day. Not to undermine a stimulating education or a job or anything, but when I go to bed each night, when I think back about the events of the day –if a phenomenal meal had been consumed, it’s the absolute highlight of the day! 

Does this sound just a tad bit crazy? Well, then go ahead and call me crazy, because I’m crazy for food! If I were to pick between my loves ones and the best Tenderloin Steak, honestly, it’d be quite a hard decision. 

Yes, I’m a relentless glutton. A good meal, for me, is the very definition of contentment. Just the thought of some succulent best Tenderloin Steak or a big juicy burger or even just a bowl of rajma chawal gives me goose bumps –I kid you not! 

I’ve reached a point where I just couldn’t care less about my weight; a good meal is worth having, even if it’s a million calories! So with my carefree foodie attitude, you’re bound to find me sitting at one of the many, many amazing restaurants in Delhi, gorging away on some dish or the other every other day (or at least every weekend, for sure, depending on the state of the contents of my wallet). 

And so with my love for food, I’m always scouting out a Famous restaurant in vasant kunj or the best restaurants in Saket, or Hauz Khas, or Khan Market or even anywhere on the periphery of the glorious city of Delhi. With all the amazing eateries, I’m pretty sure the city of Delhi is a glutton at heart too –just like me!

Smoke it up with Veggies

Get over smoked meat. The sizzling trend of red, smoked meat has taken a dazzling, green turn this season, with chefs 'smoking up' vegetables to give them a decadent, exotic spin. And why just vegetables? When it comes to fiddling with the kitchen contents, there can possibly be no stopping. Chefs of some of the famous restaurants in Vasant Kunj have already moved a step ahead by giving a smoky twist to cheese, butter, eggs, chocolate and even cocktails. Yeah, you read that right.

With molecular gastronomy picking up the culinary ropes a tad too fast, there is nothing out there in it that can't be fiddled with. Use a smoking gun and you'll understand why. Flavoring and tenderizing lies at the helm of the transformative science that makes 'smoking' such an easy-to-come-by concept in the first place.

The process of smoking is elemental, which eventually gives rise to something absolutely amazing. After all, smoking gives a delightful twist to the blandest of food and revs it up not only in taste, but in appearance too, hence making it hard to resist. It elevates the food from normal to valuable.
While the very process of smoking may sound a tad intimidating for the worry of an elaborate set-up and the fear of losing nutrition, the truth is far from it. You just need a charcoal grill that you can set up in your garden or your terrace and work up to it. As for the nutrition bit, no-- you don’t lose it just like that. Smoking, in fact, doesn’t kill nutrition but preserves it.

The smoky aura can further be lifted by pairing the right cocktails with smoked fruits, hence creating a melange of delectably novel flavours, too! Sounds heavenly, right? Tastes even more so! 

On-The-Go Breakfast Options

There could possibly be no questioning the fact that baking breakfast can be one giant pain for the not-so-morning people. Helping one to cobble together bread and other breakfast-y stuff can be a daunting early morning affair, like getting up in the first place wasn’t enough. But then, what do you do about the howling pangs of hunger in the tummy? Starving yourself to death can be ruled out, for sure.

Just to make life a little easier for the non-morning lot, here are a few on-the-go-breakfasts that can actually be good for you. Your health, I mean!

Throw a look!

-Apple Sandwiches with Almond Butter

Straight up almonds stuffed with almond butter may sound gross, but they’re not. They make for a sumptuous and a healthy breakfast—not to forget easy to make, too! You can go a step ahead by adding granola for the crunch, adds the manager of a restaurant in Hauz Khas.

-Skinny Omelettes

Skinny Omelettes? Okay, what are skinny omelettes?

They are nothing much, really, except for that they are made in form of a wrap. You just need to cook eggs in a crepe-thin omelette and fill it up with whatever edible you come across! It also makes for a perfect on-the-commute breakfast. What else can one ask for?

-Oatmeal squares

Trust Chef Major of one of the best breakfast places in Bangalore for this delicacy. Get rid of the early morning blues by cutting perfect squares out of oatmeal and munching them on your way to work. A fulfilling meal that they make, oatmeal squares are unbelievably healthy, too!

-Vanilla Smoothies

Not a munching person, are you? Kick-start your day with a glass loaded with antioxidants and all kinds of minerals and vitamins. Vanilla smoothies- kale and spinach blended ones—can be a morning treat to your taste buds.

Bangalore Takes My Taste Buds for a Ravishing Spin

Bangalore, with its thick and dense trees forming beautiful boulevards across the city and consistently wonderful weather, despite its now infamous road traffic, has become a hub for the Indian youth. And so I too, decided it was high time I paid a visit and found out what the fuss is all about! I had many friends who like many other youngsters, had flocked to Bangalore. So with a couch to crash on, and a flight ticket in hand, I began my Bangalore adventure.

What I didn’t realise was that apart from exploring the city itself, my taste buds were in for an exploration of their very own. From “I’ll take you to The Only Place, you’re going to love the steak there!” to “Oh my god, Millers Forty Six has the best burgers ever!” and “For dinner we’ll go to such-and-such place, and lunch tomorrow will be at so-and-so place,” I was being shuttled between the best of the best restaurants at Bangalore.

I fell in love with the fish in tomato sauce at Koshy’s. And believe you me I also ate fish biryani there! Fish biryani, who would have thought? Whether you’re looking for Tenderloin Steak or smoked chicken in bangalore, the city’s got it all. And moreover, I was still left with money in my pocket, after eating out every single day!

Amidst the metropolitan buzz of the city, you will find a majestic, old structure that houses the famous Hard Rock Café. The ambience at Hard Rock, with the friendly and jovial staff, classic rock music, and a menu that will make you salivate like a dog, is nothing short of brilliance. You will find some of the best Tenderloin Steak and smoked chicken in Bangalore here.

Since my return, I’ve been left impatiently waiting for the day I can go back to Bangalore and take my taste buds for a spin yet again!

Cooking the perfect Tenderloin Steak

There is no reason why Tenderloin steak should intimidate you, unless there is some life-threatening competition that you need to win at any cost.

Filet mignon or tenderloin steak can be fun to fiddle with. Having said that, there are a multitude of ways in which it can be done- all crisply and nicely. The idea of the best tenderloin steak sure is riveting-it being embellished with aromatic hints of rosemary and nuttiness of brown butter. Deck it up with ideas and innovations, and voila! You’ll simply love yourself for having cooked it in the first place! Sure you will.

Tenderloin steak is, well, tender. It’s lean, and so has very little fat. However, with less and less of fat, the juiciness and flavour is somehow compromised on. The more you cook it up, the closer you get to eliminating the fat, and the drier you end up making it.

Ideally, the tenderloin steak should be cooked at high temperature to get a crunchier and tastier outside. Take the filet out of the oven 30 minutes before you want to cook it and season it with salt and pepper. Let the filet cool down to the room temperature which will help to ensure that cook it to the right doneness. Sear the filets for over 3-4 minutes and let depending upon the thickness. Don’t meddle with it; just let it cook on its own accord, says a chef at a famous restaurant in Vasant Kunj and Smoke House Deli.

For taste, and to add some lubrication, smear the filets with melted herb butter. You can tell the doneness by idea, and by judgement. Because you have cooked a few fillets, you will know how much more you need to cook it up to bring out the real taste of it. It’s always advisable not to cut into the filet to tell the doneness. It will end up horribly drying up the meat for the loss of juice and make it taste dry and tasteless.

Top Reasons to Bid Farewell to the Junk Food

Junk food globally has today touched the peak of its popularity. They have gained these heights not just because it tastes good but also because the best burgers in Delhi and around are relatively cheaper than any other delectable dishes.

While we are all in awe of the variety and the tastes which these Junk foods are available in, it is imperative to be cognitive of the health effects they are potent to produce. Here are some of the reasons you need to stay away from all the Junk you regularly have:

-Unnecessary weight gain

Studies reveal that people who indulge in regular bites of Junk food like smoke lamb burger more than often have a greater tendency of gaining weight than those who are non-junk eaters. While obesity is one of the biggest health problems which suffer from globally, the changing eating habits are the most to be blamed.

-Have no nutritional value

Primarily the junk foods are empty in any and every nutritional value. Especially the packed varieties that are flooding the market these days are to be majorly avoided. High in chemical content they are not just nutrition deprived but also have a high dose of unwanted chemicals.

-Chances of Infertility

Various studies conducted on the health effects produced by the junk foods reflect on the fact that they have a high amount of growth hormones. Growth hormones aren’t just any normal hormones but are known to be the biggest reason for infertility.

-Contain high doses of refined sugar

The abundant amount of refined sugar which is found in the Junk foods like best burgers in Delhi or elsewhere is known to affect the immunity adversely. Refined sugars also heighten your blood sugar levels which is the primary cause of diabetes.

How to judge if you are at a good restaurant

Eating well is the ultimate measure of luxury these days and ‘just how well’ really defines the class and level of indulgence you are willing to buy yourself. And when there are quite so many options to choose from, you would definitely want to part from your money for a place worth it. However, this need of assurance of quality shouldn’t keep you from experimenting for food is pleasurable only if you keep adding diversity. But then how do you try out new places without running the risk of being ripped-off. 

Here are a few tips to see if the supposedly best breakfast places in Bangalore or anywhere you go is worth the money. Without having to order full-fledged meals you can tell if it’s worth it, and can excuse yourself with a cup of coffee or soup saving the rest of your money and appetite for some delicious smoked food in Bangalore at your go-to.

Bathroom

If the bathroom is gross the kitchen is surely grosser. It is usually the tell-tale of a restaurant’s attention to detail. Well sure there are lots of street side joints and dhabas that have dirty bathrooms but the food is still heavenly but that’s quite another thing. If you are coughing up big money for the experience rather than just taste then cleanliness is one of the primary facets of it. 

Prompt Service

Someone receiving you at the reception and then seeing you to your table might be customary to exorbitant five-stars but prompt service is the least you should expect at a respected place. A server coming in quickly to fill out your glasses with water is the right signal. I remember going to one of the best breakfast places in Bangalore where the outsides were decent but simple but the moment I got seated water and the menu was by my side and the waiter was politely observant of when I would be ready with my order. He neither left me ignored nor stood on my head for a hasty choice. And I knew I had made the right choice.