I must admit, I am a creature of habit. I loathe having to change my ways even if it means I get a better deal out of doing so. My cell phone company has remained the same for the past four years, mainly because I believe they give me a good enough deal so why bother shopping around for another and going through the pains of switching. Ditto for my food haunts.

As an enthusiastic food lover and an over-obsessed food blogger, I have my favourite eating joints penned down to the tee. These are places I go to regularly when I’m in no mood for experiments and simply want something I would absolutely love. Most times, these are also places we drop in to when we want to celebrate. It takes the pain out of deciding on some place new and appropriate for the occassion. But then again, every now and then we look to expanding our list. Sometimes even your most favourite place in the world can seem very mundane and it’s in times like these when we venture out in search of new finds.

To be honest, I had almost given up on finding a new Hakka place close to the area around where we live. The few we did try out didn’t quite seem to peak our over indulgent palates, and so we resigned to the fact that we were destined to stick with our regular hangouts. Our current favourites make us drive across town, which kind of dampens the spirit when there’s bad weather and we craving Hakka noodles! But little did I know how soon things were going to change.

I first read about The Ming Room in a recent issue of the Toronto Life. They carried a special piece on the top 100 must-try-before-you-die tastes in the area. The Ming Room’s classic dish of Manchurian Paneer featured at number 10. Being a die-hard fan of paneer in any shape, size and form, Hubby Dear needed no convincing and off we went to check it out.

Tucked in corner by the side of a Burger King, the Ming Room was a definite treat! Though small in space size, the ambience was great for a quiet casual weekend dinner. We were served complimentory crisp wonton chips on arrival and nibbled on it as we read through our placemats which happened to have the Chinese horoscopes printed on it.

Our order of soups came quick, in perfect one-serving bowls. My wonton soup had fresh wontons wrapped and boiled to perfection in a light broth. Though not an big fan of sweet corn soup, I had a taste off Hubby Dear’s bowl and was surprised to find myself impressed by it smoothness and delicate hint of sweetness.

For our main meal, we deicided to stick to the classics. We kind of figured that if they were any good then the rest would simply fall into place, and so we settled on the highly recommended Paneer Manchurian and Chilli Chicken. Each came with a side order of white rice, and both dishes were equally lip-smacking good.

The paneer was, simply put, absolutely delicious! Doused in a rich spicy sauce, the little cubes of paneer had a wonderful melt-in-your-mouth bite to it. The chicken, crisp on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside found me nibbling on it even after I decided I had already had my full. Needless to say, we enjoyed every bite and devoured every morsel we could. And if that wasn’t enough, there was enough left over for us to pack and take home, which we happily did of course!

My verdict: It has definitely earned a place on my regular pit-stops.

Next on my list: everything else on their menu, except things that have brocolli in them. I don’t like brocolli. Or I could just be that little food snob and request no brocolli. I’ll be sure to update you when I do!

* Image courtesy The Ming Room

Okay. I know. It’s been long. Oh so long!

I won’t bore you with the details of my long disappearance, except to say that we were on a wonderfully long vacation, and then back to the dreadful weather here which kind of took me off guard and made me sick to my core. And while the recovery has been slow, I kept my bored self busy by coming up with some creative ideas for HoH. I hope to share some fantastic news with you soon, so stay tuned!

The past few weeks have been, to put it straight, simply dreadful! The snow just keeps accumulating and I shudder to think of what one more snow fall would bring. We’ve tried to keep ourselves warm by cranking up the heat inside, and not to mention, eating lots of warm soothing comfort food. Aah food. There’s always a good time for food.

It’s funny to note that I may have made more soups and stews over the past two weeks than I would’ve made all of last year. And yet, when I think back, none of them seemed extraordinary enough to pass on to you. Most of my soups are made with whatever I have in the fridge, and so it’s very rare that I’m able to replicate the flavours exactly the next time I attempt to. And maybe that’s just how I like it to be. Nothing beats throwing a bunch of things into a big pot and watching it simmer into a bowl full of delicious goodness.

One dish I did most enjoy recently, was this spicy lamb creation. It started out like most of my dinner rush meals. I open up the fridge, stare into it for a long couple of minutes, and then start mixing and matching flavours into a pot. I would suggest saving this for a sunny winter Sunday afternoon, when all you want to do is cuddle up with a good book while your stove slowly hums the sweet music of lunch in the making. Or maybe save it for that special dinner by the fireplace with a soft serenade in the background. No matter how and when you decide to try it, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. But may I insist you tackle it when the temperatures are low into its negatives. ‘Coz that maybe the only way I can defend it’s heat level.

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It seems strange to wake up and finally realize as I turn to my planner, that we are finally in 2008. Over the past few weeks, I have been juggling around dinner parties, last-minute deadlines, surprise holiday guests, and not to mention shopping for gifts for family and friends! As I sit back now, a steaming cup of hot coaco in hand, it suddenly dawned on me that I had quite an eventful and experimental year in 2007 in relation to food. And otherwise also.

Here are some of my favourite picks from the year just past. If you haven’t tried them as yet, then I’d truly suggest you head on and get started, else you may not be able to catch up. Because, seeing as how tremendous 2007 turned out, I have an strong inkling that 2008 will bring with it many, many more delicious treats from my kitchen to yours!

And finally, a few of my 2008 resolutions for hookedonheat.com:

1. More original South Asian fusion recipes.
2. Introducing new features, as well as continuing old favourites including Indian Cooking 101, Interviews and Cookbook Reviews.
3. A proper printable compilation of all the recipes and food photographs of hookedonheat.com.

So, what are your food resolutions for 2008?

Thanks so much for everyone who took the time to send me emails and leave such lovely comments on my blog. It’s been such a great trun out and I’ve had so much fun reading your feedback, that I think I should have these giveaways more often! It’s been a long wait, but we finally have our lucky winners!

Each of these lucky winners get a copy of the cookbook listed by their names:

Nigella Express, by Nigella Lawson: Jackie, who said, “I’ve tried many of your recipes and enjoyed everyone! I started visiting your site a year ago, and have been stopping by each week since then. Keep up the great work!”

Curries & Kebabs, by Madhur Jaffrey: Susie, who Said, “If there was one thing I would suggest, then it would only be to post more often. Your writing has got me hooked and I can’t help wanting to read more of what you have to say. You have one of the best food blogs I’ve come across.”

Adventures of an Italian Food Lover, by Faith Willinger: Tina, who said, “I love the way you write! I’ve tried some of your recipes and have simply loved each and everyone of them. Thanks a ton!”

Dish Entertains, by Trish Magwood: Danielle, who said, “Heya! Well, as you probably know, I love your recipes, your photography, and the way your personality comes through in your writing. There’s nothing I don’t like! As for the months ahead, although I’m not one to talk, the only thing I could dream of asking for is for you to post more often.”

Barefoot Contessa at Home, by Ina Garten: Anita, who said, “Ohh!! What a lovely way to get us lurkers out of hiding and finally saying hello! I love your writing style and your recipes have always worked out amazing for me. I look forward to many more insightful posts and delicious recipes in the future. Keep up the great work!”

Indian Everyday, by Anjum Anand: Kimmie, who said, “You have way with words, it’s almost as if I’m right there listening to you as you speak. And your food makes it even better!”

Each of these lucky winners get a prize hamper with six spice bottles each, from The Spice Depot:

Dawn, who said, “Yippee! Happy Holidays! I’ve been an avid lurker for a bit of time now. Your posts always inspire me to get out of my “Italian” comfort zone and try something new. So, win or lose, just wanted to send a heartfelt THANK YOU!”

Jamie, who said, “I love this blog! The food always looks delicious and is often either already vegan or is easily veganizable. I love how even the simplest recipes always come out delicious. Please, keep blogging for ages to come!”

Marn, who said, “I’ve loved Indian cooking since my university days in Ottawa over 30 years ago. Stumbling into your blog and finding recipes that I can make myself has been fabulous. I’ve been exploring the blogs you link to, and one of the frustrations for someone such as me who isn’t from India is that many Indian terms are used for spices, terms we don’t use in Canada. I would be eternally grateful if you could create a glossary of sorts for those of us who don’t know these words. As well, because I live in rural Quebec, some of the ingredients are impossible for me to find. If there are equivalents I could substitute for certain dals, I would love to know that. Thank you for this great resource. There’s nothing more comforting on a cold evening than a bowl of savoury dhal.”

Tiana, who said, “My favorite thing about HOH is that it’s obvious you have tried the recipes and adjusted them to perfection. Your tips make it really easy to learn to cook this cuisine and the way you write your posts is entertaining and also very accessible. As far as what I don’t like…not much! I’m a vegetarian so I’d like to see more meet-free recipes but there are plenty of those already. Happy Holidays!”

Congrats everyone! Each of your prizes are on their way to your day as you read this!

Here’s wishing all of you out there, a wonderfully faboulous Holiday Season! See you in the New Year!

When I started blogging a little over two years ago, little did I know how my life would change. These wonderful two years has brought me so much joy in ways I had’nt dreamt possible. It continues to be an enriching journey for me and I owe it most to all of my dedicated readers. As a big THANK YOU to all the wonderful readers of my blog and for all the people who send lovely e-mail my way, I’d like to do something special.

I have a few fabulous prizes up for grabs that I would really love for each of you to have. But as luck would have it, I have limited resources. So I leave it up to you to shake your dice and throw it my way. And what is it that’s up for grabs you ask? Well, look no further…

Books, Books & lots more Books!

Nigella Express has been generously donated by Knopf Canada, and the sweet Trish Magwood has donated a copy of Dish Entertains. The rest are all courtesy of me. If you know me well, you know how much I love books, so what better way to make you all feel special than by sending you my personal favourite reads!

And what kind of a spice lover would I be if I couldn’t sprinkle some flavour you way?

The Spice Depot has generously offered four prize hampers, with six spice bottles each. and what’s even better is that they’ve included my favourites, Garlic Pepper and Spicy Sea Salt in the collection! I know you’re not gonna wanna miss this one!!

Like any fun game where prizes are at stake, this one too has certain rules you’ll need to follow in order to increase you chances of winning! From now, until December 15th, which is this coming Saturday, all you have to do is drop me a comment telling me what you like about HoH, what you don’t, and what you would like to see in the months ahead. Be sure to leave your name and a vaild email address so that I can get back to you if you’ve been chosen at a winner. Anonymous and spam comments will be deleted. At the end of the week I will add all the names into a hat, or maybe a cookie jar, and pick out the 10 winning names. So come on people, what are you waiting for!

I wish you all a very happy and festive Holiday season!

As a child, I remember giving out handmade gifts often. Be it friends or family, I almost always had something made out of my own creativity to hand out to them on their special day. I especially remember making gigantic heart-shaped cardboard cut-out greeting card smothered with glitter and little silver star stickers, to give to my teacher when I was in the 3^rd grade. I could swear her face lit up with joy, or maybe it was from the sheer pleasure of seeing one of her favourite students suck up to her. That moment stayed with me in my memories and I began making a point to always create something to gift as often as I could.

Even after all these years I still try and continue to keep up with the practice I started eons ago. A few weeks ago, I had a gang of girls over from our book club meet. I always look forward to these all-girl meetings, especially when it’s my turn to host. I get to experiment with fun menus and love the fact that we girls can totally agree on chocolate cake as a filling dinner option.

For the past few months I’ve been toying with the idea of throwing an appetizer sampler party. According to me, it’s probably the best party you could get invited to, second of course only to a chocolate themed night. This book meet was the perfect setting for what I had in mind. We were meeting to discuss the book, ‘Cooking for Mr. Latte’, and though I enjoyed the read, I knew that planning the party was going to be even more fun.

It was obvious that I was going to serve tiny bites and mini morsels of divine finger food, in all shapes, sizes and forms. My centerpiece comprised of a huge platter flavoured oven-roasted pita chips and deep bowl overflowing with cool creamy hummus. It was to be the decoy for those health conscious skinny ones. Neatly arranged around that were the actual sinners. Melt-in-your mouth Tandoori wings, my simply-to-die-for Ginger-Chilli Shrimp, and to mention petite little squares of a rich dark chocolate almond fudge cake that I had baked for the first time in my life, among many other delicious treats.

The cake was delicious, to say the very least, and if I were locked alone in a room with it, you’d probably find me digging into it with my bare hands and stuffing large chunks of it into my face. I also made sure I catered to every palate by dishing out a variety of sweet and savoury treats, including, mini quiches, spiced potato wedges, and spiked hot chocolate in mini espresso cups for that something extra after dinner. But the highlight of my evening had to be the warm crisp rolls that simply had me wishing I were in the Orient somewhere, digging into a bowl full of slurpy noodles to go with it – tiny little spring rolls.

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I’m almost embarrassed to say what I’m going to say: I LOVE winter! Yes, I really, really, do. I love everything about it: the snow covered roof tops, cashmere sweaters and scarfs, hot chocolate dunked biscotti, Hubby Dear moaning while scraping ice off his windshield… Okay, scratch that, maybe I don’t truly enjoy watching him do that, but it’s just a part of the season I’ve come to reckon with, like baking cookies. Yes, quite like that, except not so rewarding. Well, you get what I mean!The reason for my embarrassment is because I seem to invite such odd looks from people when I say it. They all look at me in a ‘are-you-serious-or-just-plain-crazy’ kinda way. But I beg to differ! I mean, wouldn’t you prefer engulfing yourself in soft warm fabrics and eating rich stews as opposed to sweating through the day? I do at least.

Which brings me back to my favourite season: the Holidays! With the lighting of the city Christmas tree last weekend in Toronto, the official holiday season has begun. The lights have gone up, and huge cuddly Santas can be seen around town taking letters from little kids. Which also means, it’s about time I get into my Holiday skin. And to kick things off, I thought, what better than to start here. Yes, right here! On this blog. The one place I seem to spend most of my waking time at.

So I gathered all my little elves, in my case that would simply mean my brain cells, and put together a fabulous treat for you all. There will be some wonderful new features on the blog, a fantabulous Holiday Gift Guide for food lovers of all kinds, and a bunch of bewitching prizes to be won! And need I mention, a load of delicious holiday recipes to lure your friends and family with. So watch this space in the coming week when I’ll dig into my goody bag and throw a celebration your way. Until then, there’s always lamb…

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You know how there is always this ONE recipe that no matter how hard you try to replicate, you never seem to be able to hit it just right? Somehow, the taste of when you first devoured the dish still lingers on your palate, and even after a dozen of your experimented versions later, you still know that it’s not quite as close to the original. Well for me, I have one too many of those!

There’s the PERFECT Mee Goreng served by the street hawker down the lane from my Grandma’s house in Malaysia, the spicy Chole garnished with fresh chopped onions and served with giant-sized crisp Bhaturas in Delhi and the most amazingly luscious melt-in-your-mouth Tiramisu served at a corner cafe by the Colosseum in Rome, to name just a few! But of all of them, the ONE recipe that has me searching non-stop for a close flavour duplicate would definitely have to be of Dal Makhani from a little nondescript restaurant in Kuwait.

Growing up, I remember eating off the restaurant’s classic menu once too often. They were especially known for their fantastic and lip-smacking combination of Chicken Tikka, Dal Makhani and Puris. But for me, a die-hard Chicken Tikka devotee, it was always their Dal Makhani that did the deed. It’s thick, warm and creamy texture was everything I craved for anytime of the year.

Ever since I moved away from home, I have always been on a search for a Dal Makhani that would come close to my childhood indulgence. But alas, none came even near an inch to tasting anything like it. I went high and low, to some of the most fabulous Indian restaurants as well as the local take-out favourites, but none of them could win me over. I had almost given up ordering the dreaded dish until one day my Mom decided to come to my rescue. She played and she toiled a few recipes, added this and subtracted that from the ingredients, and simplified the method to suit her needs, and Voila! What can I say? Now whenever I crave some lip-smacking comfort food, all I do is enter my kitchen. It’s a perfect go-to recipe this time of year, and I need I add, an absolute hit at my Diwali bash last weekend!

This is my contribution to Meeta’s Monthly Mingle - Traditional Feasts. A perfect pick when you want to give you menu that special facelift!

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I first  got a chance to read Erin Ergenbright’s writing when I got my hands on this delightful read. She voice was an instant hit with me. A while later, I was able to get hold of her ‘The Ex-Boyfriend Cookbook’, a fun book with recipes gathered from, you guessed right, ex-boyfriends! I simply couldn’t pass up a chance for a tete-a-tete with her, and just had to take a peek into her kitchen habits.

What did you eat today?

Scrambled farm eggs with spinach and garlic, a banana, a tuna sandwich, part of a lemon bar from the Farmer’s Market (they never taste quite as good as they look, but I’m always tempted), a lovely caprese salad made by my friend Natalie, and, I’m more slightly ashamed to admit this because it’s a rare event (honestly) but it was late and I was hungry and there wasn’t much else in the cupboard: Annie’s macaroni and cheese (made with fresh, creamy milk from a local farm, pepper and ketchup).

What do most enjoy cooking?

I love making my mother’s picadillo recipe—it’s actually in The Ex-Boyfriend Cookbook, and attributed to someone named Phil, who, in reality, didn’t cook for me. He would have, maybe, but we lived in a dormitory. And we were eighteen. Anyway, the picadillo tastes amazing, and it somehow soothes me to prepare it: it has the perfect amount of chopping and mixing and savory smells.

In your fridge, we can always find…

Farm eggs, milk, spinach, peanut butter, a variety of soft and hard cheeses, and Castelvetrano olives—these buttery olives are nearly round and the most gorgeous shade of green imaginable.

Your most cherished kitchen tool?

Not counting the coffee maker, I’d say my melon baller. Not the most used instrument in the drawer, but the most cherished, as it was my grandma’s.

The last cookbook you enjoyed?

Mangoes and Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels through the Great Subcontinent, by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. It’s part coffee table book, cookbook and travel journal, and is completely riveting.

Where does your love for food come from?

My mom is a wonderful cook—growing up we ate dinner together every night, so good food has always seemed both important and, well, “normal.”

When was the last time you cooked for a loved one? What did you make?

Apparently it wasn’t recently, since I’m having struggling to remember–ah yes: it was a sort of a summer salad medley. Curried chicken and rice salad; cucumber, red onions, tomatoes and rice wine vinegar salad, and spinach salad with strawberries and balsamic.

What is your guilty food pleasure?

Peanut butter. I eat far, far too much peanut butter.

What according to you is the one dish that everyone must try at least once?

Brussel sprouts prepared with a lot of butter and coarse ground mustard. I thought I hated brussel sprouts, but I’d like to do my part to redeem this much maligned vegetable.

I woke up this morning and went straight to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee and looked out the window. And what do I see? FOG!It’s been chilly, wet and foggy the past couple of days, which makes me happy knowing that my favourite season has finally made it’s way! Just looking at wet ground gave me a cozy feeling. I was so glad for being home and not having to drag myself through the chill to go someplace. It was a treat to look forward to spending the next hour or two enjoying my hot cup over the books and magazines I’d gathered a few weeks ago to aid me in my impending writing assignments.

There’s something about Fall that just brings me to a good place. The lovely hues of orange and red in the trees, the crisp chill in the air, and especially the warmth from cranking up the stove and oven to begin a long period of rich comfort food. I always welcome the cooler weather by making an array of rich spicy curries, aromatic stews and tantalizing soups. Most of our dinners during these colder months are enjoyed on the warm comfy couch over our favourite movies, with the softness of a fleece blanket wrapped around us.

Of all things I enjoy cooking in the Fall, one of my most favourite meal would have be a big bowl of Chili with fresh rustic Italian bread on the side. This dish is such a hit in my home, that I almost always make a big batch and freeze it, to savour over the coming weeks. Like any rustic dish, it’s very versatile to work with. When I want to give it more depth, I always opt to add in a cup or two of mixed beans and meatier vegetables like mushrooms.

Although this may not be the traditional Chili recipe we Canadians are so used to, it definitely is worth trying! And for those with little time on their hands and a big craving for easy comfort foods, its definitely a winner. It hardly took me about 30-35 minutes to get done and doesn’t differ much from the original.

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