Suvir Saran

We ate the Chile Relleno, Ensalada Maya, Quesadillas Surtidas, Open Face Quesadillas - Verduras and Mole Poblano. For dessert we ate the Coconut Cheese Cake and the Flan served with a very tasty fruit salad. And of course I ordered a guacamole with chips (they were delicious) and ordered some salsa, and out came a plate with three ramekins. One was filled with a pico de gallo (not very good or fresh ), another with a roasted hot pepper salsa (a smooth puree) and a green salsa that was only very finely diced and salted HOT, very hot green peppers. These other two were very nice. The guacamole was very good as well. The entree quesadilla (Verdura, an open faced quesadilla) was served like a burger with rajas-focacia bread. It was some sort of a hamburger bun. Was not at all like a Quesadilla. The mixed green salad with finely diced fruit was superb though. The quesadilla surtidas (appetizer) was described as; corn masa stuffed with Oaxaca cheese, rajas and zucchini blossoms topped with homemade salsa, crema fresca and cotija cheese. It was again not a quesadilla as I think of one. It was a deep fried turnover stuffed with the above mentioned stuff. I would call it an empanada. Maybe our resident eGullet Mexican food expert, Jaymes can correct me if I am wrong to think that a quesadilla would not usually be deep fried in a crescent shape and taste like a turnover. Is that authentic quesadilla I had? The mole poblano had grilled chicken that was overcooked. I thought of Tommy and how he can never believe what Hemant Mathur does at Diwan to keep his grilled chicken so moist. This was not tasty. The mole was too sweet for my liking. The flan was more Crème Caramel than flan that I am used to eating. It was much lighter and smoother. But the fruit salad that was presented with it was superb. The coconut cheese cake had the very dense texture that I have usually associated with Mexican flan. The fruit salad that accompanied this was also very nice. The lemonade I had 3 glasses of was very delicious. It transported me back home to India where as a child home made freshly squeezed lemonade was our Coca Cola.

Lesley, my mother is headed to the US this weekend. I shall ask her. As far as I remember her telling me for the longest of time, it was powdered milk that I enjoyed. I loved milk and actually love it still, but I have not found much love for milk in the US. In Paris and in India, I find milk even today, one of my favorite things to enjoy. I can drink just plain chilled milk, and never have enough of it.

Had a not so inspiring "Modern Mexican" meal at Tamayo today. It is owned by the chef Richard Sandoval. A little bird in NYC told me it is the same person that owns Maya. For some reason, I did not have a very nice meal at Maya either. Actually did not have very nice 3 meals there. Have others had better experiences with his food? The restaurant was certainly very attractive. The overall experience leaves much to be desired and little to say. Would love more choices... Off to watch a movie... my sister feels it may be the last one we will see for sometime... But any dining suggestions would be much appreciated. PS: I shall add my thoughts about the meal at Tamayo later tonight. When I get back from the movie.

Any ideas for dining in Denver? I have two more days before I have more serious things than food to worry about. Any suggestions for dining in Denver??

I had bought some pipli in Paris. We were waking on Rue St. Andres des Arts and a street vendor was selling spices. He had pipli. In fact I had bought them two years ago, I think I have them sealed in the bag I carried them in from Paris to NYC somewhere in my kitchen in NYC.

Nothing from me... All Ed. But thanks for raising a toast to me. You are kind women and men. Many thanks!

Our very own Ed Schoenfeld had arranged for Jerry Kleiner to come spend time with you all. How was the dinner? I am in Denver... will read the thread now...Wanted to let you know it was no coincidence that Jerry showed up... Ed had called him to let him know of this special eGullet dinner.

It is similar to paprika in that it gives color mostly, good amount of flavor, and little heat.

That was a wonderful way of growing up. Thanks for your reply. All the best to you in your future lifetime with food.

15 - 20 minutes in a 350?F oven should do the trick.

I find that one step critical. It gives a great texture to the dish.

I know David Karp had done a story in LA Times about them. Maybe if you search their online archives you can find them. There are sources for them. I am not aware what they are. I bake the seeds till they are nice and dry. And then I crack them in my mortar and pestle one at a time. Just a few seeds can go a long way. It is worth the effort.

Thanks Maggie! If I had more, I would send you some in the mail. This jam is the most popular one after the meyer lemon marmalade. But there are some that crave it and request many bottles. It is made with these very tiny apricots that come to the Union Square farmers market for a very short period. I use them and some sugar, and cook a long time. The jam then becomes nice and thick. It has apricot seeds in it. No nuts. In India we used bitter almonds. And the spices are red chile (very little) and some black pepper. That is all. If I am around this spring, I shall make a larger batch (not that I do not make a huge one already) and send some to you and some others that have wanted more. You are as usual very kind maggie.

Welcome to eGullet Amanda! (Sorry if I am out of place in addressing you by first name, I hope you can forgive me if that is an issue.) Would you share with us what those experiences were that in some way or the other steered your life in the direction it has taken? What if any were the strongest memories about food from growing up? Where did you find your strongest calling to be a food writer? What are 2-3 of your favorite food memories? Are there any dreams related to food and food-writing that you hope you can realize? Thanks for joining our eGullet community via this Q&A, it is my hope (and certainly of many other members) that you will continue your affiliation long after this Q&A. All the best to you with your future projects. Best, Suvir Saran

What was tonight? Far from celebrity.... I am me... and some might make me a celebrity and others defame me, but the real me is just me... plain and simple. You are kind.... I am happiest being Suvir.... What was the occasion tonight? Where did you all eat? How did maggie and the husband know of the apricot jam? Did you have any? Or did you share it all? Or did you not like it? Tell all awbrig.

Is the family going with you to Opera Awbrig? Looking forward to the pictures you take. Thanks for taking the camera.

Have fun all of you. Sounds like you are set for a rather fun and special evening. Can we see pictures??

Thanks Suzanne! I loved her memoir/recipe book. Had great time reading the memoir part, was tempted by many of the recipes, and failed by them in trying to execute. I loved reading about Egypt through her experiences as a child. They were amazing. I remember keeping up all night and being hooked to the book long into the day as I finished it. It is a fascinating book. And yes small it is, but with big impact.

Meskerem is one. It is also a restaurant where you are most likely to find Marcus Samuelson of Acquavit. It is superb. I LOVE DC for Ethiopian and also Dallas.

And I honor you for honoring him. He is a grand man. And he was my grandfather for sure. When my sister and brother went off in the afternoon to play with friends, I would sneak up to his quarters and lie in bed with him as he read me verses from the Gita, Srimad Bhagvatam, Puranas, and Ramayana, told me about the Quran, translated verses from the Vedas and Upanishads, taught me how to sings verses from these holy texts in their correct meter, sang me songs from his part of Uttar Pradesh (the region he came from in that state of India), he told me grand stories about my grandparents and their parents, stories my parents and grandma would have forgotten to share, and in doing so, he taught me more about my family and our heritage than school or books. My mother thanks him every day.. for she sees me do things that she learned from my grandparents but is surprised to see me enact many seas away. It was a tutoring that money cannot buy. This is me with Panditji whilst visiting Delhi some winters ago.

Home chefs got their training from families and come from a lineage of chefs that have only worked in home kitchens and in particular communities. They are very often Brahman chefs, if the home is Hindu. That was the old tradition. Panditji came in the wedding endowment my grandmother received. His family had worked with hers for generations as chefs. Restaurant chefs in India are trained either through apprentice work in professional kitchens or through the many culinary schools and catering colleges. India has a fair share of schools like the CIA, FCI or Johnston & Wales (sp?). They are amazing schools, some at par with their US counterparts and some at par with the smaller such facilities in the smaller cities in the US. Can they be as good as the best in the US? I would say no.. but they are great. Gael Greene (New York Magazine) and Michael Batterberry (Founding Editor, Food Arts and Food & Wine magazines) have both traveled extensively in India and have always told me about the surprisingly very high standard of facilities found in Indian culinary schools. But sadly enough, Indian culinary schools and institutions also teach mostly western style cuisines and food history more than Indian. Of course Indian cooking is a part of the curriculum, but not in the same was as one would expect. It is an elective offering. The core is similar to what is offered in the US. Indian food has always been best in homes, and these schools not making too much of an effort to change that, has kept that trend in its place. I am told things are changing, soon, Indian food will be given more prominence in Indian culinary schools. Indian Home cooking is taught privately most often.

Anna, it is exactly the same way in India. If you have the means, and a chef of great experience, and from a lineage of chefs, people expect you to entertain at home and with great aplomb. To do so otherwise is a sign of weakness of some sorts. I would think that in these trying days for my parents in India, even though my father has been given a very short window of life on his own, it would have been easier to entertain guests at restaurants, but still, the kitchen has been producing meals of the kind one would find at the finest NYC restaurant for all those that come to see my dad. That is just what is done. They would not do it any other way, and friends and family would be worried if that were not done. Panditji, has been in the family several decades. His elders worked for my grandmas family as chefs. And this tradition is dying but still common in homes of a certain kind. And these chefs are revered, feared and kept at a great altar. Some do leave and open restaurants, but most often they have lost respect for their tradition in doing so. Most have thrived when working in private kitchens. The families they work with take on the role of the Medici's and they become the artists that are indulged. That was true in our home and those of most of those we know with chefs of similar standing and caliber. Panditji, is an honorific for a priest. You can understand from that name itself, by which he was addressed by all but my grandparents that this man was in charge and full control. My mother treats him like a father-in-law she lost in 1979. He would question my parents about where they were going, when they would come back and why they came late... It was always funny for us kids to see him question them. Now that we kids have left, he asks my mom to dial the phone to my home in NYC so he can talk to me. And invariable he complains that they are asking him to not cook as many dishes as he used to prepare when we kids were home. We always came home with at least a handful of school friends and so each day, we would be a dozen or so eating lunch and many more for dinner. And this man and his help would create meals that would heal and liven even the most tired of minds and spirits. And if you have such luxury available in a home, why would one want a restaurant? I would not. The only problem, chefs like him are now a rare breed. He is a treasure. And I thank him for having left me with a great wealth of knowledge, not only about food and its history in the Indian context, but also about India and its rich heritage. What is shocking is that the pizza he makes is way better than any I have eaten at DiFara's or Otto or anywhere else. Chuck was shocked the first time he ate pizza in our home. He said later it was an experience he was hoping he could have been spared, but now, whenever we are at home, pizza is a dish we ask for very often. My mom taught him the basics, and he has mastered the dough and sauce better than any other chef. His 60 years of cooking experience gives him great confidence and strength in doing things in a way only he can. He also makes amazing cheese toasts and great macaroni and cheese. My cousins who would come from the US would need macaroni and cheese and so, 20 years ago, he learned how to make it, and now he is a veteran at that very American home style dish. I was in Atlanta a couple of years ago, I was with a chef that was making a spinach dip. I saw them preparing it and I was not pleased. I knew this dip would taste mediocre and lack luster like what I have had in US restaurants. Quickly, I cajoled Ed to let me try making my version of the dip, and it became a hit. Panditji has come up with small diversions he makes in rendering these recipes from the west, but in doing so, he brings to them a depth of flavor they never had. Why would one want a restaurant meal when you have such strength in your home kitchen? It is an easy choice. And I know my family and friends are happy to enjoy it as long as they have Panditji sharing his magic. He is now getting older and has cataract and misses us kids. But he has no desire to retire. My parents keep suggesting he should retire back to his village and spend time with his family and friends, but he is happy spending time in the kitchen of our home that he treats like his sanctum sanctorum.

I would very much enjoy dining with someone that knows greatly more and intimately so about this wonderful cuisine. I am sure Ed would be of similar thought on this. Your being Taiwanese certainly must give you great insight into Chinese cooking and foods. I am sure we will both learn greatly from you. For Ed it could be a learning of experiences that are different than his, and for me it would be learning from each of you as you share thoughts on dishes from the Chinese traditions of food. It would be great. We can discuss this via PM. But this would have to be after a couple of months at the very earliest. And certainly I am willing to give it another or several tries. But only if I know another I trust can assure me they can teach me something new about it.. or find new ways of understanding why it is so different. Bond Girl, is it safe to assume you grew up eating Chinese food? Or would that be a horrible generalization? Did you grow up in NYC? After Indian food, Chinese and Mexican foods are two that really captivate my mind. I can also enjoy Italian and French food as also Ethiopian, but Indian, Chinese and then Mexican for me. I also am very impressed by the lore and history that surrounds much of this cuisines food. And I wish someday I can understand enough about the culture and food that I am not overwhelmed by it in a nice way, but am able to lose my fear and try indulging in it. Ed's son taught me how to prepare Fried Rice and it is sensational. His son had lived in China and speaks the language and grew up eating great Chinese food. It was a treat for me to see this young man prepare with great confidence and ease a dish I really love. It was inspiring. His fried rice was amazingly better than most I have ever eaten. Only Pings and maybe Ed's was better than Ed's sons fried rice.

As one of those who really like this place, I'm going to say I suspect not. It may just not be to everyone's taste. Words from a very wise man...

Similarly, I have given it some tries, but not sure why I am not charmed just yet. Actually not even close to being charmed. I certainly have gone on off days.. Maybe Ed Schoenfeld has ruined Chinese food for me... many meals with him, and I have become expectant of standards greater than what one would expect from restaurant food alone. I now treat Chinese food like Indian food, the meal has to be exceptional to impress me. Ed makes amazing Chinese at his home, and years of dining frequently at his home, has spoiled me. Just like very few Indian restaurants can impress me, very few Chinese now come to that level. Bad Ed! I shall try and go to DSGG with Ed. See if he can order for me and change my experience. I want to be a fan like the rest. I hate being in the minority. I am in so many ways. Or I should go with Bux, if he would be willing to be my guide. And I love vegetarian food.. but no turnips . I would love to enjoy this restaurant.... and I am willing.. now I need to find a new introduction to it. That is all.