Review: Pizza Express.

Finally, it's my first review. I took my friend's to Pizza Express after I was so bummed for missing the Chef's Table there. So what if I didn't get to make my own pizza, I had to eat some at least. The ambiance is just so fun, black and white with a screen playing old black and white movies. They're really lucky for the location they've gotten, right near Gateway.

The staff is also real friendly and enthusiastic and waiting to give you a good time. Right, now let's get down to business- The Food. ChicChick and I shared their pepperoni pizza with jalapenos. I must say it's one of the best I've had and the crust was thin and light but still filling. Pepperoni has to be my favourite pizza topping and Pizza Express really got it right. The jalapenos were a great great combination.

Verdict- LOVE

What I was really happy about was that the menu had side salads. Very few places in Bombay have an option of having a side salad. If you're like me and need some fresh elements along with all the cheese and meat, then ordering a salad works out really well. A few fresh rocket leaves along with some balsamic (the side salad I ordered) on top of your pizza just tastes delightful. The salad was fresh with just the right amount of dressing. Try it.

Verdict: LOVE

I was so full after the pizza which was a pleasant surprise cause thin crust pizzas don't normally stuff you the way you'd like. This one did. If you're a light eater, you can split the pizza three ways but if you eat heartily a two way is just perfect cause you've GOT TO leave room for their amazing cheesecake! I'm not really fond of fruity cheesecakes and I always prefer a simple Philly style cheesecake. So few places get it right. This is one of them. They serve it with ice cream, I chose chocolate but I'm sure lemon will be brilliant as well. No matter how full you are, please try the cheesecake, you'll thank me.

Verdict- YUMMERS

I had 3 main things and genuinely enjoyed all of them. I've been looking for a place to call my 'Pizza Place' and I think this is it. If you love pizza and love it the Italian way, you have to go to Pizza Express. A meal for 5 without alcohol cost us 2000. So you do the math.

I hereby certify Pizza Express as YUMMERS.

xoxo
D

The F&F Review.

So as you know, I've never 'reviewed' a restaurant. Yes, I have told you the stuff I love about certain restaurants and the best about them but that is not what a reviewer does. A reviewer's gotta cover it all. Give her opinion on the place, the good and the bad, and that's just what I'm gonna do. I'm now adding that feather to my cap: Reviewing places.

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know the places I love and the things I love about those places. But for a place to be truly good, I don't think just good food cuts it. It's kind of a domino effect according to me and when all the factors fall into place you get that perfect meal which you'll remember for years.

So I hereby inaugurate the F&F Reviews, where I solemnly swear to tell you of the good, bad and ugly. Places you should definitely try and places you should just drive by. Stay tuned eaters! My first official REVIEW won't be far away!

Hope you're as excited as I am :)

Stay Hungry!

xoxo
D

In Sickness.

In case you haven't already heard, I'm sick. It's been like a crazy attack of viruses the past few days and I don't think I've ever had a cold this bad. Picture Monica in season 3? Nose running, tissues everywhere, voice sounding like Bane? Yeah, that's me. Sadly enough, my hunger hasn't gone anywhere. It's right here. Like a stubborn inner voice. I keep telling my mum to make me things I'd like to have but all she says is,"Shut up. You're sick. Taste doesn't matter" It's been more than mildly infuriating. All this free time on my hands has led to me studying all the Jamie Oliver books I have and all he does is make me jealous. "My mum used to make me this when I had a cold." And there's a picture of a delicious looking chicken broth. If I had the strength, or a dry nose, I'd make it myself. But alas, I can't. My mom expects me to eat dal and rice. AS IF! But using my impeccable persuasion skills, I did get her to make me some delicious tomato, beetroot and carrot soup with a warm mushroom and pak choi salad. That kept me content for one meal at least. Then when I was hungry again I made her make me a cup of coffee and an emmenthal, salami and lettuce sandwich. Satiated, again. For dinner my mom made (and I didn't have to ask this time ;) a really hot fish curry which I had with rice. Ahh it felt so good. Before crashing, I made my little brother make me a pot of orange spicer tea (no kidding) as I watched Django Unchained for the second time. Today, that I''m back on my feet, I'm cooking! Pasta Bianco You-Know-Who's book :) I'm heading to the kitchen now to start, wait I'll come back with pictures.

Here you go! Not bad for a patient eh?

This has got to be one of the easiest pastas I've ever made and it tastes just heavenly. Perfect if you're sick cause it's quick, hassle free and the ultimate comfort food. Here's the recipe folks JamieOliverPastaBianco .

So that's me signing off. My bed's calling me, my nose needs attending and the meds aren't gonna take themselves! Staaaaay Hungry!

xoxo
D

What I Ate On My Birthday: 2013

Even though turning 19 isn't the most amazing thing, you do what you love on your birthday. What do I love? Of course you know! Eating! My nineteenth birthday was a total Eatathon. I've always been one of those annoying people who make everything about themselves ONLY on my birthday though ;) I go as far as making it my Birthday Week and everyone has to tolerate it. This BW was so awesome! It ended with an actual long weekend as well!

Since my dad wasn't there on my actual birthday, we had a family dinner the day before, and by family dinner I mean, Thai Pavilion! Gorgeous, gorgeous food. I had one of the best tom yum soups, grilled prawns, fried lobster, chicken wrapped in banana leaf, spare ribs (which tasted deliciously like pork belly) and for the main course, Red Thai curry with clean, steamed rice.

Mouths watering?

The dessert, water chestnut soaked in rose syrup in a creamy coconut cream with crushed ice, HEAVEN.

Looks as beautiful as it sounds, eh?

Thai Pavilion at the Taj President was a great experience, I highly recommend it for a special occasion.

Moving on, my actual birthday lunch. Let's move a little closer to home for this one shall we? You guessed it right. Indigo Deli with my best friends. I must confess, I forgot to click pictures of this lunch so you're just gonna have to let my writing skills convince you (cough).

ChicChick and I had the Crispy Chicken Burger, one of the best burgers I've had in Bombay for sure with fries and a lovely little coleslaw. My other best friend, let's call her Wag, had the Deli Roast Chicken with mashed potatoes and a lovely roasted garlic. For libation, we an an iced tea each. 2 lemons and one peach. We were way too stuffed for dessert but were still eyeing the 'Make Your Own Sundaes'. We decided all our components before we realized out bodies just wouldn't cooperate. So we've left our sundae with waffles, hazelnut ice cream, Belgian chocolate ice cream dark chocolate fudge, pecans and crumble for the next time ;)

We took home some cupcakes from Le15 anyway. Oreo, Red Velvet, Milk, Peanut Butter, Belgian Chocolate and Chunky Chocolate to be precise :)

Just when you think I couldn't eat anymore, another darling friend, let's call him Pore, surprised me with a box of chocolates from Oven Fresh. This local, homey place has come up with the most amazing truffles and macarons. God bless them.

Taste as good as they look, trust me.

So, that's What I Ate On My Birthday this year. I hope there are many more episodes to come, cause I kinda enjoy them ;) Go try this places out, they're really awesome. And if you have friends as awesome as mine, you have nothing to worry about. It's the perfect recipe- Friends + Food. So that's it from me for now, a year older, hopefully a year wiser and definitely a year hungrier!

xoxo

D

JDF: Fifteen's Chocolate Tart.

Hey guys! It's the latest JDF with one of the best ingredients ever, chocolate! Who doesn't like chocolate? And those of you who don't, I'm sorry, but you've been judged. The first time I made pastry and turned out pretty great. This is a classic dessert which you can never get tired of. Let's begin!

Ready? Okay!

Doesn't it look gorg? Doesn't my garnish look pretty? (If I may say so myself :P) This tart is light, creamy with a crisp base, perfect.

Tip's I'd give-

• The recipe says orange zest (optional) but I'm telling you, it's not an option! The orange zest in the pastry just enhances the taste SO much and chocolate and orange is one of my most favourite combos.
• Make sure you line the pastry carefully and make a very thin layer otherwise the pastry will become too hard for you to cut.

Okay, I tried really hard but couldn't find this recipe to share with you guys but I'll post it soon! So go like our Facebook page at the top right side and you will get the recipe soon enough :)

xoxo
D

Eggs.

I'm sorry for the long gap guys! It's exam time. Last papers tomorrow and I'm doomed anyway so figured why not blog instead? So here's what I'm going to talk about today, eggs. One of the most useful mains don't you think? They work with vegetarians and non- vegetarians (most of the time) and you're in the clear. The thing I love about eggs is that there are so many ways to serve them! Fried, boiled, scrambled, poached, you name it! Plus you can use eggs for mains as well as desserts, how convenient of them?

So I'm here to talk about my fav egg dishes and where you can find some of the best. Who doesn't love a good fried egg, sunny side up? The gleaming yellow yolk, the crispy white edges... Mmmm... Fried eggs is one of the first things I learned to make. Okay, not a huge fan of hard boiled eggs but I can totally enjoy a soft boiled egg with it's yolk trickling down some bacon, asparagus and tomato on toast. Are your mouths watering yet? Mine is. Poached eggs are tricky. Every attempt is an independent achievement for me and I can just never depend on my past laurels. But once you get it right, heavenly. It tastes nothing like an ordinary egg. It's creamy and refined. And how about pancakes huh? You need eggs for those too!

My very first poached egg! 

Almost eggs florentine (fried egg instead of poached) complete with creamed  spinach and caramelized toast

Meanwhile, go try the Eggs Florentine and Eggs Benedict at Indigo Deli and the Egg Curry at Shalimar. They're eggcellent. Really. This is my getting-back-in-action post. Hope you've missed me, I've missed you! It's time for me to hit the books now (literally) 2013, let's begin!

xoxo
D

JDF: Shortbread.

Shortbread has got to be one of the easiest things I've ever made and it tastes so divine! All you need is some butter, sugar, flour and cornflour an you're good to go. Of course Jamie does make everything so simple but I'm serious. There is something so British about shortbread and I just love how it melts in your mouth. Once you've made a batch, you can use it with cheesecakes, pies and ice cream. It's just a life- saver.

Ready? Okay!

This is the first time I made shortbread and it turned out great! And just in time for Christmas too! Look how gorgeous it turned out ♥

Mouths watering? Mine sure is!

Tips I'd give-

• Follow the recipe. It's unbelievably easy!
• When rolling out the dough, don't stress. It's gonna turn out okay if you've got the correct amounts of the ingredients.
• Add some cinnamon, maple syrup or rose syrup to spice it up. If you don't want to, the original tastes brilliant by itself so not to worry!

As always, here's the master's recipe which I now handover to you http://www.oprah.com/own-anna-kristina-grocery-bag/The-Best-Shortbread-in-the-World . Get busy cooks! It's Christmastime and no matter how many sweet things you make they're never enough, so get cracking! Send me pictures if you do try it out :)

Happy Holidays!

D