The Sausage Tomato Sandwich Story at the Tavares Home…..

 Glen Tavares was a friend of mine in B Block GK1 , those who know will know, it was a posh address then it is  a posh address now…

We lived in the backlane which had nallah coming in from Panchseel, which is now covered and a posh.. park had come up on it.Glen played excellent football as our full back.

He had studied at St Columbus school- so did his brothers Mark and Trevor. His mother taught at the same school. mark and Trevor were younger Mark was in School and Trevor had gone to a Seminary very young to become a priest, he was later Brother Trevor until he became perhaps Father Trevor..

I got closer to Glen after 12 th when  he joined Bhagat Singh College and I joined KiroriMal College, we met every evening for a smoke … he always had a 20s pack and I ate eucalyptus leaves after every smoke to erase and obliterate the cigarette smell as my mom was the KGB agent, as we called her.

He was A Goan Catholic maybe Anglo  Indian some trace of Saraswat Brahmin from his mother’s side.. His father had passed away long ago, his Uncle Richard lived with them a man about town well dressed, would dress up for Golf.

We had other interesting people in the neighborhood including Jessica Lal, who later became famous for the wrong reasons.

This story is not about any of them, but the sausage sandwich I had at their place as hurried dinner his mother prepared before we went off to a night show movie at Archana Cinema. Which happened quite often.

Now the sandwich, white toasted bread slathered with butter… then horizontally sliced very large fried pork sausages with sliced tomatoes… salt and pepper….. just tooooo good. The memory the visual the tastes.. the juiciest  sandwich, the memory stuck with me forever…

It’s nearly 42 years ago I never forgot it… tried to replicate a couple of times over the years perhaps never could until last week when the earth moved for me the same sausage taste which took me to my boyish days… the juicy tomato and the butter slathered on the white toasted bread… there could have been more butter… well it was a dream fulfilled.

LIIT : Long Island Ice Tea

It was the mid 90’s … India was looking hopeful…we had first multinational paying well.. 

The  empty well was filling up fast … buy a car plan a trip abroad… new clothes … eat out at restaurants without having to look at the menu prices… a child wasn’t yet planned.

Amidst all this euphoria of launch of McDonalds, KFC, there was the launch of TGIF…Thank God it’s Friday.. American style dining and bar with hoola hoop of waiters and service… I loved the atmosphere…. It was near our Discovery Channel Office, we went often.

Welcomes, farewells and even Birthdays and Anniversaries. Akash a colleague even took up their dining membership card.. a loyalty program. 

I went often with family as a pre movie drink or dinner and even Sunday Brunch… 

In all this milieu we were ordered Long Island Iced Tea it was a potent one all whites and cola (white rum, vodka, gin, tequila etc) it was a large goblet or chalice.. amazing…the same year visiting USA presented more such opportunities…of cocktails but LIIT …was all pervasive..

Then Vib Sharma Praveen’s boss described his experience of the LIIT the huge drink in Singapore perhaps had with spouting straws… I always imagined what that would look like…

From the 90’s I forgot about LIIT and then suddenly i ordered one at Cedar House, the other day was satisfied with 75 ml of alcohol, with so many whites they could have done more…

Within the same week I had another at the Past Times Bar at IHC it was a one plus one night, but found it to be weakened version of the original memory….

Though an accepted cocktail by the IBA International Bartenders Association.. it’s orins are debatable Long Island Tennessee or Long Island New York… it’s an interesting and potent drink which is easy to drink and brings back many youthful memories…of then and now.

Madhumalti And Firangipani Finally Bloom

I have been for over a month having serious performance anxiety that my plants are not flowering…..not blooming… everywhere I saw tiny Firangipani trees in full bloom… and Madhumaltis spreading their fragrance in the neighborhood almost bent over and flower laden.

I thought to myself and discussed with nearly everyone I could …

It was lack of soil , daughter said to my many plants and trees in a patch of soil, all fighting for existence. Some said no fertilizer…

I opined a tree find its nutrition in from the roots way below the concrete as the trees and creepers are so tall..(a tree is as tall under the earth as above the earth).

I thought spring had passed me by …. I thought of another creeper with orange bell shaped flowers in the backyard that had stopped flowering for years.

It kept gnawing at me as these are my favorite loved ones ( Firangipani) was planted by my brother Sanjiv and the other Madhumalti very lovingly planted by my mother and nurtured by my father… the pride of the neighborhood..both my father and the madhumalti. I have been the caretaker, the watchman and the gardener watering them lovingly for over half a decade… actually everyone in my family likes to water the plants.. my mom , me, my daughter , the driver and maid we are all excited to water the plants…

So spring was long gone.. and this year so far has had a mild summer… the Gulmohar trees have had a similar fate before they bloomed the constant storms and rains… blew their buds away.. hence weak flowering this season…

I am very observant of the changes in the flora and measure the year and seasons with Tesu … around Holi… followed by Gulmohar… followed by Amaltas in the strong summer …and so on…

So coming back to this evening in an effort to complete my steps.. I lo and  behold saw them both trees in the front porch flowering … I was overjoyed… I had to something… I had to celebrate… I had to write… 

The metaphor life finds a way is so true and I was beginning to be a doubting Thomas… but here I am back to being a believer… 

Like a all good times don’t last so similarly all bad times don’t last … 

Life finds a way … Love finds a way..

Oye Lucky Oye- Biryani

 If you lived / worked at a certain time in Bandra Khar Juhu in the late 90s to 2010 … for a Biryani your go to place was Lucky Biryani.

It still is quite and institution even today with my contemporary food writers and presenters Kalyan Karmakar, Kunal Vijaykar and few dozen food appreciators you wouldn’t have heard of…

The toss up was between Lucky, Candy or if on a tight budget Rajasthan Restaurant which had nothing to do with Rajasthani food but more about Paya Kabab Biryani and Kofta and even Kaliya but really cheap…

Origins and History 

Lucky Restaurant in Bandra, Mumbai, is a legendary food destination established in 1938, renowned for its Irani-influenced biryani and extensive menu. The restaurant is a staple of Mumbai's culinary scene, with a history tied to Iranian settlers who moved from Pune

Establishment: The restaurant was originally opened as "Bombay Restaurant" on Bazar Road in 1930.

Renaming: It became known as "Lucky Restaurant" on September 9, 1938.

Founder: Founded by Sayed Ali Akbarul Huseini.

Location History: The current, iconic location in Bandra was previously a British car showroom.

Evolution: The restaurant started with a limited menu of four or five dishes but has since expanded to offer over 200 items. 

Biryani Style and Features

Style: Lucky Biryani is a popular Mumbai-style biryani, known for being flavorful and rich.

Distinct Elements: Unlike the classic Kolkata style, Lucky's biryani contains small pieces of potato, but not the large, whole potatoes found in Kolkata, often featuring a distinct, thick gravy-like masala paste (jhol) integrated into the rice.

Specialists: Many of the cooks at the restaurant are from Uttar Pradesh.

Celebrity Patronage: Due to its location in Bandra and its long history, it is a well-known hangout for Bollywood celebrities. 

Legacy

Today, the restaurant is managed by the sons and grandchildren of the founder and remains a 24-hour spot known for its biryani, non-vegetarian food, and Indian-Mughlai cuisine. 

Now, today I had to replicate Lucky  Chicken Biryani…at home at New Delhi about 1200 km as the crow flies…

Humble effort in the kitchen huge step for Biryanidom was able to bring about a similar taste smell look aroma with a memory of the Channel [V] Star days and nights spen in Khar Juhu Bandra Pali Hill Union Park and Santa Cruz ….remembering all the people Mohit,  Debu Ranvir Shorey Gaurav Kapoor, Mandar Thakur Shaji Mathews, Sanjay Das,Vivek Arora,Suresh Bala, Mahesh Murthy, Shashank Ghosh , Arnab Choudhary, Jignesh Shah.  Albeit Vegetarian, Vivek Paul , Rahul Merchant and a million more

Which is your favourite Biryani..

When the Cookie Crumbles

 The story of Biscoff goes back almost a century—and it started very simply.

Origins (1930s)

Biscoff was first created in 1932 in a small bakery in Lembeke, Belgium by Jan Boone Sr., founder of Lotus Bakeries.

The biscuit was originally called a “speculoos”, a traditional spiced biscuit popular in Belgium and the Netherlands, especially around winter holidays.

The name “Biscoff”

The name Biscoff came later and is a mix of biscuit ” + “Coffee” (portmanteau)

because it was designed to pair perfectly with coffee 

Rise in popularity (1980s–2000s)

Lotus standardized the recipe and began mass production

Airlines and cafés started serving it with coffee, which made it globally recognizable

It became known as that “little caramel biscuit you get with coffee”

The game-changer: Biscoff spread (2007)

A Belgian TV show, De Bedenkers, featured an idea to turn the biscuit into a spread.

Lotus took the concept seriously and launched Biscoff spread, which became a massive hit worldwide.

Today

Sold in 100+ countries

Used in desserts, drinks, and even gourmet recipes

Considered one of the most recognizable European snack brand

Despite global popularity, the recipe has stayed almost unchanged since 1932, which is why it still has that signature 

caramelized taste.

I was unaware of all this, I had seen the biscuit mentioned in many menus combined with desserts, but didn’t pay heed to it…

One day looking for other stuff on Blinkit… I saw this and ordered… and I was hooked… the caramelised… crunch.. the simplicity of the taste… the layering and depth it offered was overwhelming… and now I am a fan … offering it to all .. 

just amazed at him simple things can have so much success without changing and producing the same product for a century…truly a Centurion

The Story of Baan Mhi - The Vietnamese Roll

 The Story of Baan Mhi - The Vietnamese Roll

France brought all manner of new and exotic items to Vietnam during its colonization of the region, from beer to bread, carrots to coffee, but didn’t hand them over willingly. The story of how the modern banh mi came together, the sort of banh mi you can pick up today at a farmers’ market in London, or from a food truck in Los Angeles, recounts 160 years of Vietnam’s history in one single, fiery package.

In unison, the visitors bite down into the bread’s fragile outer shell. A few fire off selfies as the customary explosion of crumbs covers the table. This is how all banh mi experiences begin. The bread gives way to the paté, then homemade mayonnaise, tender ham and cold cuts of pork. Pickled carrot and daikon add sweetness, cucumber brings a cool crunch. Cilantro. Unmistakable. A dash of Maggi Sauce for depth. Every taste bud gets hit. Then comes the chili, like a short, sharp slap in the face. “Wake up sunshine,” it says. “You’re in Vietnam now.”

My experiences are pre Vietnam, during Vietnam and Post Vietnam…

I must have seen the sandwich an umpteen times with Anthony Bourdain and many other food and travel shows a decade and a half ago… I dreamt of it I had to have it … Somehow in 2011 I got to taste a proper Banh Mi.. so they said at  Blue Ginger at Taj Palace .. left me a little underwhelmed.. and yes the family wasn’t impressed either..

The search was on the next opportunity was a hole in the wall Little Saigon - HauzKhas Khas Market, where I went with a dear friend.. nice food , summer rolls and Pho too but the the real Banh Mi was still elusive..circa 2018-19

Yet another adventure to the Vietnamese embassy with the dear friend again,which allowed guests for lunch on Friday at the Embassy Canteen..the food was literally grabbed from the kitchen by me as they had run out.. the drinks and beer from the fridge.. lots of summer rolls, Pho and beer and fried chicken.. but no Banh mi circa 2021-22

Cut to 2024

On my first time in Nam though I had visited it so many times before on Bourdain’s shows (he was biased to Vietnam and Vietnamese food), with Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Forrest Gump… Deerhunter I had been to Vietnam several times 

In the summer of 2024 me and now not so little An (Ananya) landed late night at Ho Chih Minh City earlier known as Saigon we stayed at the Heritage property Hotel Majestic.. a fine blend of South East Asian and Parisian best defined…by the idiom Indochine…

After a late night dinner of pho and Saigon beer interspersed by 333 all light beers of Vietnam.. went to bed to welcomed by the most heartfelt heartwarming and beautiful Banh Mi for breakfast at the Hotel… the pate, the buttery goodness dribbling everyday in my chin and tshirt.. the goodness moved the earth for me ..I feasted on Banh mi for breakfast … absolutely the best ever…

Back in India… the last two years have seen the swarming of so called gourmet sandwich shops all over India/ Delhi/ ofcourse the Mecca and epicenter of almost every cuisine available in India… GK2 

I heard and watched, Pete’s Deli, Kona, Dumbo, Savage..I had to go to one of them … I had to go to Kona by the people who own Fig & Maple… the reason clearly.. they serve the Banh Mi and Vietnamese Coffee… I was conned the only thing right this time was the baguette, everything was wrong, the meat was hard chunks of curried pork.. no salads no sauces and atrocious over priced Vietnamese coffee and Banh mi absolute disappointment…. Which poor Ananya paid for… now makes me want to go Vietnam or close enough.. again and soon…

What’s your Sandwich Story ….

Hand Churned Ice Cream Anyone…

 Once during the summer holidays.. visiting Delhi as a young boy .. visited my Paternal Aunt .. in Pratap Bagh near Delhi University..

Her son who later was ordained to become a granthi (priest) in a gurudwara .

He was then an unemployed youth and he had set up an ice cream stall/ shop in the market .

So all afternoon on a summer day we toiled in churning ice cream out of fresh cream,  milk, fresh fruit, tutti-frutti and cherries to make this wonderful ice cream ..

Then loaded it to to the market and vended them all evening and late into the night ... with nothing to eat or drink and counting our earnings and feeling good about it ..

Many  lessons learnt in enterprise, hard labor, rewards in selling the fruits of your labor at a very young age .. besides memories are invaluable..

The ice cream looked something like this .. and we sold it for a one Rupee each ... it’s long but I can still taste a hint of salt in our hand churned ice cream