Padma पद्मा लक्ष्मी Lakshmi, ”Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet: A World of Recipes for Everyday”, 2007.
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Madhur Jaffrey, “Vegetarian World”, 1998 was a Indian cookbook that was the topic of an earlier blog post.
Here I present: Padma पद्मा लक्ष्मी Lakshmi, “Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet: A World of Recipes for Everyday”, 2007 that was a cookbook by an Asian-American chef. Padma Lakshmi has been the host of the television show “Top Chef” cooking show.
Below I list six “cheese” types made in different Indian regions.
1. Bandel
2. Chhena
3. Chhurpi
4. Kalari
5. Kalimpong
6. Paneer
“Paneer” is by far the best known cheese of India. But other “regional” cheese types are unique to Indian cuisine. Padma Lakshmi presents “Tea Sandwich with Goat Cheese and Cucumber” on page 428 of her cookbook is a “cheese” recipe. This recipe is not the expected Indian “cow” milk cheese; but, a “goat cheese” (photograph below).
Indian cooking is beyond the five taste terms of: 1. sweet, 2. sour, 3. salty, 4. savory (umami) & 5. bitter. Indian cooking includes two more taste terms: #6. “false cool”, and # 7. “false heat”.
Taste number #6 “false cool”. One can sense a “false cool” sensation (also know as “cold”, “fresh”, or “minty”) from e.g. spearmint, menthol, or camphor, which is caused by food activating the TRP-M8 ion channel on nerve cells to signal cold. It is for me the most difficult taste, because “minty” is unique to Indian cookery.
Taste number #7 “false heat”. One can sense a “false heat” sensation (also know as “spicy” or “hot”) from e.g. ethanol or capsaicin, which is caused by food activating the TRP-V1 ion channel on nerve cells to signal hot. Though not essential, this taste is a notable feature of both Mexican and Indian cuisine
The “Table of Contents” of the cookbook which includes “Fish and Seafood” is shown below. India is a country that prefers “freshwater fishes” over either poultry or meat. Indian consume annually 12 pounds of fishes; contrast, American consume 16 pounds of fishes per year.
Padma Lakshmi is native from coastal Kerala, India and presents “Keralan Crab Cakes” (photograph below) on page 348 of her cookbook. “Keralan Crab Cakes” is part of the [Starters and Appetizers] section of the beginning of the book. This section also contained the “Tea Sandwiches with Goat Cheese and Cucumber”. “Starters & Appetizers” was my favorite section of the cookbook.
Here I presented: Padma Lakshmi, “Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet: A World of Recipes for Everyday”, 2007 that was a cookbook by an Asian-American chef. Padma Lakshmi has been the host of the television show “Top Chef” cooking show.
I presented two taste unique to Indian cookery: “false coolness” & “false heat”. These two additions to the “basic five” taste (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami) describe #6 “minty” and/or #7 “spiciness” India cookery is known for. “Spiciness” is not a basic taste; but, Indian cuisine elevates it to World-class status cookery.
