Friends with the Chef

So, turns out that I have become friends with the Chef at the Radisson in Noida. I've been asking for recipes from time to time, and people have been copying them for me. This time, when I asked, the chef himself came to visit during a break in the class, and introduced himself to me. He asked what other recipes I wanted, and I asked him to just give me a few of his favorites.

He came back with three hand-written recipes! It was sweet!

I will post them at some point - but one follows (too awesome to omit). Until then, my battery is running out. So I shall instead put a picture of breakfast up. Mr. Taj, the chef's name, spent 8 years "cheffing" in Vienna. Amazing.

Hand-made croissants, pan au chocolat, and blueberry danishes. No supermarket box routine here!

Indian breakfast mixed with bacon, curry chicken, hakan noodles, and hand-made chicken sausage. The Indian part of it (lower left in particular) has earned the name "magical substance." It's real name is bhaji. I have the recipe. Yes, I do. Oh, and did I mention the rosemary potatoes? No. Too good for words. Hamilton, if you are reading this, Dan, you too, ... the bacon is divine. My breakfast inclinations are permanently altered.

Now, all I need is a picture of Mr. Taj.

And, yet, I have lost weight in India. I believe that big Indian-leaning breakfasts, with a lot of turmeric and cardamom are key. Planning to test that notion upon return to the US.

Recipe for Bhaji - the magical breakfast substance:

100 gm cauliflower
100 gm carrots
1 potato
20 gm ginger/garlic paste
2 tomatoes
salt to taste
5 gm turmeric
10 gm green chillies
50 gm butter
10 ml lemon juice

Boil and blend cauliflower and carrot. Add oil to frying pan with cauliflower and carrot. Add mashed potato and ginger-garlic paste. Add chopped tomato. Add seasoning. Add butter and lemon juice. Feeds two people.

Yum. Breakfast. Never goin' back to granola. Nope. Never.