Sunday Lunch

Bombay winter... The two words almost mutually exclude each other. But when temperatures drop to 10 degrees where they have to be at least 15, something has changed... I guess I should consider it a bad sign about global environment. But I have to admit I am enjoying it to the fullest! I am so much more energetic without the heat bogging me down!

To celebrate the last few days of cool, we invited a few friends over for a relaxed lunch on our terrace, overlooking the Arabian Sea. I wanted to keep the menu simple and fresh, in tune with the 'lightness of being' in this weather. I ordered a lasagna just in case, and made the rest myself:

VEGETABLE STICKS WITH DIP: Baby corn, carrots, white radish, capsicum and cucumber sticks. Dip: yogurt, goat cheese spread, crushed walnuts, salt and pepper.

CHEESY CHICKEN CASSEROLE: I used a Bulgarian earthen dish for slow oven cooking. I layered chicken pieces with mushrooms and pieces of smoked cheese (La Vache Qui Rit). Finally, I poured a big mug of diluted cream spiced up with black pepper on top. It cooked for 30 minutes in moderate heat. The chicken was melting in the mouth, and the mushrooms and melted cheese gave this extremely simple dish a positively gourmet taste!

GERMAN POTATO SALAD: Just boiled potatoes mixed with homemade mayonnaise, mustard, gherkins, salt, pepper, onion (very important to sprinkle it with salt and crush it in your palms before mixing it in the salad, in order to tune down the sharp taste), and lots of parsley and dill. Yum!

AUBERGINE SALAD: Dust aubergine slices with flour, fry them and let them cool down. Season with a dressing of olive oil, crushed garlic, salt, pepper and lots & lots of dill. It got some rave comments!

COCKTAIL OF THE DAY: Green Island Mauritian white rum, half soda half Sprite, lemon juice and a lot of ice. Perfect for a mid-day drink!