I don’t know how to write about Esha without it sounding like a “My Best Friend” essay they give you to write in school. We met when we were eight years old. We did NOT become friends right away. And even now we fight like cats & dogs because we know we can be brutally honest with each other.
That’s why even during our worst fights I know that we will grow old together. Esha has been in the spotlight all her life and might come across as reserved, even shy in public. But there is another Esha who treats her friends like sisters, who will call me from anywhere in the world if Bob Marley’s “Sun is shining” is playing or if there is a beautiful full moon (we used to sit on my terrace every full moon night and act like loonies) and who is much funnier than she thinks.
We both got married in the same year and it is so fun to see someone who was actually scared of turning on the gas turn into a inventive and experimental cook! She even makes fish & chicken for Bharat and her Goan curry is one of the best I have ever tried.
The best way to start cooking is to cook for someone special in your life, because you want to make them something delicious & soul- satisfying, whether its your best friend from school or your husband.
Spinach & Goat Cheese Quiche
Next time you are drooling over a sweet chocolate tart or quiche in the window of a bakery, think of me saying “You can make it at home!”. This quiche dough is one of the basic pastry doughs you learn in cooking school. Add a little sugar and the savoury dough becomes sweet. Add a little cocoa powder and sweet becomes chocolate. Remember to have the butter and eggs absolutely chilled! And you can replace the filling with anything you want!
Chocolate Cupcakes
One of the things Esha loves and has aced while cooking is a Fondant au Chocolat or Molten Lava Cake. Baking is one of those activities that fills your house with the most amazing smells and its something you can do with kids (especially licking the batter bowl once its done!) Buy little cupcake wrappers and fill the batter straight into them for a professional look.
Corn Bhel
My mum used to make this for us all the time! Birthday parties, picnics, school lunches…. its easy to make and easy to carry. Plus, with the corn, its also healthier than a normal bhel. We always have imli chutney in our freezer to whip up a chaat picnic when no one feels like cooking!
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